I don't deny that is a generalization to say that adjusters' goal is to minimize the amount of money they pay out. But, when you go into an auto dealer, do you assume the salesman is on your side and he will help you get the lowest price? I bet not. Why? Because obviously it is in his best interest as an employee of the auto dealer to get you to pay as much as he can.
The same logic applies to adjusters in the reverse, particularly on the bigger claims. My opinion has been reinforced by the experiences of others, not just one friend's experience. One of the companies in particular was a blue chip that I thought was a cut above the rest. But, it was a multiple seven figure claim that pushed the account losses well over their loss ratio threshold, and the insured was forced to hire an attorney and endure years of litigation. Ultimately he prevailed on the amount that he asked for in the beginning, but only because he had the resources to rebuild his business out of his own funds. If he had waited on the insurance proceeds, it would have been much harder to get the business going again.
You and other insurance company insiders can deny, defend, and engage in ad hominem to deflect from the fact that when you have a claim, it is best to not be fooled by the adjuster's rhetoric. I have had an adjuster lie to me by saying the company doesn't have to pay for that part of a claim. They did pay because it was a covered loss, and it was just their policy to deny the initial requests. Had an adjuster friend not told me that they would pay if I persisted, I probably would have simply abandoned the request because it was a minor amount.
