If you have been in an accident or have filed a claim on your insurance due to a personal injury case, you have probably heard of an insurance adjuster. An insurance adjuster must have a reasonable understanding of the insurance laws and how it applies to an insurance contract. There are a lot of requirements and characteristics that the insurance adjuster must have to do their job effectively.
Are you considering being an insurance adjuster? Are you dealing with an insurance adjuster that you are unsure of if they are fit for the job? What are the things that your insurance adjuster should have?
In this article, let us talk about being an insurance adjuster in Michigan, the characteristics of an insurance adjuster, the types of personal injury cases in Southfield you might encounter, and some other information that we need to discuss briefly.
Characteristics of An Insurance Adjuster
Being an insurance adjuster is not just about having the license to deal with insurance. There are specific characteristics that an insurance adjuster, especially one in Michigan, should have.
Reasonable Understanding of Insurance Laws
One of the essential characteristics that an insurance adjuster should have is a reasonable understanding of the insurance laws of Michigan. You need to make sure that you know the laws that apply if you consider yourself in the field.
When dealing with an insurance adjuster, he should tell you about the laws that apply for the claims you are filing. For example, using the no-fault clause in Michigan is essential, especially for the coverage of minor damages. If you are filing for accident insurance, if you think that the adjuster cannot discuss your rights with you correctly, you need to check out if the insurance adjuster is truly meant for you.
Act in good faith
The insurance adjuster is not your friend, nor is he your enemy. The insurance adjuster needs to make sure that she is acting in good faith and that he is impartial in dealing with the problem. Since the insurance adjuster is the person who is expected to act on behalf of the insurance company or you, he must act based on the morals and integrity that is expected of him.
Good Business Reputation
The insurance adjuster also needs to possess a good business reputation. Since he is supposed to act as an individual acting in good faith and is impartial when dealing with the insurance claims, he needs to make sure that he has a good business reputation so that the parties can rely on them entirely.
Good Moral Character
It is also vital that the insurance adjuster comes with good moral character. This requirement reiterates the provisions posted above where the individual insurance adjuster must act in good faith and must have a good business reputation. It necessarily follows that he must also have an excellent moral character.
Insurance Adjuster in Michigan
The insurance adjuster in Michigan is expected to act based on the highest reasonable standards as listed above. Let us look at the different types of adjuster licenses available in Michigan and the different limits as to what they can do.
According to the Michigan Government, the following are the types of adjuster licenses available in Michigan.
Adjuster for the Insured
The adjuster for the insured is also known as the public adjuster. By definition, he is “an individual allowed by a license to contract with and represent the insured who have suffered losses covered by insurance for fire and other hazards.” The only limitation is that they may not adjust worker’s compensation losses.
Here, the insurance adjuster represents the insured and must defend the claims on the report.
Insurance Adjuster
Another kind of insurance adjuster is the independent adjuster. He is ”an individual allowed by license to contract with and represent insurance companies to adjust fire and other hazards, crop, and/or workers’ compensation losses.”
As made clear by definition, the main difference between the two posted adjusters is that the public adjuster is not allowed to adjust worker’s compensation losses. In contrast, the other one is allowed to change the worker’s compensation losses.
Company/Staff Adjuster
The company/staff adjuster is a person who is an employee of an insurance company. Generally, this person does not need to be licensed by the State of Michigan.
The perfect example for this would be lawyers or persons admitted to the practice of law in Michigan. Since their training and their requisites to becoming admitted to the rule of law includes all of the other requirements set for an insurance adjuster, they may practice as an insurance adjuster under the employment of an insurance company.
The company adjuster, who may also be a lawyer, may adjust claims without obtaining a license in Michigan. However, they need to be clear in the hat they are wearing because they cannot represent themselves as an adjuster licensed by the State of Michigan and only as a person admitted to the practice of law in Michigan.
Disclaimer:
The article that you have read is based on general applications of the law. It is not legal advice, and it is not to be construed as any legal consultation with the firm. No client-attorney relationship is created when you read the articles we have provided.
Let us help you out.
If you are involved in an insurance claim because of a car accident in Southfield, call us immediately. Haque Legal has handled thousands of insurance claims and recovered millions of dollars for automobile insurance claims. The consultation is always free and we are available 24/7 for your call.
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