Three kinds of adjuster
An adjuster looks into a claim and works out what is owed. The question that matters is who they work for.
| Type | Works for | Hired by | Usually paid by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company adjuster | The insurance company | The insurer, as a salaried employee | The insurer |
| Independent adjuster | The insurance company | The insurer, under contract rather than as an employee | The insurer |
| Public adjuster | The policyholder | The policyholder, under a written contract | The policyholder, as the contract says |
Nevada licenses each type separately, and no one may hold more than one type of adjuster license at the same time (NRS 684A.050).
The Nevada definition
“An adjuster employed by and representing solely the financial interests of the insured named in the policy.”
Definition of public adjuster, NRS 684A.030 (government website)
In practice, that means a public adjuster works only for the person named on the policy, on that person’s own claim. The same statute leaves out workers’ compensation claims. An adjuster may not represent both the insurer and the policyholder in the same claim (NRS 684A.210).
Nevada also says that no one may act as an adjuster, or present themselves as one, unless they are licensed at the time (NRS 684A.040). That applies to firms as well as to people.
What they do, and do not do
In general, a public adjuster documents the loss, prepares and presents the claim, and deals with the insurance company about it on the policyholder’s behalf, under a written contract.
Nevada requires every adjuster to be honest and fair, and forbids adjusters from giving legal advice (NRS 684A.165). Questions about what the law requires, or about suing an insurer, are for an attorney.
You do not have to hire anyone
You are not required to hire a public adjuster. You can deal with your insurer directly, and you can hire an attorney at any time. Many people handle their own claims from start to finish.
If you have a question or a complaint about how an insurer is treating your claim, the Nevada Division of Insurance’s Consumer Services section (government website) takes questions and complaints from policyholders.
Before you sign anything
If you are thinking about hiring any public adjuster, these questions are worth asking out loud, and the answers are worth getting in writing.
- What are your full name and Nevada license number, and your firm’s? Then check both yourself.
- Will everything be in a written contract that I can take home and read before I sign?
- How exactly is your fee calculated, and on which payments?
- How can I cancel, and by when?
- Apart from your own fee, do you or your firm have any financial interest in my claim?
- Who will actually work on my claim, and how do I reach them?
How to verify a license
It takes about a minute, and it is the single most useful check you can make.
- Ask for the full name and license number of the person, and of their firm. A firm needs its own license.
- Open the License Search (government website) on the Nevada Division of Insurance website.
- Search for the person by name, then for the firm by name.
- Check that the license type says public adjuster, that the status is active, and that the name matches exactly.
- If anything does not match, or you are unsure, contact the Division directly at doi.nv.gov.
Search for Imperial Claims Group or Hector Camarena today and you will not find a public adjuster license. That is accurate: none has been issued yet.
Educational information, not legal or claim advice. This is general information about how property insurance claims usually work. It is not advice about any particular policy or claim. Your policy’s wording and Nevada law control.