Advice forPolicy Holders
Having an insurance claim occur to your personal or business property can be a difficult time and often your Insurer will appoint a Loss Adjuster to assist with evaluating and settling your claim. The below is some guidance and advice on what a Loss Adjuster does and what options are open to you.
What does a Loss Adjuster do?
A Loss Adjuster is an independent evaluator of a claim normally hired by an Insurance company. Their aim is evaluate the loss, identify the cause, check policies for adequate cover and finally, to recommend the best way to get the individual or company back on their feet. In some cases the Loss adjuster will be employed by the company or the individual of a claim (the Policy Holder) and will negotiate with the loss adjusting and insurance company for a fair outcome.
What does an investigation entail?
Loss Adjusters are often the ‘second responder’ to a claim or incident. This can include:
- Fires
- Escape of waters – pipes bursts
- Subsidence
- Chemical spills
- Acts of god – storms, hurricanes, earthquakes
This often means that, after the police, ambulance or firefighters have left the scene, the next arrival will often be a Loss Adjuster. The job of a Loss Adjuster is to use reports alongside their accumulated knowledge and experience to:
a) assess the damage
b) identify the cause of the damage and, (if covered by the policy)
c) the process and costs to get the Policy Holder back on their feet.
A Loss Adjuster will typically look at the following:
- That the right insurance is in place to cover the loss
- That all conditions of the policy have been met
- The loss falls within the policy
- The amount being claimed
Most Insurance Companies will have a panel of Loss Adjusters or Loss Adjusting Firms to take care of any claims. Some larger insurance companies have their own in-house loss adjusting teams instead.
Questions
If you have any questions about the information regarding this process please do not hesitate to contact the team at info@cila.co.uk for more help.
Making A complaint
While we hope that your experience with Loss Adjusters is always positive we understand that this may not always be the case. If you are considering making a complaint please read the Complaint Manual here.