Senior Casualty/General Liability Property Damage Adjuster - New York City, Westchester County, Newark

Job Description

TITLE:                                    Senior Casualty/General Liability Property Adjuster

DEPARTMENT:                  National Casualty Practice

REPORTS TO:                      Casualty Claims Manager

STATUS:                               Regular, full-time; exempt          

This is a field position. The candidate should be located near New York City and have ability to work remotely when not in the field.

SUMMARY OF JOB PURPOSE 

The Senior Casualty/General Liability Property Adjuster manages all aspects of liability claims in a variety of business classes, effectively determining and communicating the extent of liability or damage associated with each claim. The incumbent assists the client in fulfilling its obligation to policyholders and maintaining the client’s claims processing functions, including evaluating potential coverage issues, liability and evaluation of damages, risk transfer opportunities, litigation and settlement matters within the limits of assigned authority levels and in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The claims assigned to the adjuster are based on their experience and demonstrated aptitude for handling large or complex matters with minimal supervision.

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Determines appropriate methods and extent of needed investigation for all assigned claims, including conducting investigations through field visits and phone contact; obtaining contracts, job files, and appraisals; conducting insured, witness, and claimant interviews and/or statements; complete site inspections; scope, measure and write estimates, and use other fact-finding methods to evaluate liability, damages, and proper coverage.
• Uses knowledge of property and construction, and/or knowledge of the specific industry or business affected, personally conduct property inspections and photograph claim sites as necessary to depict and substantiate losses or damage, or lack thereof.
• Investigates insurance claims in a variety of settings including, but not limited to retail establishments, office buildings, residences, condominiums, apartments, hotels, corporate facilities, governmental facilities, schools, clinics, or hospitals; assess loss or damage resulting from various events including, but not limited to, inclement or catastrophic weather, construction defect, and fire.
• Conducts thorough interviews or other methods to obtain necessary information from the claimant and experts such as architects, engineers, builders, construction workers, police officers, health care practitioners, accountants, and others to assess the extent of the loss fully and accurately.
• Applies a thorough understanding of insurance policies and policy interpretation to properly conduct an investigation, establish appropriate loss estimates based on all relevant information and findings, provide coverage recommendations, and draft cover letters, if requested by the client.
• Applies an intermediate level of understanding of insurance policies and policy interpretation to properly investigate, provide coverage recommendations, and draft coverage letters, if requested by the client, with minimal supervision.
• Works cooperatively with expert witnesses, attorneys, underwriting department staff, investigators, vendors, and carrier’s examiners as needed to conduct investigations, confirm findings, and support evaluations.
• Ensures the accuracy of information collected and reported, and guards against fraudulent claims based on critical issues identified and accurate conclusions drawn.
• Follows all applicable policies, procedures, and practices, and incorporates sound judgement in formulating recommendations and completing evaluations and reports.
• Effectively use software systems such as Xactimate as necessary to produce accurate estimates.
• Prepares accurate, clear, thorough, and concise reports and letters to insurance carriers, providing appropriate conclusions and recommendations.
• Arranges contractors’ estimates, and other specialists’ appointments as necessary. Attends trials, arbitration, ADR, and face-to-face negotiations as required.
• Assists with monitoring quality of services rendered by appraisers, law firms, structured settlement vendors, rehabilitation vendors and other experts or consultants.
• May be called upon to handle more complex claims involving various situations, including contractor liability, products liability, and construction defects with the appropriate level of guidance.
• Ability to identify claims whose complexity warrants escalation to a more senior level adjuster.
• Identifies and addresses third party liability and tender opportunities through investiga