The new adjuster gains this expertise in two ways:

By training from his employer or various continuing education providers.
By working in the field with an experienced adjuster.

As, a trainee adjuster in 1967, my employer took a multi-faceted approach to create professional and effective insurance adjusters. They did so by:

Introducing insurance adjusters to an insurance adjusting book like "Insurance Claims: A Comprehensive Guide" [available from National Underwriter Co.] so we would understand the basics of insurance adjusting.
Trainees then rode on claims with experienced adjusters in every field of business written by the company including:
- Fire and other property claims adjusters.
- Workers' Compensation adjusters.
- Workers' Compensation hearing representatives.
- Bodily injury adjusters.
- Property damage liability adjusters.
- Fidelity and surety adjusters.
- Commercial property adjusters.
- Commercial liability insurers
- Catastrophe adjusters.
This was followed by time in the insurer's home office and attending 30 days of classroom training covering every possible subject an adjuster needs to know including:
- Medical terms.
- Investigation techniques.
- How to rebuild a damaged dwelling or commercial building.
- How to read and understand an insurance policy.
- How to fix a car and knowledge of all its parts.
- How to fix a broken person and all of his or her parts.
- How to read medical records.
- Tort law.
- Contract law.
- Equitable remedies.
- The red flags or indicators of fraud.
- How to deal with a suspected fraudulent claim.
- How to deal with an insured with empathy and professionalism.
After the training was complete, trainees were then allowed to adjust minor claims by telephone and show the employer that they had obtained and absorbed the training.
After a year of close supervision it was time to meet with insureds and help them prove their claims and/or obtain the defense and indemnity promised by the policy.

State insurance departments across the country are attempting to micromanage the business of insurance with various statutes and regulations. Failure to comply with the continuing education requirements can be used as evidence of an insurer's failure to require its employees to comply with the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Insurers should not only ensure that their training programs conform to those required by the relevant states, but also consistently apply excellence in claims handling training.

Special Reports /

Are your adjusters getting proper training?

Related Stories

Recommended For You