Many agencies simply are not large enough to have an experienced claims specialist on staff. In that case, the agent's usual role is to notify the insurer of the loss, put the insured in touch with the insurer's claims representatives, stay in touch with both the insurer and the insured to ensure a smooth process, and attempt to intervene on the insured's behalf if it appears that the client's claim may be unjustifiably denied. As a rule, there is no separate, identifiable charge for claims assistance that the agent or broker provides. It is considered a normal account service and is contemplated in the agent's fee or commission. Sometimes insureds turn to accounting experts for assistance with a claim, just as insurers do.
Some insurance claims accounting firms offer a full range of claims adjusting services, as follows.
Their specialty is handling very complex claims, particularly those that involve business interruption and extra expense losses, because of the need to quantify and document the financial loss suffered by the insured. Accordingly, insureds often elect to use an insurance claims accountant to handle the business interruption and extra expense portion of the loss only. In these instances, there may or may not be other claims specialists involved in other aspects of the claim. Whether the involvement of an insurance claims accountant is warranted depends on several factors. In connection with commercial property claims, insureds typically hire attorneys to contest the denial of a claim or a settlement offer that is deemed unacceptable.