Property Claims Adjuster - What They Do

This professional is the one that processes insurance claims to determine whether the one insured is entitled or not to a payout. Many property claims adjusters work for insurance companies and they will be the ones that investigate claims that are related to homes, businesses, vehicles, and other insured properties. To begin the process the adjuster will speak to the one filing the claim to determine the cause of the damage. When there has been a legitimate insurance claim filed the adjuster then has to calculate the cost of replacement or repair of the property that has been damaged.

There are not many college courses that are designed specifically for those that want to enter this field. When an insurance company recruits a new property claims adjuster they will generally look for individuals that have prior experience working in the insurance industry or has a legal work background. The work hours are often irregular. One example of the reason why this is so is that if there is an accident they must investigate it could occur at any hour of the day or night.

In an insurance agency they are referred to as a staff adjuster. They will interview the one that filed the claim along with any witnesses in order to find out the cause of the damage. The adjuster may also obtain a police report to help verify the claim if a report was filed. For injury claims they may also request medical records to validate the claim. Another responsibility for the property claims adjuster has is to establish whether the insurance has a responsibility to pay the claim. After the investigation is complete the adjuster will negotiate with the claimant until both sides reached a satisfactory settlement.

Some property claims adjuster also work independently on a contract basis for insurance companies but are considered self-employed. Many times an insurance company does not need the services of the adjuster on a full time basis so they will hire one as needed. It is less expensive to hire them as needed. When self-employed the adjuster will defend the interests of the party that hires them. They generally will work for several clients over an extended period of time.

If you are an individual or business you can hire an independent property claims adjuster to help represent their case to their insurance company. Those that are self-employed will do the same job as those employed by an insurance agency but the one difference is they look for evidence that supports the claimant, which is the one that hired them. It is their job to prove the claim and not disprove it. The independent adjuster generally gets a percentage of the insurance settlement.