Adjusting Liability Claims

A Video Explaining the Need for Professional Liability Claims AdjustersShow more

Adjusting liability insurance claims requires skill, patience, knowledge of insurance, basic knowledge of tort and contract law, and knowledge and experience as an investigator. To properly and effectively perform the duties of a liability claims adjuster, he or she must be capable of effectively dealing with the following basic obligations:

To understand the law of torts as applied in the state where the adjuster works.
To understand the law of contracts as applied in the state where the adjuster works.
To understand sufficient medical terminology to be able to evaluate claims of injury.
To understand the costs to repair or replace damaged real or personal property.
To understand how to read and apply the terms and conditions of a liability insurance policy to a particular fact situation developed by his or her investigation.
To understand how to thoroughly investigate all claims assigned.
To conduct an investigation of every claim assigned fairly and in good faith with an intent to find coverage for the loss presented by the insured.
To be able to effectively, fairly and in good faith negotiate with claimants and lawyers to resolve bodily injury or property damage claims asserted against an insured.
To ascertain that the insurer pays promptly all claims the insurer owes under the contract.
To resist, and recommend against payment of all claims the insurer does not owe under the contract of insurance.

This Compact Book of Adjusting Liability Claims- Third Edition is designed to provide the new adjuster with a basic grounding in what is needed to become a competent and effective liability claims insurance adjuster. It is also designed to work as a refresher for the experienced adjuster.

The adjuster must be prepared able to show empathy but not sympathy while professionally investigating a liability claim. In addition, the adjuster must be able to salve the emotions of the claimant and the insured, explain why in the law and the policy it was appropriate to pay, or not pay, the claimant and that a settlement is in the best interest of both the insured and the insurer the adjuster represents.

© 2021 – Barry Zalma

Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders.

He also serves as an arbitrator or mediator for insurance related disputes. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 54 years in the insurance business.

He is available at http://www.zalma.com and zalma@zalma.com. Mr. Zalma is the first recipient of the first annual Claims Magazine/ACE Legend Award. Over the last 53 years Barry Zalma has dedicated his life to insurance, insurance claims and the need to defeat insurance fraud. He has created the following library of books and other materials to make it possible for insurers and their claims staff to become insurance claims professionals.

Go to my articles at https://zalma.substack.com,  the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://anchor.fm/barry-zalma;  Follow Mr. Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at https://www.rumble.com/zalma ; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://zalma.com/blog/insurance-claims-library/  The last two issues of ZIFL are available at https://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/  podcast now available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zalma-on-insurance/id1509583809?uo=4