My Insurance Adjuster Stopped Responding: What to Do When a Claim Stalls

If your insurance adjuster stops responding, put a dated written request in front of the insurer asking for a substantive response and a claim status, then escalate to a supervisor, and file a complaint with the Utah Insurance Department if it stays stalled. Utah's claim-handling rule sets response deadlines, including a 15-day window for a substantive response when you've asked for one. Meanwhile, keep the house protected. Mitigation doesn't have to wait on the adjuster.

Water damage and a claim that's gone quiet? Call 24/7 · (801) 948-2501.

Short answer: If your adjuster stops responding, send a dated written request for a substantive response and claim status, escalate to a supervisor, and file a complaint with the Utah Insurance Department if nothing changes. Utah Admin. Code R590-190-6 requires a substantive response within 15 days when you've asked for one. Keystone Restoration's advice: don't let a stalled claim stop drying, because mitigation doesn't have to wait.

This is general information from a Utah restoration company, not legal advice, and nothing here promises a claim will be paid. Your policy and Utah law control. For your specific situation, talk to the Utah Insurance Department, a licensed public adjuster or an attorney.

What should I do first when my adjuster goes quiet?

A homeowner asked us what to do after their adjuster stopped answering, almost a year and a half into a roof claim. That's an extreme case, but stalled claims are common, and the steps are the same whether it's been three weeks or eighteen months.

1. Send a written request. Email the adjuster and the claims mailbox, and keep a copy. Include your claim number, a short timeline, what's outstanding and what you're asking for.
2. Ask for specific things: the claim status, what the insurer still needs from you, a decision date, and a copy of the estimate and any reports.
3. Ask for a supervisor or a new adjuster if you don't get a substantive response.
4. Keep a log of every call, email, letter and visit, with dates and names.
5. File a complaint with the Utah Insurance Department if the claim stays stalled.

Calls are fine, but follow every call with an email that summarizes it. A written record is what helps if you escalate.

What does Utah's claim-handling rule require?

Utah Admin. Code R590-190 sets minimum claim-handling standards. A few parts matter most when a claim stalls:

• 15 days to respond. Under R590-190-6, an insurer has to acknowledge a notice of loss within 15 days (with limited exceptions), and within 15 days it has to give a claimant a substantive response if a response has been requested. That's why a written request matters.
• 30 days to decide, or explain why not. Under R590-190-10, within 30 days after receiving a complete proof of loss, the insurer has to finish its investigation and tell you whether it accepts or denies the claim, unless the investigation can't reasonably be finished in that time. If it needs more time, it has to tell you why within those 30 days.
• Letters every 45 days. If the investigation is still open, the insurer has to send you a letter within 45 days, and every 45 days after that, explaining why it needs more time. That requirement doesn't apply if you're represented by an attorney or a public adjuster.
• Denials in writing. Any basis for denial has to be communicated to you in writing.
• Deadline warnings. If settlement talks continue and you aren't represented, the insurer has to notify you of when the statute of limitations or other time limit on your claim runs out, at least 60 days before it does.
• Payment timing. Under R590-190-9, it's an unfair practice to fail to pay within 30 days after receiving written proof of a covered loss and its amount, with exceptions, including when the insurer has reasonable evidence to dispute its responsibility to pay.

Note the phrase "complete proof of loss." Many of these clocks start when the insurer has what it needs, so ask in writing what's missing.

What should I put in my written follow-up?

• [ ] Your name, address, policy number and claim number
• [ ] Date of loss and date you reported it
• [ ] A short timeline of contacts since then
• [ ] What you've already sent: photos, estimates, receipts, reports
• [ ] A direct request: "Please provide a substantive response on the status of this claim, what you still need from me, and when you expect to make a decision."
• [ ] A request for copies of the adjuster's estimate, photos and any expert reports
• [ ] A request to speak with a supervisor if you don't hear back

Keep it calm and factual. Don't accuse anyone. The goal is a clear record.

How do I file a complaint with the Utah Insurance Department?

The department's complaint page explains the process. You file through its online complaint portal, which requires an account, or with a paper form. The department forwards your complaint to the company for a response, reviews the response, and sends you its findings. It says the process usually takes three to four weeks. Consumer services: 801-957-9200 in the Salt Lake City area, or 1-800-439-3805 toll-free in Utah.

Attach your log and copies of your written requests. That's where documentation pays off.

Should I hire a public adjuster or an attorney?

It depends on the size of the claim and what's stuck. Ask any public adjuster you talk to for their state adjuster license and their fee in writing before you sign anything. An attorney can advise on your legal rights, including the deadlines in your policy. If the insurer has accepted the claim but you disagree on the amount, our post on appraisal and public adjusters walks through the options. If the claim was denied, see what a wear-and-tear denial means.

What do I do with the house while the claim is stalled?

Protect it. Most policies expect you to prevent further damage, and a slow adjuster doesn't change that. Wet drywall, insulation and subfloor can grow mold, and EPA guidance is to dry water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

• Stop the water and make temporary repairs, like a tarp, if it's safe.
• Photograph and video everything before anything is removed.
• Start drying. Mitigation does not wait for the adjuster. Tell the insurer in writing that emergency work is starting and offer photos and video.
• Keep every receipt for emergency work and temporary repairs.

On our jobs, hidden moisture is found with thermal cameras and commercial-grade moisture meters, and we take photos and video before the leak is fixed. That record stays useful no matter how long the claim takes. If the check comes through your lender when it does arrive, see what to do with an insurance check made out to you and your mortgage company.

What's the escalation order for a stalled claim?

When should I call a pro?

Call a mitigation company as soon as there's water in the house, whether or not the adjuster has called back. Keystone Restoration is an IICRC Certified Firm (#70266523). We serve Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front, and we dry the structure and document it for your claim. We aren't public adjusters or attorneys and can't negotiate your claim for you. Rebuild is handled by our sister company, Keystone BuildWorks. For the basics of the claim process, see how to file a water damage claim.

Claim stuck and the house still wet? Call 24/7 · (801) 948-2501.

Questions about your specific situation? Talk to us — advice is free, 24/7.