Making an insurance claim after serious damage to your home or business can quickly become complicated. Alongside dealing with the damage itself, you may suddenly find yourself speaking to insurers, contractors, surveyors and other professionals.
Two terms that regularly cause confusion are loss assessor and loss adjuster.
They may sound almost identical, but their roles within an insurance claim are very different. Most importantly, they will normally be representing different parties.
Understanding that difference can help you make more informed decisions when managing a substantial property insurance claim.
What Is a Loss Adjuster?
A loss adjuster is usually appointed by an insurance company after a policyholder makes an insurance claim.
Their job is to investigate the circumstances surrounding the claim, assess the damage and establish how the claim falls within the terms and conditions of the insurance policy.
For smaller claims, an insurer may be able to deal with everything internally. However, when a claim involves substantial fire, flood, water, storm or other property damage, a loss adjuster may become involved.
The loss adjuster may inspect the affected property, review evidence relating to the damage and discuss the circumstances surrounding the claim with the policyholder.
They can then report their findings to the insurance company.
Although the loss adjuster assesses the claim professionally, they have normally been appointed by the insurer. The policyholder therefore needs to remember that the loss adjuster is not their own representative.
What Is a Loss Assessor?
A loss assessor works on the other side of the insurance claim.
Instead of being appointed by the insurance company, a loss assessor is instructed by the policyholder.
At Bell Green Loss Assessors, our role is to represent the interests of people and businesses making insurance claims.
This means we can examine the damage, consider the insurance policy, gather supporting information and present the claim to the insurer on behalf of the policyholder.
We can also communicate with the insurer and its representatives throughout the claim.
For somebody dealing with major damage to their property, having professional representation can remove a considerable amount of pressure from what may already be an extremely stressful situation.
Loss Assessor vs Loss Adjuster
The simplest way to understand the difference is to consider who each professional represents.
The loss adjuster is generally appointed by the insurance company.
The loss assessor is appointed by you, the policyholder.
That distinction becomes particularly important when significant sums of money or extensive repairs are involved.
Insurance claims are not simply about identifying visible damage. The full cost of restoring a property can involve building work, replacement items, specialist contractors, temporary accommodation and other associated expenses.
Commercial claims can become even more complex because damaged stock, equipment, machinery and disruption to normal business operations may also need to be considered.
Having somebody concentrating on your side of the claim can therefore be extremely valuable.
Why Might You Need a Loss Assessor?
Not every insurance claim will require professional representation.
A relatively small and straightforward claim may be easy enough for a property owner to manage themselves.
However, larger insurance claims can require considerable time, evidence and organisation.
Imagine that a serious escape of water has affected several rooms in your property. The visible water damage may only be the beginning of the problem.
Flooring might need to be removed. Walls may require specialist drying. Electrical systems could need inspection. Furniture and possessions may have been damaged, while some areas of the property could become temporarily unusable.
The resulting insurance claim can contain many individual elements.
A loss assessor can help identify and document those elements before presenting the claim to the insurer.
Fire Damage Insurance Claims
Fire claims are another example where the difference between a loss assessor and loss adjuster can become particularly important.
Fire can create damage far beyond the area where the flames were located.
Smoke, soot, heat and water used during firefighting may affect other parts of the building and its contents.
There may also be immediate concerns about whether the property is safe to occupy.
Bell Green can assess the damage from the policyholder's perspective and help ensure that the different aspects of the loss are properly considered as part of the insurance claim.
This allows the property owner to concentrate on dealing with the consequences of the incident while we concentrate on the claim.
Water and Flood Damage Claims
Water damage can also be deceptive.
A burst pipe, leaking appliance, damaged roof or flooding incident may create obvious surface damage, but moisture can also travel into flooring, walls and other parts of the structure.
Correctly identifying the extent of the damage is important before permanent repairs begin.
When managing a water damage claim, we can document affected areas and possessions while helping to present the resulting costs to the insurance company.
Depending on the circumstances, the claim may also involve emergency work, drying, temporary accommodation and eventual reinstatement.
Theft and Burglary Claims
Following a burglary, the insurance claim may involve more than replacing stolen possessions.
Doors, windows, locks and other parts of a property may have been damaged during the break-in.
Policyholders may also need to provide evidence relating to missing belongings.
Trying to organise this immediately after a burglary can add further stress to an already upsetting situation.
A loss assessor can help organise and present the different elements of the claim while communicating with the insurer on the policyholder's behalf.
Commercial Insurance Claims
For businesses, a serious incident can have consequences far beyond physical damage to the building.
Stock, tools, machinery, equipment and other business assets may be affected.
There may also be a need to move temporarily or take measures that allow parts of the business to continue operating.
Bell Green assists businesses with commercial insurance claims by assessing the damage and helping prepare the supporting documentation required for the claim.
Having professional representation can also give business owners more time to concentrate on employees, customers and keeping their organisation operating wherever possible.
When Should You Contact a Loss Assessor?
Ideally, it is worth considering professional help at an early stage of a substantial insurance claim.
The decisions made immediately after an incident can influence how smoothly the claim progresses.
Evidence needs to be recorded, emergency work may be required and communication with the insurer begins almost immediately.
However, you can also seek advice if a claim has already started.
For example, you may have become concerned about how the claim is progressing, the extent of damage being recognised or the proposed settlement.
The important point is that policyholders do not have to assume they must manage every aspect of a complicated claim themselves.
Having Someone Represent Your Interests
An insurance company has experienced professionals dealing with claims every day.
For most homeowners and business owners, experiencing a serious fire, flood, escape of water, theft or major property loss is thankfully much less common.
That difference in experience can make the claims process difficult to navigate.
This is where having your own professional representation can make a significant difference.
At Bell Green Loss Assessors, we represent policyholders rather than insurance companies. We can assess the loss, help prepare the claim, communicate with the insurer and work to make sure the full circumstances surrounding the damage are properly presented.
So, when considering the difference between a loss assessor vs loss adjuster, remember the most important distinction.
The loss adjuster will normally have been appointed by the insurer.
The loss assessor is there to represent you.
Contact Bell Green Loss Assessors today on our 24hr HELPLINE