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Independents Into the Mist?

Are independent adjusters and independent adjusting companies fading away? What role do they currently play in the overall picture of the claim-adjusting profession? Are insurance carriers eliminating them from the claim process?

By Jim Lakes, EGA, RPA | Updated on April 30, 2010
Are independent adjusters and independent adjusting companies fading away? What role do they currently play in the overall picture of the claim-adjusting profession? Are insurance carriers eliminating them from the claim process? Is the economy dictating how and who is adjusting claims? These and many other questions are on the minds of thousands of independents who wonder what the future will hold.

With the relative lack of catastrophes since Hurricane Ike, independent adjusters are starving. Many are finding other means of income on a daily basis, while others are getting out of the business altogether. This is not only true for the less-experienced adjusters, but also for those who have been handling claims for years. Let’s address some of the factors driving this trend.

A Lack of Claims?

Perhaps the most obvious reason is that there may be fewer claims. When there are no or very few catastrophes, independent adjusters work daily claims to pay the bills. Carriers that lack staff adjusters to handle incoming daily claims called on the independent companies to cover the overload. They used local and national companies to assist their claim departments when staff were unable to keep up with the influx of claims. When they are able to keep pace with the daily claims, they generally do not employ independents to handle them.

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