Insurance examiners and adjusters investigate insurance claims filed by individuals or companies. They negotiate settlements and sanction payments. Insurance investigators on the other hand, deal with those claims where there is some perceived threat of fraud or criminal activity, which needs to be investigated before payments can go through.

Before negotiating settlements, insurance adjusters and investigators visit the area of damage. They interview witnesses and speak to claimants. Then they inspect the area to assess the extent of damage before they can arrive upon the correct figure.

Claim examiners and adjusters rarely work within their offices. Most of the time, they work at the site of damage. A large number of claims deal with old buildings and factories.  Inspection of these structures leaves them exposed to collapsed roofs, floors, weakened structures, burnt and damaged material and insulation.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos was quite popular in the construction and building industry during the 1900s. It was used as insulation in roofs, floor tiles, doors, and joint compounds. When old buildings are torn down or remodeled, old tiles, roofing and walls are scraped, cut, and broken. If these structures contain asbestos, they would start releasing microscopic asbestos fibers immediately.

Where Does Asbestos Exposure Occur?

In areas where huge structures have been pulled down, as in the case of the twin towers, asbestos fibers may remain floating in the atmosphere for long periods. Any personnel working in the area will be breathing in this lethal dust. Since claim examiners and investigators move around in the haze of torn down buildings, they are at a high risk of exposure to asbestos.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of dreaded diseases. Experts opine that prolonged periods of exposure and high concentrations of asbestos can trigger the development of asbestos related diseases. However, some cases of mesothelioma have developed even when the period of exposure was limited. Since asbestos related diseases have a latency period of 15-25 years, it is difficult to identify the source of the disease easily.