Who are CAT adjusters?

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:04 am Post Subject:

A CAT adjusters are adjusters that only work on catasyrophy (storm) claims...most travel the country following storms..I know many retired adjusters that do this. There are companys that handle only CAT claim, and employ adjusters for this...they are really independent adjusters that only handle cats..

Some companys have their own CAT teams that do the same, they are typcially gone two or three weeks then back a week and so on...

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 02:08 pm Post Subject:

well lori already told u what is a CAT adjuster......but u also wanted to know how to become a CAT adjusters......well theres no such difference in becoming a CAT adjuster than a simple 1.......the only difference is that after getting an adjuster licence u need to have a special CATASTROPHE ADJUSTER TRAINING........and after that find a job....thats it buddy

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 03:38 pm Post Subject:

I suppose a cat adjuster could be the person that handles a claim on your pet coverage that progressive is now selling or it could be a cat chiropractioner who makes spinal adjustments on cats.

Reminds me of a recent trip to the vet's office where a pet owner asked the doctor for second opinions on a condition of a cat. So he opened the door and a golden labrador retriever walked near the cat and sniffed it, barked and promptly exited the room. Next another cat enters leaps onto the table observes the pet and purrs to the doctor.

The vet says there you go, you now have a cat scan and a lab report to go with my opinion.

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 04:18 am Post Subject:

In an earlier life, I was what was called a "storm trooper" on a CAT team with Safeco Insurance. At first, it was really cool. Once we got helicoptered into an area that got pummeled by a wind/raini/hail storm and the roads were impassible. Incredible experience. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and when we get a howler off the Pacific ocean, we tend to lose a lot of trees, which in turn messes up a whole lot of other stuff. Especially electricity and houses and roads.

After a while, writing checks for fences, trees, roofs, plywood, nails, water, gas, generators, shoes, plus (add in catastrophe item of choice), it got really personal. People and their property were devastated, and I stayed in a motel room with no electricity/heat for a week and a half. Actually, the electricity came back on in about 4 days. It was miserable, the weather was terrible, but I'd do it again in a second.

When you think of claims adjusting, most people don't think of the emotion involved. That jump in from the helicopter experience really told me that you better be able to handle lives that have just gone through a catastrophic loss, and some folk just can't handle it. One of our adjusters had to leave when she got assigned a claim where a tree (huge fir tree) crashed into a house and hit her child sleeping in his room. She couldn't handle the kid part. Safeco didn't have anything to do with insurance on the child- it was the parents that she was working with and trying to find them a place to stay until their house could be repaired. The parents were in a fog, and the adjuster couldn't deal with them knowing about the kid.

InsTeacher 8)

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 08:26 am Post Subject:

That's an interesting post, Mike :lol: :lol:

Anyway, like the other posters have mentioned (except Mike’s of course) CAT adjusters or catastrophe adjusters specially handle the catastrophe claims.

Some CAT adjusters are employed by the insurance companies whereas many others would work independently.

The catastrophe adjusters career involves visits to the sites whenever a disaster strikes, i.e. when the company adjusters are stationed at the office the CAT adjusters have to visit the site of occurrence . And, often to reach to the place they have to travel long distances and work under difficult conditions.

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 09:33 am Post Subject: Catastrophe adjuster career

Thanks all for your responses :)

Between, what you need to know to become CAT adjuster? Where can I get the training?

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 02:24 pm Post Subject:

Living in an area that sees a lot of tornado and hail destruction and lost lives, we also see a lot of cat adjusters. While there may be some people that are part of a team that does this all the time, there are a lot of companies that tell their adjusters and appraisers, (no vacations scheduled from april til november), you will be available for minimum two weeks as a storm claims team when we need you.

While we see for the most part, a large degree of professionalism, we also see the person or the company that just gets an initial check for damages issued and when the team leaves the local appraisers have to mop up behind some lazy appraisers, that is if the company is represented in the area where losses occur.

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 11:14 am Post Subject:

The vet says there you go, you now have a cat scan and a lab report to go with my opinion.

When you think of claims adjusting, most people don't think of the emotion involved.

Where can I get the training?

see the person or the company that just gets an initial check for damages issued and when the team leaves the local appraisers have to mop up behind some lazy appraisers

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 11:11 am Post Subject:

Hi CAT_adjuster,

Most of the insurance carriers would look for professionals involved in construction job or auto body parts repair. Such backgrounds are helpful at determining property losses. As a CAT adjuster your job is to determine whether the catastrophe has partially or fully destroyed the vehicle.

Steven

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 11:32 am Post Subject:

Hi,

As far as training part is concerned i dont think it should be of a great problem to get through. All you have to do is google for CAT adjusters training in your state.

You could also simply walk in to any insurance office to get the information.

I know of a site you can go online and register yourself. They are into placements for CAT adjusters as well. Infact they deal with all kinds of insurance openings.

If you want to go for it seriously do it now... so u can get an opportunity to be on job soon... when its what they call as the Storm season...

GNP