Car insurance adjusters work to determine the value of vehicles that are involved in accidents. If you have submitted a claim to have your car repaired, a car insurance adjuster from your auto insurance provider may need to inspect your vehicle, take photos, and even recreate the events of the accident. Car insurance adjusters also help to identify potential cases of fraud and regularly work with the police in order to identify hit-and-run drivers.

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As explained by the Illinois Department of Insurance’s article on “Filing an Auto Claim with Your Own Insurance Company,” submitting a claim to a car insurance company is a complicated process. Car insurance adjusters play a role in nearly every part of the accident claims process, and their ultimate decision will determine whether or not you receive an insurance check.

You will really only need to interact with a car insurance adjuster if you submit a claim. While car insurance agents act like a customer service liaison between auto insurance providers and policyholders, car insurance adjusters only handle the finances.

How do car insurance claims work?

When you purchase a car insurance policy, you will know from which types of accidents, damages and liabilities you will be protected. Either you or another party involved in an accident with you has the option of filing a car insurance claim with your provider. Claims are generally approved when there is clear evidence that supports the statements made by the person that filed, but they can be denied for a wide range of reasons.

Generally, car insurance claims are filed after a collision has occurred, but a Consumer Reports article on dealing with car vandalism says that claims should be immediately made after a vehicle has been vandalized. Basically, any type of damage to you or your vehicle that is covered by your car insurance policy can be reported as an insurance claim.

Your car insurance provider may want you to submit your claim via fax, email, standard postal mail, or electronically via the Internet. It is imperative that you find out the procedures for submitting an insurance claim required by your insurer so that you are able to expedite the process.

After your auto insurance claim has been submitted and accepted, an investigation by a car insurance adjuster will follow. The investigation may only take a few days with you never being contacted by the claims adjuster at all. You should provide your auto insurance provider with all of your contact information so that you will be able to get in contact with the car insurance adjuster easily.

What do car insurance adjusters do?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that insurance adjusters are employed as intermediaries between policyholders and car insurance companies. For instance, you may have received a repair estimate for your car in the amount of $3,000, but the car insurance adjuster may only offer you an insurance payout of $2,200. If a lower estimate was obtained by the car insurance adjuster, you will need to prove why you should get the full amount originally requested.

Car insurance adjusters will inspect all vehicles that were involved in the accident, speak to auto mechanics about the nature of repairs needed, record photographic evidence, and seek out witnesses. Typically, car insurance adjusters cover the regions that they are assigned by their employers, sometimes requiring them to travel extensively. Major car insurance companies tend to be able to complete car insurance claims faster as they are financially equipped to hire more adjusters.

When will you need to speak to a car insurance adjuster?

Anyone that is involved in, a witness to, or the victim of an auto accident may need to talk to a car insurance adjuster. Although you are not required by law to provide car accident adjusters with any information, it is in your best interest to be honest and forthright. This is especially true if you have a pending car insurance claim, whether it is your car insurance company or not.

Some policyholders that submit car insurance claims may not understand why they were not contacted prior to their claims being denied. Although car insurance adjusters often speak to as many different parties as needed to complete a report, they are not always able to do so. If you believe that there is critical information missing from your car insurance claim, you can submit an appeal and speak to your car insurance adjuster.

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