Chartered loss adjuster : Job description

Loss adjusters are independent claims specialists who investigate complex or contentious claims on behalf of insurance companies and help policyholders restore their property to full working order. Within the sector, they are sometimes referred to as domestic adjusters or commercial adjusters. Loss adjusters investigate at the scene of an incident to establish the causes of the loss (damage or destruction of property) and whether it is covered by the insurance policy. They then write reports for the insurer, assessing the validity of the claim and recommending appropriate payment.

Claims could be caused by a wide range of incidents including flood, accident, fire (including arson), theft or fraud, giving the job plenty of variety.

Typical work activities

The broad range of activities includes:

• communicating with insurers to receive instruction on new claims;
• visiting the site of a loss to survey and assess the damage;
• recording the situation at the site with equipment such as digital cameras and camcorders;
• ensuring the immediate security of the site by, for example, having doors and windows boarded up;
• requesting reports from specialist third parties, such as building surveyors;
• advising insurers and policyholders on the most appropriate repair or replacement technique;
• recommending local specialist firms for demanding repair or restoration work;
• interviewing the policyholder making the claim to discuss valuation and validation of the claim;
• inspecting documentation to verify that the loss or damage is covered sufficiently by the terms of the insurance policy;
• reviewing recordings from security cameras and reports from emergency services and/or security contractors;
• investigating suspicious claims by inspecting claimants' records to verify the existence and value of goods being claimed for;
• liaising with any other insurers to negotiate the spread of liability;
• writing reports as swiftly as possible (often on site) for the client, including recommendations for settlement;
• advising claimants on security and other precautions to reduce the risk of further losses in the future, e.g. installation of new alarms and security lights;
• depending on the nature of the claim, loss adjusters might carry out several inspections a day or spend several days on more complex cases.