What are an insurance adjuster's roles and responsibilities on a home claim?
The roles an adjuster plays
- Investigator: confirms the date and cause of loss, checks weather data, and looks for prior damage or wear.
- Coverage reader: applies the policy, endorsements, exclusions and deductible to the facts.
- Estimator: measures the roof, inspects each slope, and prices the work, usually in Xactimate.
- Settlement handler: calculates payment, applies depreciation, and names the right payees, including any mortgage company.
- Follow-up: reviews supplements, schedules reinspections, and releases held-back depreciation when the work is complete.
Responsibilities under Georgia rules
Georgia's regulation on property damage claims requires insurers to acknowledge a claim within 15 days, send any needed claim forms with reasonable instructions, and pay within 10 days once coverage is confirmed and the amount is determined and not in dispute. Georgia's unfair claims settlement law also targets practices like refusing to pay without a reasonable investigation and failing to explain a denial or compromise offer after a written request. The Commissioner enforces these standards, and an unreasonable refusal to pay can also support a bad faith claim.
What an adjuster is not
Staff and independent adjusters work for the insurer. They owe you honest, fair handling, but they are not your advocate. A licensed public adjuster is the only adjuster who works for the policyholder, and a roofer cannot fill that role in Georgia; see public adjuster vs roofer.
When responsibilities slip
Keep a dated log of every contact. If calls go unanswered for weeks, put your request in writing and ask for a supervisor. If the pattern continues, a complaint to the Commissioner asks the state to review how the claim is being handled.