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Wow to both of your stories. This may help someone. I was one of the thousand IA's working for Pilot / SF 95 storm. I remember the examiner I had from Michagan. She liked my files and I remember her saying on the open file review" I love your photos Ray as they do the scope for you" and I agree with your scope and estimate. It,s not hard to be a good hail adjuster with grape fruit size hail coming in at 60 degrees from the West with 60 mph winds. Then leaving after my 100 files in 3 weeks and on to NOLA on the flood that hit the same day that we got to Dallas. This flood lasted to about x-mas.

Here's an adjuster information blog entry we'd written in July  titled "Who Moved my Claims Cheese" since you mentioned that book. There are about 3 blog entries on changes in the adjusting community in the blog archives as well:

http://dimechimes.wordpress.com/200...community/

Ray, I am rejecting your post because you misspelled the word lose.  Please, from now on make sure you proofread the post before you submit it.  Everyone can still understand what you posted (the misspelled word affects nothing) but it makes me feel important to point out mistakes of no importance.

This is the land mine that will hit you ever time you give your opinion on a covered or non covered occurance. All adjusters working for the London Underwriters have been warned to never put this in a report as ONLY bad things result from making this statement by an adjuster. Thats why the short report forms get carriers in trouble. If you were the first adjuster on a slab in Mississippi for the wind pool what would you put in the box for cause. The best answer would be ?? or Katrina.

Garbage in  - garbage out. If we as a " profession" (?) turn in the kind of estimates and reports that were common in 04 and 05, then we all will pay for it. 

Given 3 days for trainning, you could take most indepentant adjusters and make a cat adjusters out of them,  You coould take a large group of cat adjusters and only a few could become independant adjusters.

Yep. I am back doing Day Claims again in California, and it's everything from fatal accidents to little dishwasher leaks. When you stay put and personally fix the supplements, over the years you learn what you are doing and don't write garbage estimates.

I don't think I've ever had a file turned back for spelling or grammar. I'm crossing my fingers as I say that. It's not that I don't ever miss a word or make a typo, but I've just never had the experience of having a file rejected for that reason.

I have had a file turned back because there was no diagram of the bedroom. I told the examiner that it was a rectangle and the dimensions were on the estimate. She turned it back to me. So I drew a rectangle and put the dimensions on the rectangle. Took two minutes and she was happy. I have had a file turned back because there was no elevation diagram (though there was a perimeter diagram). Since there was an inset it was difficult to draw a three D elevation in two dimensions. The examiner didn't understand the elevation diagram when I drew it for her, so I had to explain it to her (same examiner that needed the bedroom diagram). I've had files turned back because the file requirements changed between the time I finished the file and the next day when I turned it in. I've had an examiner turn a file back because I recommended denial of the termite damage and the examiner decided it should be covered because the beam might some day collapse if the termites weren't eradicated (a very happy insured there). There are so many reasons why a file might be turned back, possibly as many as there are examiners in the insurance firmament.

The best thing to do is just to follow the direction. If it is a decision with which I disagree, I always include a phrase such as "according to your instructions, I am recommending denial" or "as you requested, I am removing pad replacement from the estimate and including only carpet replacement." AND, I always keep a copy of both the original and the revision on my computer or backup disk. The staffers are not the only ones who know how to cover their derrière (Did I spell that right, or will the post be kicked back?).

One of the problems with many of the younger adjusters, (not all) don’t know how to spell. Of course there are some veteran adjusters that have that problem also. Thank heavens spell checker was created for them, but some still will not run it. Reports are a reflection of your ability and are the final document of your file. It is read first, then the estimate. Our brains can read misspelled words, however they have a deadly glare to that person reading them. Steve is right in that reports and proper spelling are important in a trial.

I used to be a very good speller; however, age does take some of that away from you. I have Merriam-Webster installed on my laptop and go to it at times and type in words of difficulty, just to keep my brain up do date.

Many years ago when I investigated aircraft accidents, some reports would be 20 to 30 pages long and were always checked, double checked, and then triple checked for content and spelling. Due to the complexity of some losses, very accurate reports were necessary, because some went to trial.  Again, your report, whether short or long, is your final product. Many eyes may see it. Your photograph descriptions are also very important, as is the spelling in them, as they also are your product. I worked a very complex in flight collision years ago where the report was over 50 pages in length and over 300 photos were taken, consisting of debris scatter, placement of debris, and condition of debris. Needless to say, the remarks on the photos were very relevant to the loss and spelling had to be correct.

It is not difficult to learn to spell correctly. There are cd's out there and much reading material.

Not only spelled correctly, but with the proper l'accent grave mark also . . .  Bravo!    

I have read with interest the comments on this topic.  I've worked for carriers as an inside adjuster and examiner, worked all the 2004 and 2005 storms, reviewed files for MS wind pool after Katrina (some were good and some were off the scale at the other end and showed that many companies weren't even reviewing the reports before sending them in - one estimate I recall had a typo of 1000 dumpsters and was priced and billed accordingly and not noticed by the i/a or his company!) and am now with an independent adjusting company handling daily and CAT claims for TPAs and non TPA companies.  I've not worked as a field adjuster, preferring the a/c inside, but have done ride alongs and reviewed a ton of estimates.  File reviewing has changed considerably in the last few years, particularly since the 04 and 05 storms.  Carriers are becoming tougher and tougher on coverage issues and taking stronger stances against inflated estimates, invalid claims and fraud; they have passed this burden onto the i/a companies. They require a lot of information for little money. and documentation, documentation, documentation! We now review our files twice before sending them to the carrier; just like you, we don't like rejects for using "&" instead of "and" in a report; for not having the documents in a specific order when the file is electronically sent or for changing estimating software prices in order to get an agreed price. Estimates are scrutinized with a fine tooth comb and invoices questioned; the profit margin is slim and so companies are using i/as less and less and hiring full time residential field staff as a matter of routine as this is much more cost effective.

There is a surplus of adjusters now; many experienced adjusters are struggling to find work; only the appraisers and umpires are making money it seems! We are getting deposed more and more and sending insureds to EUOs almost routinely it seems. We get bombarded with demands for appraisals and ridiculous allegations of bad faith from PAs who have no clue how to handle a claim and can't be bothered to even meet with the insureds they are supposedly representing. We have a statutory requirement now to pay or deny a claim within 90 days or the carrier has to pay interest at 11% per day, unless the insured is holding up things - and we have to pay replacement cost upfront now. All this kind of stuff is what is not seen on the "outside", but it pushes costs up and up and as you know, stuff only goes downhill from there. Nothing stays the same for long; we change our file requirements on a regular basis because of carrier demands and it is time consuming and, sometimes challenging, to keep up with everything- the different policies, statutory requirements, case law and file requirements for each carrier. To help the field staff we have regular mandatory training sessions, send out "cheat sheets", have regular supervisory ride alongs etc. 

So, yes, it is a tough time, nothing like it was a few years ago; one either swings with the changes or moves into a new career.  Take a look at the new Claims Magazine salary survey - both carriers and independent companies say the same thing - more requirements and less help, average salaries.