What Is an Independent Adjuster?

A claims adjuster is usually someone who works for the insurance company and who may be liable for damages resulting from an accident. If you are involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, that vehicle might have commercial auto insurance. To recover the damages you may attempt to file a third-party claim against this insurance policy and the insurance company will assign you an adjuster for your claim. An independent adjuster is not an employee of the insurance company but still works for the insurance company and likely works under a contract.

Is This Person Independent?

Most independent adjusters are local and you might think that they are friendly, but it is important to keep in mind that they work for the interests of the company that hired them and are not working for your interests. These adjusters may not work for the company full-time but are still paid by an insurance company. Their claim might be true that they are independent. Therefore, their goal is not knowing how you recover, but rather to protect the interests of the business against which you or your lawyer might be suing.

What Should I Tell the Independent Adjuster After the Accident?

An independent appraiser should be treated as a normal person when they call you or come to your door. Be polite but beware of what you say. Remember, they are looking for some reason to devalue or refuse your wrecked truck. This means that you should never tell them too many details about the accident or your injuries. It is generally best to refer this person to your lawyer for unanswered questions. The appraiser can tell you that hiring a lawyer is a bad idea, but that is only because victims who hire lawyers often get higher compensation than others.

Do I Need to Provide a Statement?

In general, providing your adjuster any recorded or written statement would not be in your best interest until you have spoken to a licensed lawyer. This is so because that adjuster is already trying to gather information about your accident or injury. But if you have already spoken and provided a statement to the independent appraiser, you must pass this information on to your lawyer so that he can prepare for it.