One of the key questions when a claim is made is its value, how much damage was done to a car, or how much was a piece of stolen property worth. This can involve extremely complex assessments, for example ascertaining how much income a business has lost during a business interruption.

This is where Insurance Assessors and Loss Adjusters enter, their role is to establish the details of the claims. The factors they will look out for is whether the insurance policy applies to the loss or damage under examination and that the correct amount is being claimed for. Insurance Assessors will generally be engaged by claimants, whereas Loss Adjusters act for the insurance company.

A career as a loss adjuster can follow a number of routes, the Insurance Institute of Ireland offers the Professional Certificate in Insurance (APA) and Professional Diploma in Insurance (CIP) for those embarking in a career in insurance. For those wishing to develop professional skills in loss adjustment they can then move onto the Certified Diploma in Loss Adjusting.