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People hear “recorded statement” and assume it’s a trap. We don’t see it that way, and if you work in claims adjusting, you shouldn’t either. Bill Auten (Auten Claims Management) and Chantal Roberts (CMR Consulting) lay out what a recorded statement is really for: a clear, professional record of what happened that helps you investigate the claim, preserve evidence, and make the right call on liability, coverage, and damages.

We get practical about preparation before you ever hit record: knowing your claim file, planning your roadmap without clinging to a script, and using photos or simple exhibits to lock in details. We also talk through how to set expectations with insureds, claimants, and witnesses so they understand why you’re recording, what “name, rank, and serial number” questions are for, and why “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer. You’ll hear tactics for managing real-world problems like background spouses chiming in, distractions, and the awkward pauses that happen when you’re typing notes live.

We also cover what changes when an attorney is present, how to keep the tone calm and factual, and what to do when someone refuses to provide key information. Along the way, we reinforce the core skills that keep statements clean: open-ended questions, timeline prompts like “what happened next,” avoiding leading questions, and staying unbiased even when people assume adjusters are trained to deny. We finish with one of the most useful close-out questions you can ask and how to set next steps so everyone knows what comes next in the claims process.

Subscribe for more real-world insurance adjuster training, share this with an adjuster friend, and leave a review if it helps you run better recorded statements.

For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management.

To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting.

Promotions:

• Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now.
• The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here.

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A “quick” injury claim can turn into a compliance puzzle the moment Medicare or Medicaid enters the picture and if you miss it, the consequences can be expensive. We get practical about CMS, Medicare Secondary Payer rules, and what adjusters actually need to do on day one so a settlement does not blow up later.

We walk through the Big Five identifiers we ask claimants for, why people understandably get suspicious, and how to explain the request without sounding like a scammer or hiding behind acronyms. Then we translate the jargon: Section 111 reporting, conditional payments, Medicare liens, Medicaid liens, and what “Responsible Reporting Entity” really means when carriers use vendors and automated reporting behind the scenes.

From there, we talk settlement reality. Why you may need to wait for a conditional payment letter and a final demand, how the $750 small settlement provision fits in, and why these steps feel like a delay tactic to the average person even when you are trying to close fast. We also cover risk controls like paying first and disputing later, using hold harmless and indemnification language when attorneys push back, and protecting PII so your file stays clean.

If you work property, auto, GL, workers’ comp, or liability claims, this is the kind of “unseen” process that can make or break a smooth close. Subscribe, share with an adjuster friend, and leave a review with the toughest Medicare lien question you have right now.

For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management.

To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting.

Promotions:

• Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now.
• The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here.

Send us Fan Mail

Bad faith doesn’t usually arrive as one dramatic blow-up. It shows up as a slow drip of little things: the voicemail that never gets returned, the approval that sits in someone’s queue, the vague diary note that makes sense only to the person who wrote it, and the template letter that accidentally says more than it should.

We talk through the practical warning signs we see when a claim is headed toward escalation, complaint, or litigation. We dig into how understaffed claims departments force adjusters into triage, why vacation schedules and internal handoffs create gaps, and how stacked authority levels can turn a reasonable settlement into a trust-breaking delay. We also share communication habits that de-escalate fast: acknowledging frustration, picking up the phone, setting a realistic follow-up date, and explaining the “why” behind the timeline without overpromising.

Then we get tactical about defendable claim handling. We explain what strong claim notes look like (so another adjuster could take over tomorrow), why “sent letter and cut check” is a dangerous level of detail, and how automation and AI can help with organizing but cannot replace human judgment or protect you from privacy risks. We close with a common landmine: form letters and 30-day status templates that include inapplicable language, creating ammunition for a bad faith narrative.

Subscribe, share the show with another adjuster, and leave a review so more claims pros can find it.

For more insights, you might consider a career in liability adjusting or if you're searching for reliable adjusting services, visit Auten Claims Management.

To explore more about Chantal Roberts and her contributions to the industry, visit CMR Consulting.

Promotions:

• Once Upon a Claim: Explore the magical world of claims adjusting through fairy tales. Get your copy now.
• The Art of Adjusting®: Master the art of claims adjusting with practical insights and expert advice. Purchase here.