There are essentially four (4) basic types of adjusters involved in the average insurance claim for property damage. The use of independent adjuster, staff adjusters and field staff adjusters varies with the risk that the insurance carrier is insuring. Public Adjusters, which are rarely needed or required in the average property or homeowner’s claim for damages, are hired by the insured (property owner). We’ll be reviewing why Public Adjusters aren’t really necessary in the near future.
Let’s start with the average property owner’s claim for common cause of loss perils not in a catastrophic situation. In small to mid-size insurance carriers there is usually a staff of adjusters based out of a home office that are commonly or duly known as carrier claim representatives. The carrier claim reps usually work out of a central office and handle the administrative portion of the claim such as gathering the proof of loss, witness information (if any), underwriting concerns, and last but not least: printing of the claim payment check (indemnification).
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Most independent insurance adjusting offices utilize some very common practices upon acceptance of an assignment. The adjusting firm is usually required to make contact with some combination of insured, claimant(s) and or witnesses, if any.
For your typical “common loss peril” such as hail or wind it’s generally acceptable to handle the loss acceptance via email and the loss notification to the insured with a phone call. It seems perfectly normal that this is the standard for most every adjusting firm, but what about larger losses? What is acceptable to the client and their insured? What provides for an adequate amount of protection without sparking the insured’s interest in retaining counsel or a public adjuster? 
Though it’s the insured’s every right to have counsel, it is no secret that attorneys and public adjusters drive the claim dollar “through the roof”, and more often than not out of the adjuster’s hands.
Let’s get one thing straight out of the box here: If you have been assigned a file with an expected loss of $50,000 in the property & casualty or liability fields, and aren’t working under a third party administrator then you need to consider writing a claim acknowledgement letter to the parties involved, for the protection of the insured, your client and your own self. Read more…
