Why Your Car Accident Insurance Adjuster Keeps Changing?
If you’ve ever filed a car accident claim, you may notice your insurance adjuster keeps changing. This can be confusing and frustrating, especially when you’re trying to resolve your claim efficiently. There are several reasons this happens, and the answer often depends on whether you have an attorney representing you. Understanding why adjusters change can help you navigate your claim more confidently and protect your rights.
The Role of Legal Representation
One of the biggest factors influencing which adjuster handles your claim is whether you have an attorney.
Unrepresented Claimants: If you handle your claim without an attorney, insurance companies often assign a less experienced adjuster. These adjusters have smaller settlement reserves and less authority to negotiate larger payouts. Why? Because an unrepresented claimant has limited leverage—they may not know how to demand proper compensation, file a lawsuit, or build a case. The insurance company sees less risk and may offer lower settlements.
Represented Claimants: Once you involve an attorney, the insurer usually assigns a more experienced adjuster who routinely handles claims with legal representation. These adjusters have more authority and understand that the claimant now has leverage, which can significantly influence negotiations. The presence of an attorney often prompts the insurance company to take the claim more seriously.
How the Law Firm Influences Adjuster Assignment
Even before litigation, the reputation and approach of your law firm can affect which adjuster is assigned.
Firms That Rarely File Lawsuits: Insurance companies perceive less risk and may assign “easier” adjusters, who are more willing to negotiate modest settlements.
Aggressive or Litigation-Ready Firms: Adjusters assigned to these claims tend to be more experienced and stricter negotiators. Insurers anticipate that the attorney may escalate the case if a fair settlement isn’t offered.
This is why some adjusters may change multiple times during pre-litigation—insurance companies try to match adjusters to the perceived risk level of the claim and the claimant’s representation.
Other Reasons Adjusters Change
Besides legal representation, adjusters may be reassigned for several practical reasons:
High Turnover: Working as an insurance adjuster is stressful, with long hours and high pressure. Many companies experience frequent staff changes, which naturally leads to new adjusters on your claim.
Internal Policies: Insurance companies track adjuster performance and claims history. If an adjuster frequently lowballs certain attorneys or claims, the company may reassign them to different cases.
Workload Management: Adjusters handle multiple claims at once. Reassignments may occur simply to balance workloads among staff.
Signs Your Claim is Being Taken Seriously
Changing adjusters isn’t always a negative sign. In fact, it can indicate that your claim is being taken seriously:
More Experienced Adjusters Are Assigned: When an attorney gets involved, the adjuster is often more knowledgeable about handling claims with legal representation.
Adjusters With Higher Settlement Authority: New adjusters may have larger reserves to negotiate a fair settlement without needing constant approvals.
Strategic Reassignments: Adjusters may be replaced to avoid conflicts or improve negotiation efficiency.
Understanding these signals can help you better anticipate how your claim will progress and how to respond effectively.
Conclusion
Insurance adjusters change for several strategic and practical reasons during pre-litigation. Legal representation, the type of law firm, internal policies, and high turnover all play a role. Knowing why these changes happen can help you stay confident, prepare for negotiations, and maximize your settlement potential.
