100% FREE CASE REVIEW

(713) 352-7975

Back To Blog

Inexperienced Adjusters Create Major Problems for Homeowners

Insurance claim form image

Unfortunately, bad faith claims processing comes in many different forms and is much too prevalent in the insurance industry.  An insurance company employing an inexperienced adjuster could potentially be bad faith.  An inexperienced adjuster can be the root cause of unnecessary delays, underpayments, or wrongful denials.  These adjusters can create problems for policyholders and the insurance companies the adjusters work for.  An insurance company often hires inexperienced adjusters because they come with a lower salary requirement than an experienced adjuster. When a natural disaster affects a large area, insurance companies scramble to find adjusters to cover the sudden surge in claims and have no issue hiring inexperienced adjusters.  The following are ways inexperienced adjusters can create problems for policyholders:

  1. Lack of experience in the claim’s subject matter, such as roof repair and/or construction work. Therefore, they will most likely overlook certain aspects of the repair and damages that must be considered for the claims process.
  2. Because they are inexperienced, they may unnecessarily delay claims processing even if such claims are valid.
  3. They lack senior authority to settle claims beyond a predetermined amount which can result in needlessly delaying claims.
  4. They are unable to properly manage the number of claims in their workload.
  5. They rely on computer programs rather than experience and know-how to estimate repair costs.
  6. They are more susceptible to picking up bad habits from senior adjusters rather than using their own judgment and intuition.

Having an inexperienced adjuster handle claims can create major problems for policyholders.  For instance, Hurricane Sandy is the second costliest hurricane in American history and caused $62 billion in property damages.  Because of the massive increase in insurance claims, insurance companies were forced to quickly hire several adjusters in order to keep up with the workload.  Some of the adjusters hired were obviously inexperienced.  As a result, policyholders were given low ball settlement checks which were not nearly enough to cover their repair costs.  Some policyholders were short changed by tens of thousands of dollars due to the adjuster’s inexperience.

If you believe your claim is being handled in bad faith including having an inexperienced insurance adjuster handle your claim, an experienced attorney can be the difference between getting full payment for your claim and being shortchanged thousands of dollars.  The attorneys at the Amaro Law Firm have vast experience dealing with insurance companies.  In fact, some of their attorneys worked as insurance companies defense lawyers before joining the firm.  Now they help property owners fight for fair and just treatment.  Our consultations are free.  If we cannot add value to your claim, we will not take your case.  When an insurance company is found to have acted in bad faith, they are required to pay reasonable attorney’s fees.  Therefore, we are only paid if we win your case by converting your denied or underpaid claim into a fully paid claim.  Contact us for your free claim review.