The Best Guide on How to Become an Insurance Adjuster in 2022
Besides overseeing insurance claims and determining their legitimacy, adjusters have various other important duties. In fact, they are required to know almost everything about their insurance company and the lines of insurance they sell.
If an adjuster is working for an insurance company that primarily deals in homeowners insurance claims, they must have the requisite knowledge to do the job. This includes details concerning real estate, housing, and construction. And, such information is vital to an adjuster as it’s necessary for them to be able to investigate and evaluate damage claims. Let’s take a closer look at their responsibilities.
Property Inspection
Once a claim has been filed, insurance adjusters have to inspect the damaged property and/or look into personal injuries. The property for inspection can be a home, business, vehicle, or insured goods. By all means, the assessment allows them to calculate the amount of the claims that the insurance company will pay.
Conducting Interviews
During the inspection process, adjusters also need to interview the clients, law enforcement personnel, or potential witnesses to help with their investigation. They can talk to the client to hear their side of the story or any employees, family members, friends, or bystanders to correlate with the client’s story. Similarly, they may even interview professionals such as construction workers, lawyers, engineers, or other professionals to get an expert’s view in understanding the situation that is the cause of the claim.
Information Collection
While conducting their inspection and interviews, adjusters have to record the information they find. The report can be in written form or collected through audio, photo, or video means. And, once the claims are approved, this information is later reviewed to help determine the amount to be paid by the insurer.
As adjusters conduct their inspection, they have the following responsibilities during and after the claims process:
Ensure the legitimacy of claims
Decide the claims amount
Consult with legal personnel for the claims process
Negotiate settlements with the policyholder
Authorize claims payments
Note: In general, most adjusters work in claims related to property, automobile, life, and health insurance.