The First Adjuster Call: What to Say and Hold Back

The adjuster will call. It might be within hours of the loss, it might be a few days later. Either way, the conversation is with someone whose job is to investigate the claim and determine how much the insurance company will pay. What gets said in that conversation tends to matter.

Most policyholders aim for truthful, cooperative, and factual on that first call — without volunteering information that the carrier can later use to reduce the claim. The sections below describe the patterns that tend to work and the patterns that tend to backfire.

The First Call: What to Expect

The adjuster will typically ask:

• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• What is the extent of the damage?
• Is the property habitable?
• What mitigation has been done?
• When can the adjuster inspect the property?

Most of those questions are reasonable. Many policyholders answer them factually and briefly.

What Some Policyholders Choose to Share

• Bare facts of the loss.Some policyholders stick to a bare description on the first call — something along the lines of: “There was a fire in the kitchen on Tuesday around 3pm. The fire department responded. The kitchen and dining room are destroyed and there is smoke damage throughout.”
• Mitigation steps already taken.Mitigation tends to be worth surfacing on the first call. Phrasing some insureds use: “I tarped the roof opening and hired a board-up company.”
• An honest acknowledgment of what isn't known yet.Many policyholders find it useful to acknowledge what they don't yet know — something like: “I don't know the full extent of the damage yet. I'll know more after a thorough inspection.”
• A request for written confirmation.A written-confirmation request — for example, “Can you email me a confirmation of this call with my claim number and your direct contact?” — is something many policyholders ask for at the end of a first call.
• A clarifying question about what comes next. Some insureds close the call by asking what documentation the carrier needs and by when.

What Some Policyholders Hold Back

• Early dollar estimates.Early dollar guesses can become anchors. A policyholder who volunteers “maybe $20,000” when the real number turns out to be $80,000 has a guess that follows the claim. Some insureds simply note that they don't have an estimate yet.
• Speculation about cause. Speculation about cause can create coverage issues, because some perils are covered and others are excluded. Many insureds limit themselves to what they directly observed and leave causation to the investigation.
• Minimizing language.Politeness instincts can lead some insureds to downplay damage on the first call — “it's not that bad” — which the carrier may quote back later.
• Pre-existing-condition narratives that weren't asked for.Maintenance-history questions, when asked, deserve honest answers. Volunteering pre-existing conditions that weren't asked about — “well, the roof was pretty old,” “we had a small leak there before” — can hand the carrier a wear-and-tear or prior-loss argument it wasn't otherwise going to develop.
• A recorded statement on the spot.Recorded statements are typically scheduled rather than taken on the first call. A common phrasing some insureds use to defer: “I'd prefer to schedule that for later this week when I have my documents together.”
• Self-characterizations of fault. Fault and causation are legal and forensic determinations, often made well after the first call by investigators, engineers, and (sometimes) counsel. Many policyholders avoid characterizing their own conduct one way or the other until that work is done.

The “Quick Settlement” Offer

Some carriers will offer a fast payment on the first call — something like “we can cut a check for $5,000 today to get things started.” That isn't necessarily a trick. Advance payments — sometimes labeled “undisputed amounts” under 10 CCR § 2695.7(h) — are generally not releases and are commonly paid early in larger claims. The document accompanying the payment, however, is what controls.

Documents labeled “full and final settlement,” or that contain release language, are functionally different from an interim advance payment. That distinction is worth surfacing with counsel before signing. Final settlements signed before the full extent of the damage is known tend to leave money on the table, particularly in the first few days after a loss when the scope is still developing.

What a Documentation Habit Tends to Look Like

Many policyholders fall into a similar pattern after every adjuster call:

1. Write down what was discussed while it is fresh.
2. Send a confirmation email opening with something like: “Per our call today, you stated that …”
3. Note promises made on the call (inspection dates, callback commitments, document requests).
4. Note any deadlines given or agreed to.
5. Save the email in the claim file along with the rest of the record.

This confirmation habit is, in many experienced policyholders' files, the most valuable single step taken after each call. It creates a contemporaneous written record that often matters more later than it does in the moment. See How to Write Effective Claim Letters for more on the broader written-record habit.

Patterns That Tend to Work

The pattern most policyholders settle into: truthful, factual, brief; no guessing or speculation; no volunteering beyond what is asked; everything documented in writing after the call. The adjuster is not the insured's enemy, but neither is the adjuster the insured's advocate — the adjuster works for the insurance company. Each side looks out for its own interest.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Insurance policies and applicable law vary by state and by policy form. Consult with a licensed professional regarding a specific situation.

Written by Leland Coontz III, Licensed Public Adjuster, CA License #2B53445.