My life as Beth
... try to figure out how much it would cost to repair them. “Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners , and investigators decide whether claims are covered by the customer’s policy, confirm payment, and , when necessary, investigate the circumstances surrounding a claim.” Adjusters who handle automobile claims learn to deal with body shops and clients experiencing a loss. The adjusters have to have an extensive knowledge of automobiles but they also have reference books. Some of the books automobile adjustors use are: NADA Guide, Kelley Blue Book, and the Chilton Handbook. Each of these books contain prices for the individual parts and the part number for each damaged part. This information helps the body shop to know which part to repair or replace. Each insurance company does research to determine fair pricing for negotiable items such as labor, storage fees, and towing costs. Doing this helps insurance companies keep down the cost of insurance for all of us. Companies survey a local area and determine the average cost being charged by body shops for labor. Storage fees and charges for towing are determined the same way. An adjuster has to be able to deal with the public, especially when the negotiable items are called into question. Property adjusters inspect damage to homes or personal property in the event of a loss. Some examples of loss are: fire, theft, hurricane, flood, tornado, and earthquake. When these events occur, the adjuster is one of the first people to respond. “Claims adjusters usually plan their own schedules for investigating claims since they must travel to the client’s home.” Some adjusters rotate their schedules and may have to be on call twenty-four hours a day. Property adjusters have to deal with contractors, clean-up crews, and clients experiencing a loss. “Adjusters are sometimes the best representative of their company.” The difficulty of the claims process depends on the level of property damage, bodily...