Insurance claims inspector : Job description

Insurance claims inspectors are employed directly by insurance companies to investigate claims made by policyholders. Their role includes dealing with a claim, accessing liability and following it through to completion and settlement.

They coordinate the services that may be required by policyholders following an accident or incident, such as contacting an approved tradesperson and organising a visit from them to make repairs on a policyholder's home. They also try to prevent fraudulent claims.

Claims inspectors differ from loss adjusters in that they usually work for a single insurance company, whereas a loss adjuster works for a range of companies and generally deals with larger and more complex cases.

Typical work activities

Typical activities include:

• visiting scenes of accidents, such as workplaces, or loss (fire or theft);
• investigating the circumstances of an accident or loss and undertaking background research;
• checking details with policyholders and witnesses;
• providing advice on making a claim and the processes involved;
• contacting tradespeople from a network of approved professionals and arranging for them to make repairs on the policyholder's property;
• acquiring information from other professionals, such as the police and medical and technical staff;
• liaising externally with loss adjusters, solicitors and other legal/claims professionals;
• liaising internally with senior claims inspectors, staff in the claims department, underwriters and other appropriate staff in the company;
• negotiating a settlement with claimants or legal representatives and arranging payments;
• completing relevant paperwork and writing reports, using technology to record appropriate information;
• working with and assessing a range of factual information;
• collating information and deciding on liability;
• adhering to customer standards set by the company.