Automobile Insurance
What are claims adjusters?
When you file a claim with your insurance company, a claims adjuster will review the loss to figure out what is covered and how much you are owed under your policy. You may interact with one or more adjusters during a claim – from reporting the loss to inspecting the damage to handling any injury claims to making payments.
Different Types of Claims Adjusters
Company Claims Adjusters, also called staff adjusters, work for your insurance company.
Independent Claims Adjusters do not directly work for your insurance company, but are hired by them. Independent claims adjusters may be used when a company does not have a large staff of their own adjusters or after a large catastrophe, like a hurricane, when the company’s staff is not large enough to handle the number of claims.
Public Insurance Adjusters are claim adjusters you can hire to help you document your loss and make your claim. Your insurance company does not pay the public adjuster—you do. You may hire a public adjuster if your claim is complicated, if you do not believe you’ve been treated fairly by your insurance company, or you do not agree with the amount of money the insurance company is going to pay.
Public adjusters may charge a flat rate, an hourly rate, or a portion of the total claim settlement. Texas law limits the total amount a public adjuster can charge on a claim.
Terms to Know
Claim – a request made to an insurance company to pay for damage or injury.
Coverage – the damage or injuries an insurance company agrees to pay for under the policy.
First-party claim – a claim filed by you against your own insurance policy.
Policy – a contract between you and the insurance company. The policy tells you what’s covered and what the insurance company is required to pay.
Third-party claim – a claim filed by you against another person’s insurance policy.
Our Office
Barbara Jordan Building
1601 Congress Ave., Suite 3.500
Austin, Texas 78701
1-(877)-611-6742