Would you ever wondered what an auto insurance claims adjuster exactly does? Well, having a vehicle means that you have an auto insurance which will protect you against any liabilities or injuries you could sustain caused by an auto accident. It is important that you get to familiarize yourself on the nature of the job of an auto insurance claims adjuster so that you will understand why he would do the things that you would see him doing if you should have to go through the process of filing a claim. Check out this article to learn more.
Have you ever wondered what an auto insurance claims adjuster exactly does? Well,
having a vehicle means that you have an auto insurance which will protect you against any liabilities or injuries you could sustain caused by an auto accident. It is important that you get to familiarize yourself on the nature of the job of an auto insurance claims adjuster so that you will understand why he would do the things that you would see him doing if you should have to go through the process of filing a claim.
Filing an Insurance Claim
Filing an insurance claim means that you have gone through an auto accident and that you need to claim your insurance benefit to get your car repaired for the damages. The usual process which you need to go through would be to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible after the incident. Assuming that no one was injured, then your focus would be to get your car repaired with the use of your collision coverage. Your comprehensive coverage can also cover you for auto repairs in cases when your car got damaged through non-collision events. These events may include fire, hail, storm, damaged by an animal, and more.
What happens after initial contact with your insurance claim?
When you contact your insurance provider you will be connected to the claims department who will then assign a specific claims adjuster to your case. Most of the time the adjuster would be working directly with your insurance company; other companies though may hire independent adjusters to assure customers of unbiased reports.
Once the auto insurance claims adjuster receives the claims assignment, he will contact you to arrange an appointment on when or where he could take a look at the vehicle for his assessment. After this, you will then receive a report from your insurance provider regarding the assessment made by the adjuster which would include the amount of money that would be needed to repair your vehicle.
Depending on the situation, behind the scenes the adjuster could actually contact a lot of people to enable him to accurately assess the accident and your vehicle. Aside from talking to you, he would approach possible witnesses on the accident which could include traffic enforcers, police, and hospital staff if you are also claiming for personal injury. He would also at times consult with other professionals such as accountants, construction workers, lawyers, physicians, and other professionals who could offer him expert evaluation of the claim.
Once the adjuster is convinced that your claim is legitimate, then he would contact local repair garages in your area to get an estimate on the parts and services needed to repair your vehicle. He will then submit a detailed report to your insurance provider regarding his final assessment which the company will relay to you.
When the damage to your vehicle exceeds the value of the vehicle the auto insurance claims adjuster can declare your vehicle a write-off. When this happens what you will get from your insurance company is the book value amount of your vehicle. The actual amount would vary depending on the age of your vehicle but most of the time the book value would be less than what you paid for the vehicle. With some auto insurance providers though, they provide an added option where you pay an extra premium for coverage to guarantee the full amount you paid for your vehicle if it has been written off within the first few years of purchase.
Often, the auto insurance claims adjuster will provide you options. Like whether you want your car to be repaired by certain repair shops or if you want cash settlement for the claim and get the car repaired yourself. Once you make the decision, the adjuster will make the necessary arrangements to get it done. For any kind of dispute regarding the report that has been submitted by the adjuster, you need to contact your insurance provider and coordinate with them. Always consider that the adjuster does not have an easy job and just like every one else, he is just making a living as well.
