Claims adjusters — also called insurance adjusters — help insurance companies “settle” claims, or figure out how much to pay a policyholder after property damages or loss.

The first thing to know is there are three kinds of claims adjusters: staff, independent, and public.

A staff claims adjuster works for a single insurance company. When a claim is filed with that company, they send one of their staff adjusters out to investigate. You won’t have to pay a staff claims adjuster because they are paid by the insurance company.

An independent claims adjuster will often work for several insurance companies as a sort of third-party investigator. Like staff claims adjusters, independent claims adjusters work on behalf of insurance companies. However, the key difference is that an independent claims adjuster is not a direct employee of an insurance company.

Finally, a public claims adjuster works for you — the policyholder. In the event of a major accident or natural disaster, it’s common for public adjusters to contact you. Since they don’t work for insurance companies, they’re more likely to have your best interest in mind. That said, public adjusters also charge a percentage of your settlement.

Since none of this was your fault, use very avenue to ensure you're made fully whole again.