Proper documentation is crucial to closing insurance claims with a positive outcome. As the saying goes, “if it’s not documented, it doesn’t exist!” That’s why insurance adjusters need a full-cycle claims system to help them document all facts relating to liability, damages, coverage, and more. This information is especially helpful if a new insurance adjuster picks up the claim part way through processing.
Tips for Documenting Claims
Documenting claims is a delicate business. Claimants often experience anxiety or lack of focus when attempting to communicate, and notes that make sense to one adjuster may be confusing to another. Below are several suggestions for effective documentation.
- Provide regular training on documentation. The methods for documenting claims continue to improve as claims become more complicated. Training adjusters on the latest documentation procedures is key for quick and efficient claims resolution.
- Log everything. Whether it is a phone call, a face-to-face consultation, or an inspection, the adjuster should keep notes. It is impossible to remember the specifics of every claim so detailed notes are essential.
- Focus on the facts. It is easy to read into a client’s emotions, but this can result in biased documentation. For example, making a notation such as, “The client was distraught,” without the client saying so themselves is conjecture.
- Time-stamp and geotag all photographs and videos. Visual evidence is an excellent way to support written records. However, an adjuster needs to be able to prove when and where they took the photo or video. Recording the date, time, and location digitally crucial.
Maintaining accurate and up to date notes on a claim is an important element of the claims management process. Poor documentation can prolong a claim and affect customer satisfaction and retention. To learn more about effective claims management, contact the experts at Actec.