The ROI of Claims Staffing and Education
How Skilled Adjusters Make Carriers More Profitable
by Chantal M. Roberts, CPCU, AIC, RPA, ITP
with collaboration from Frederick J. Fisher, JD, CCP
Insurance carriers often treat the claims department as a cost center which needs to be contained and controlled in order to earn profits.
This working white paper explores how staffing levels, adjuster education, supervision, and AI workflow decisions influence reserve development, litigation, and ultimate loss cost. Drawing on historical claims audits, modern carrier disclosures, public-entity risk pool data, and reinsurer research, The ROI of Claims Staffing and Education argues that claims is not a back-office cost center, but a capital-impact function that directly affects indemnity, LAE, reserve stability, and long-term earnings volatility.
This project includes the full white paper, an executive audio brief, and supporting visual models designed for insurance executives, governing boards, claims leaders, and risk professionals.
This chart is an illustrative model showing traditional operational adjusting KPIs (gray) which are frequently monitored but weak predictors of ultimate claim cost, while financial outcome drivers (orange) more directly influence indemnity, LAE, litigation, and reserve development.
Ms. Roberts and Mr. Fisher would like to thank the Academy of Insurance for hosting a panel discussion of The ROI of Claims Staffing and Education.
About the Author:
Chantal M. Roberts, CPCU, AIC, RPA, ITP is a claims consultant, educator, and author with more than two decades of experience in property and casualty claims handling and management. Her perspective is informed by direct, hands-on experience managing claim inventories, supervising adjusters, and making real-time coverage, reserving, and settlement decisions under operational constraints. In addition to her industry roles, she has served as an expert witness, where her work frequently involves reconstructing claim file histories to identify when and why outcomes deteriorated.
About the Collaborator:
Frederick J. Fisher, JD, CCP, is the President of Fisher Consulting Group, Inc., and a nationally recognized authority on insurance claims operations, professional liability, and claims cost analysis. His career spans more than five decades and includes senior roles across claims adjusting, claims auditing, third-party administration, underwriting, and specialty insurance distribution. His claims auditing methodologies and attorney management standards produced substantial cost savings for large public-sector and private-sector clients, including the Southern California Rapid Transit District (now the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) claims audit referenced in this paper.
