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Glossary

Insurance adjuster

The insurance company employee who investigates a claim, decides what the policy covers and negotiates payment.

Last reviewed By the Editorial team 2 min read

General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

Quick answer

An insurance adjuster is the person an insurance company assigns to a claim. The adjuster investigates what happened, decides what the policy covers and negotiates how much to pay. Whether the claim is with your own insurer or the other driver's, the adjuster works for the insurance company paying the claim.

In a car accident claim#

After a crash is reported, the insurer assigns an adjuster, who usually makes the first contact. Under a model rule from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which states adopt in their own versions, an insurer should acknowledge a claim within 15 days. The adjuster may inspect the car, read the Crash report. The official report an officer writes after investigating a crash, with the drivers, vehicles, witnesses and the officer's notes. Glossary, interview witnesses, ask for medical records and request a Recorded statement. An interview, often by phone, that an adjuster records about how the crash happened and how you were hurt. Glossary, then make an offer.

What you owe the adjuster depends on whose insurer it is. Your own policy usually requires you to cooperate, while the other driver's insurer has a contract with its customer, not with you. The Texas Department of Insurance also notes that you can ask the company to assign a different adjuster if problems can't be resolved. Our guide to dealing with the insurance adjuster covers each stage, and settlement negotiation explains how offers move.

Example#

Questions people ask

Does the insurance adjuster work for me?

No. The adjuster works for the insurance company. If it is your own insurer, the company still owes you the duties written into your policy, but its adjuster is not your advocate.

Can I ask for a different adjuster?

Yes. The Texas Department of Insurance tells consumers they can ask the company to assign a different adjuster. If that does not solve the problem, you can complain to your state's insurance department.

Sources

  1. Texas Department of Insurance, Working with an insurance adjuster — who the adjuster works for and asking for a different one
  2. NAIC, Unfair Property/Casualty Claims Settlement Practices Model Regulation — model time to acknowledge a claim

Last reviewed October 29, 2026 by the Accident Claim Facts editorial team. Found an error? Tell us.

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