Career insurance adjusters are important to society. The adjuster’s job is difficult because it requires the ability to work well with other people, knowledge, and technical skills. It is a trade where experience can teach much more than any book or course. Most well meaning and experienced insurance claim adjusters get their customers’ claims paid without hassle and in a spirit of cooperation–sometimes well beyond the actual policy terms and conditions.
In the insurance world, parties often demonize their opposition. I suppose that I am as guilty as anybody–but just because somebody disagrees and advocates a position opposed to yours does not make them unethical or deserving of ridicule.
The Insurance Journal has a Webcast of CPCU President Marvin Kelly regarding the bad rap many well meaning and dedicated professionals get in the insurance industry. The CPCU Society has an exemplary Code of Ethics and stellar educational program. Many CPCU’s are in claims management and dedicated to serving their company’s policyholders.
Since my legal practice and work for policyholders generally involves claims denials and problems, I am surrounded by situations where the insurance industry is (I argue) wrong. I do not always recognize the things insurance companies do that benefit individual customers and society. There are occasions when we get retained immediately following a loss and the claim runs smoothly from the beginning to end, with the policyholder being fully indemnified, happy, and the relationships between us and the insurer are professional and very cooperative. Those instances do not make the paper, and even I admit we fail to give enough credit to those insurance adjusters and attorneys in the trenches that do their job professionally and ethically day after day.
