Auto Damage Appraiser Responsibilities

Auto damage appraisers are also known as automobile insurance appraisers and their main job function is to determine the extent of damage and total repair cost of an automobile on behalf of the automobile insurance company. An auto damage appraiser's job responsibilities go beyond merely appraising the value of a damaged vehicle as they also carry out other tasks such as coordinating with repair technicians and determining value on vehicles that have been completely damaged. With the increasing number of fraud insurance claims, the role and importance of an auto damage appraiser is invaluable for any insurance firm as they have to check the validity of the claim and consult with local law enforcement authorities whenever required. It is an exciting line of work with many career advancement options and job opportunities.

Main Job Responsibilities of an Auto Damage Appraiser

There are a number of job functions that are carried out by an auto damage appraiser while carrying out his/her responsibilities. Some of them have been given below:

• Examining an insurance claim and providing a rough estimate for parts, repair and labor charges of the damaged vehicle.
• Determining whether the damages are to such an extent that it warrants paying off the value of the vehicle before the occurrence of the accident.
• Liaising with local law enforcement agencies in order to verify the claims and details about the accident in order to determine the responsible party in case of an accident which involves more than one vehicle.
• Determining the salvage value of a vehicle that is beyond any form of repair by seeking quotations from more than one automobile repair agency.
• Examining the amount of damage to the external, internal and mechanical parts of the vehicle and reporting these observations to the automobile insurance company.
• Filling up insurance forms and directing customers to appropriate departments during the claims process.

Additional job responsibilities of an Auto Damage Appraiser

Beyond the tasks mentioned above, there are a few other job tasks that are also carried out by auto damage appraisers.

• Coordinating with various automobile repair agencies in order to find the best solution that is cost effective as well as efficient for all parties involved.
• Filling out various forms that are required as per the rules and regulations of the local state authorities or federal government.
• Negotiating the insurance claim amount with customers and the cost of repairs with the automobile repairing firm in order to minimize loss for the insurance company in the event of a claim.
• Communicating with other departments of the insurance company such as the processing or claim approval committees and explaining their observations to the professional from these departments.

Skills Required

An auto damage appraiser should have good knowledge about the various prices and ongoing trends in the automobile industry. They should have a basic idea about how the approximate repairs of a damaged vehicle by performing a simple examination on the basis of the automobile model and the extent of damage. They should possess good listening and communication skills while finding out details about the accident and explaining the extent of the insurance cover to the customer. For this reason, they should also have good interpersonal skills as they have to coordinate with a number of different people as part of their daily job functions. As most forms and paper work related insurance claims and vehicle damage have been changed into the electronic format, it is necessary for an auto damage appraiser to have adequate knowledge about the various software programs involved in this line of work.

Requirements

To work as an auto damage appraiser, a high school diploma along with some form of prior experience in the field of automobile insurance or knowledge about automobile damage and repair work is deemed necessary. However, some hiring insurance firms may require their candidates to possess a graduation degree with some specialized training in insurance related subjects. Relevant experience in the field is generally considered to be a higher factor than educational qualifications for jobs belonging to this field.

Thus, an auto damage appraiser's responsibilities mainly consist of determining the damage of the repairs of an automobile covered by an insurance plan and negotiating the cost of repairs with the specific technicians.