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This special page is for and about adjusters and the profession of adjusting major property damage insurance claims.

Insurance Company Property Adjusters

The Unrecognized Profession - By JOHN APICELLA

When will insurance companies appreciate and recognize the value and talents of the people they employ to adjust major property damage claims?

What if a shortage of these pro's resulted in a system where insurance companies had to compete for the most talented property adjusters? Imagine signing bonuses for adjusters.

Property adjusters are expected to be skilled in many recognized professions.

Property adjusters must have a complete understanding of the insurance policy. The policy is a contract, a legal document, and the basis for everything that will happen in the course of the claim adjustment. The adjuster understands and uses more basic property insurance law than most lawyers. Lawyers regularly seek advice and clarification about property coverage from adjusters.

Determining the cost to repair major building damages require a complete understanding of construction methods and materials. The adjuster needs to know how buildings are put together and how they come apart to determine how to remove the damaged areas to complete repairs while preserving the undamaged. Building contractors often consult with adjusters in these areas. Property adjusters retain and consult with engineers and architects and often meet with municipal building officials to resolve construction and building code issues.

Construction cost estimating requires the adjuster to know the cost of materials and labor and how various construction trades relate to each other. In determining how much to allow for labor and materials the adjuster needs to factor in price changes, waste, weather and the scheduling of constructing trades.

Property adjusters must have a working knowledge of plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, duct work, and sprinkler systems to name a few. Quite often a malfunction of one or more of these systems is the cause of the fire or water damage that is the basis of the claim. An understanding of how these systems operate and what happens when they fail is necessary because the adjusters must determine the cause of the loss to establish coverage and possible subrogation.

Major claims require an understanding of accounting. When the claim involves business interruption or extra expense, the adjuster is expected to understand the workings of the business and be able to read and interpret financial statements.

Most claims involve the contents of the building, from heavy machinery and computers of a business to the sofa and bedding in a home. Determining the cost to repair or replace the damaged items is the adjuster's job.

To settle claims adjusters communicate and negotiate with each of the recognized professions on their level to arrive at an accurate determination of the dollar value of the damage. Once that is accomplished, the settlement must be explained to the insured in a detailed and convincing manner, recognizing that the insured is not familiar with claim adjusting terminology and procedures or the unique nature of insurance coverage.

Finally, the greatest talent is the ability to submit a written report of the entire procedure to the claims examiner back at the home office. Every part of the settlement must be documented to the satisfaction of the examiner who must approve the settlement based on that report. A task made more difficult by the fact that the examiner is often someone who has never worked as an adjuster in the field and does not appreciate what it takes to settle a claim.

It takes a pro. Property adjusting should be recognized, appreciated and compensated as a profession.

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Copyright 2005, Apicella Adjusters, Inc.