Bodily Injury & Litigation Claims Adjuster Commercial Auto | Bodily Injury | Litigation

Reports to: Claims Manager

Summary/Objective: Global Guardian Services, LLC (GGS), a national third-party claims administration company, is looking for an experienced Commercial Auto Bodily Injury & Litigation Claims Adjuster to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background handling commercial auto bodily injury claims, including trucking accidents, serious injuries, and litigated matters. This position involves managing claims from initial assignment through resolution, including investigating accidents, evaluating liability and injuries, reviewing medical records, establishing reserves, negotiating settlements, and working with defense counsel on litigation. We are looking for someone who can manage their own claims inventory, make sound decisions, and stay on top of important developments. The right candidate should be comfortable working with attorneys, handling complex claims, and communicating with clients and insureds.

Bodily Injury Claims Handling: Manage commercial auto bodily injury claims, including both litigated and non-litigated matters. Handle claims involving commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, passenger vehicles, and fleet operations. Investigate accidents, evaluate liability, review injuries, and determine appropriate claim values. Handle claims involving soft tissue injuries, fractures, surgeries, permanent injuries, and other serious medical conditions. Recognize claims with significant exposure and bring them to management's attention early. Keep claims moving toward resolution through regular follow-up, timely evaluations, and settlement discussions.

Liability Investigation: Review police reports, accident photographs, witness statements, dash camera footage, and other available evidence. Evaluate how an accident occurred and determine liability and comparative negligence. Identify disputed liability issues and determine whether additional investigation is needed. Work with investigators, accident reconstruction experts, and defense counsel when necessary. Prepare clear liability evaluations that explain the facts, potential defenses, and overall exposure.

Bodily Injury and Damage Evaluation: Review medical records, bills, diagnostic studies, and treatment histories to understand the nature and extent of claimed injuries. Evaluate medical expenses, lost wages, future treatment, permanent impairment, and other claimed damages. Identify pre-existing conditions, gaps in treatment, questionable medical expenses, and potential causation issues. Handle claims involving surgeries, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other significant injuries. Work with medical experts and billing review professionals when additional opinions are needed. Develop realistic claim evaluations based on liability, injuries, treatment, venue, and potential jury exposure.

Litigation Management: Manage litigated bodily injury claims and work directly with assigned defense counsel. Review lawsuits, discovery, deposition summaries, expert reports, and attorney evaluations. Work with defense counsel to develop a practical litigation strategy and plan for resolution. Monitor important deadlines, discovery progress, expert retention, mediations, and trial dates. Review litigation budgets and legal expenses to ensure costs remain reasonable. Request updated evaluations from defense counsel as new information becomes available. Participate in mediations, settlement conferences, and litigation strategy discussions. Identify opportunities to settle claims before trial when appropriate. Keep management and clients informed of significant developments, changes in exposure, and settlement opportunities.

Reserves and Settlement Negotiations: Establish and maintain appropriate bodily injury and litigation expense reserves. Update reserves as new medical information, discovery, or litigation developments affect the claim. Prepare claim evaluations, large loss reports, and settlement authority requests. Review settlement demands and negotiate directly with claimants and plaintiff attorneys. Develop settlement strategies based on the strengths and weaknesses of each claim. Participate in mediations and settlement negotiations