How Do I Become a Liability Adjuster?

Liability adjusters are people who investigate claims for insurance payouts, which are submitted following incidents such as injuries on the job that lead to workers’ compensation requests. Insurance of this type, called liability insurance, essentially safeguards people or organizations from the risk of being sued for negligence or malpractice and covers legal costs and associated payments. Professionals in this industry must have solid communication and customer service skills. If you want to become a liability adjuster, you need to finish four years of college and gain practical field experience. You also should pursue professional certifications that prove your expertise in the industry.

A person who plans to become a liability adjuster should complete a bachelor’s degree in accounting or business administration, which typically takes four years. Although some companies do not require job candidates to have college degrees, completing post-secondary education makes you more attractive to hiring managers. To get into this type of program, you need to fill out your desired school’s enrollment application and turn in your high school diploma or the equivalent certification. The training institution also will demand to see your high school transcript along with your latest standardized exam results.

Coursework in finance helps you to thrive in this career area. You should study how businesses operate and how to track revenues and expenditures at a company if you want to become a liability adjuster. This is important because you will be responsible for analyzing damages incurred from a car accident, for instance, and determining the amount of money that your insurance company will have to pay out as a result, which affects its profits.

Even if your training program does not require that you complete an internship, you should try to gain hands-on field experience. As an intern, you can practice interpreting the language in insurance company policies and master how to apply government regulations when handling claims, which are skills that you need to become a liability adjuster. You also must sharpen your ability to analyze facts related to a liability case.

Although not all companies require that an individual in this industry be certified, achieving a credential makes him or her more employable. You can seek certification through societies in the field by taking and passing examinations on industry principles. Continuing education requirements then must be met to maintain your designations when you become a liability adjuster. Being certified demonstrates to future employers that you are serious about this career area and want to stay current on changes in the industry.