Claim Adjuster

An adjuster is the insurance company's representative for a specific claim. They investigate what happened, evaluate liability and damages, negotiate, and ultimately have authority (up to a limit) to settle the claim. Some are staff adjusters, employed directly by the insurer. Others are independent adjusters hired on contract. 'Public adjusters,' in contrast, work for the policyholder — that's a different role.

An adjuster runs the claim through several questions: Is there coverage under the policy? Is the insured liable? What are the damages worth? What's our likely exposure if this goes to trial? Is there a risk of a bad-faith claim if we deny? The answers shape their offer.

Adjusters typically have settlement authority up to a specific dollar amount. Anything above that has to go to a supervisor or a committee. In large cases, the adjuster doing the talking often doesn't have final authority — they're relaying offers. Knowing this can explain why negotiations sometimes pause for days between counter-offers.

Be polite and factual. Don't speculate about what happened. Don't give recorded statements before understanding the injury. Ask for everything in writing. Remember that notes from every call become part of the claim file — anything said to an adjuster can come back later.