An adjuster is an agent who handles insurance related claims commonly commissioned by an insurance company. The adjuster participates in the investigation and settlement of the claim. This agent is helpful, as it is commonly understood that an insurance company usually has a perverse incentive to reject any claim (fair or unfair) presented. For this reason, it is common for the insurance company to hire an adjuster to handle claims investigation and settlement. Nevertheless, the adjuster can be an agent of the insurance company, an independent third party or be a public agent. After its investigation and gathering of information, the adjuster presents a settlement offer to the parties. If the claimant disagrees with the settlement offer proposal, an arbitration can be started to settle the dispute.
[Last updated in February of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]