No one wants to submit a claim, but when accidents happen it’s good to know there’s a team of professionals who have your back. Behind the scenes, you’ll discover a career in claims is both rewarding and filled with opportunities to grow and advance.
If you’ve been looking for a new job, it might be time to take a second look at a career in claims here at Erie Insurance.
What is an Insurance Claims Professional?
If you’ve ever submitted a claim before, you may have some idea of what the job entails. Our insurance claims employees are often the first to respond to a car accident or a natural disaster to help make things right again for our customers. There are two primary “categories” for claims employees: those who file and process policies and claims and those investigate and inspect the damage from a claim.
Career Opportunities in Claims
Here’s a closer look at a few career options in claims.
Adjusters
Insurance adjusters are the professionals that will inspect the loss or damage from a claim, then help determine who’s at fault and what the insurance company will pay. This includes inspecting property damage, investigating medical bills and bodily injury and interviewing any witnesses. Adjusters can either work remote and travel to the scenes of claims or be “inside” adjusters and instead investigate their claims via telephone, calling customers and securing photographs digitally.
At ERIE, we have adjusters for all types of claims:
- Material Damage Adjusters inspect vehicle damage which often includes driving to the site of the accident, taking photos of the damage and determining repair costs.
- Property Adjusters take the lead in inspecting damage to a customer’s home from something like a tree falling or home fire. They also often help out with catastrophe claims.
- Catastrophe Adjusters work specifically with ERIE’s Catastrophe (CAT) team to identify damages from catastrophic events like hurricanes or tornadoes. Learn more about ERIE’s specially trained CAT team.
- Workers Compensation Adjusters are responsible for workers’ compensation claims that result between an employee and employer, for example, if an employee was injured on the job.
- Liability Adjusters are brought into claims where it’s questionable who exactly is responsible for the damage. They inspect auto, property and litigation claims and will conduct investigations and interview individuals to determine who’s liable and what the total claim value is.
Most adjuster positions require a high school or bachelor’s degree and some related experience, and depending on the state you might need a particular license. Often these positions request certain insurance certifications or experience, like completing a General Insurance or Associate in Claims (AIC) program.
Claims Support
At ERIE, most of our claim support comes from our Claims Support Specialists. They perform support and administrative functions, including answering phones, filing, processing and preparing claim files. They also provide support to any of the above adjusters, often having a wider insurance knowledge. As a support liaison, they often make calls to customers, our independent ERIE agents and adjusters to finalize or update claim documents.
Why Explore a Career in Claims?
The world of insurance has a lot of different career avenues, from IT and sales to accounting and actuarial, but at ERIE, claims careers make up almost 40 percent of our total workforce. It’s a field crucial to the insurance world, and in general has some nice perks. Working in claims you’ll find:
- A rewarding career. Our claims professionals are with our customers after an accident occurs and are with them every step of the claims process, from explaining their coverage to writing the check for damages.
- Something new each day. No two claims are alike. Whether you’re filing a new claim or calling a customer, you’ll find each day to be a little different. Plus, you’ll be continuously learning. Each state has different insurance regulations, which can offer a challenge with the variety of coverages and unique claims that come in.
- Room for growth. There are a lot of different claims that can be submitted, so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and advance your career. This could include venturing into a different subset of the job, like property damage or injury claims, or exploring management opportunities.
- Great benefits package. At ERIE, we value our employees and one way we express that is through a robust benefits package. In 2022, our health insurance plan paid up to 97% of your monthly medical and prescription premium, we offer a pension and 401(k) plan and a handful of other benefits entirely free to our employees.
Explore a Career with ERIE
At its heart, insurance is a promise. When something bad happens, we promise to help our customers get back on their feet. At ERIE, our claims professionals help keep that promise. From adjusters to claims support specialists and facilitators, a career in claims is a rewarding opportunity to assist someone in their time of need. View our current job opportunities in claims and explore what a career at ERIE is all about.
