About Independent Claims Adjusters

Independent claims adjusters help millions of people every year by facilitating the timely processing of property, disability, workers’ compensation, and liability claims.

The term ‘‘independent claims adjuster’’ means an individual, other than a public adjuster, who undertakes on behalf of insurers or self-insurers to investigate, evaluate, and negotiate the resolution of the amount of a property, casualty, liability, disability, or workers’ compensation claim, loss, or damage on behalf of an insurance policy or insurer or as a third-party on behalf of a self-insurer.

In 2016, the Association commissioned a foundational research survey to determine the size and scope of the independent claims industry in the United States and the broader role the industry plays in the national economy.

From that study, we learned:

1. In 2015 there were an estimated 125,000+ active claims professionals in the United States, a figure which likely has increased significantly since the study.
2. On average, each adjuster has approximately 10 state licenses.
3. An estimated 70% of adjusters are employed by insurers, with TPAs employing 23% and regional adjusting firms employing 7%.
4. The dollar value of claims adjusted by ACP members in 2015 was approximately $45 billion per year. Extrapolating for industry‐wide results indicates that adjusters manage $450 to $500 billion in claims each year.
5. Third-party claims adjusters handled approximately 3,551,617 new claims in 2015. This accounts for a limited segment of the industry.

Read the complete ACP Claims Professional Survey HERE.

Today, many independent adjusters must navigate through a patchwork of conflicting state laws, making it difficult for out-of-state adjusters to provide timely and efficient claims processing to customers. The video below illustrates many of the problems independent adjusters face.