Author: John Mattiacci | Owner Mattiacci Law
Published January 29, 2026
There’s honestly nothing more annoying during an insurance claim than watching your adjuster suddenly go quiet.
You’re checking your inbox every few hours, refreshing your phone like you’re waiting for a text from someone you like, and meanwhile they’re just silent.
It feels personal, but most of the time it’s not.
Still, you deserve movement on your claim, not radio silence.
In this post, we’ll show you what to do if the insurance adjuster is not responding.
#1. Start With A Simple Follow-Up
Before jumping into worst-case scenarios, start with the easiest step.
Just send a quick, friendly follow-up.
Adjusters are buried in claims all day, juggling calls, inspections, paperwork, and internal approvals, so sometimes things genuinely slip through the cracks.
A short message works fine. Something like, “Hi, just checking in on my claim. Let me know if you need anything from me” keeps the tone calm and keeps things documented.
You don’t need to over-explain or sound stressed.
Give them a reasonable window to answer. It doesn’t have to be long. A day or two is usually enough to see if they’re actually around or if your claim fell into some forgotten corner of their queue.
Also Read: At Fault Driver’s Insurance Won’t Pay
#2. Try Another Contact Method
If your follow-up lands in the void, switch tactics. Some adjusters love email, and some live on the phone.
Try calling the main claims line for the company and ask to be connected.
If you’ve been leaving voice messages, try emailing instead. If you’ve been emailing, try calling during business hours.
Switching channels often does the trick because sometimes the issue isn’t the adjuster ignoring you. It could be an overflowing inbox, a voicemail box that hasn’t been cleared, or an internal system delaying things.
And when you speak to someone else, even the receptionist, you get clarity. You may even learn your adjuster is out sick, on vacation, or working remote hours you didn’t know about.
#3. Double-Check You’ve Done Your Part
Before assuming the adjuster is ignoring you, it’s worth taking a quick moment to make sure your side of the claim isn’t missing something.
Claims get held up for the smallest things – a missing signature, a blurry photo, a form that didn’t upload right, or an estimate that never actually went through.
It happens way more often than people realize.
So just reach out and ask something simple like, “Can you confirm my file is complete?” It instantly clears up any confusion and puts the responsibility back in their hands.
If anything is missing, you can fix it quickly and get the claim moving again instead of letting it sit quietly in the system.
Sometimes the only thing standing between you and progress is one tiny piece of information that slipped out of place.
Also Read: How To Answer Insurance Claim Questions
#4. Send A Firm But Professional Message
If you’ve followed up twice and tried different methods with no real progress, it’s time to shift the tone a bit. Not aggressive, not emotional, just firm and clear.
You’re simply communicating that you need movement.
Something like, “I’ve reached out multiple times and haven’t heard back. Please update me on the status of my claim and next steps” gets the point across without sounding confrontational.
This type of message usually gets attention because it shows you’re keeping track and you’re not going to fade into the background.
The key here is holding your ground while staying polite.
#5. Escalate Within The Company
If your adjuster still isn’t responding, it’s completely reasonable to escalate.
Every claims department has supervisors or managers whose entire job is to step in when things get messy or delayed. And trust me, companies don’t want claims just sitting around because it reflects poorly on them.
You can call the claims line and say you need to speak to the adjuster’s supervisor because you haven’t received a response.
You can also ask for reassignment to a new adjuster if necessary.
Companies don’t make a fuss about that. It’s actually pretty normal.
Sometimes escalation is the only way to get someone’s attention and get things moving again. And once someone higher up sees the lack of communication, your claim magically becomes a priority.
#6. File A Complaint If Needed
If weeks have gone by and your insurance company is still ignoring you or dragging things out, filing a complaint with your state’s insurance department is an option.
This actually works faster than you might think.
Insurance companies really don’t like having regulators stare at their claim files.
A complaint doesn’t start a legal battle. It simply forces the insurer to respond within a specific timeframe. And once they know a regulator is looped in, your claim usually unfreezes almost immediately.
This step is for situations that have gone way past “annoying delay” and into “this is ridiculous” territory.
Also Read: How To Reject An Insurance Settlement Offer
#7. Consider Outside Help
If you’ve tried all the usual routes and your adjuster is still basically a ghost, it might be time to bring in someone who deals with things like this every day.
An attorney who handles insurance claims can step in and push things forward in a way that’s hard for the company to ignore.
They know the process inside out, they speak the same technical language, and they’re used to dealing with unresponsive adjusters, so nothing surprises them.
You don’t have to jump to this right away, but if the claim is big or the delay is starting to seriously affect your life, having a pro in your corner can completely change the energy.
Suddenly, calls get answered faster, emails get replies, and your claim stops collecting dust.
Can An Adjuster Delay A Claim On Purpose?
It’s rare but it can happen.
Most adjusters honestly just have way too many files. But there are also situations where delays are caused by slow internal processes, missing approvals, or workload mismanagement.
Intentional delays fall under what’s known as bad-faith behavior, which is something insurers want to avoid at all costs because it opens the door to serious penalties.
If an adjuster seems to be dragging things on purpose or refusing to communicate, that’s when documentation becomes your best friend.
Keep track of everything: dates you contacted them, messages sent, calls made, and any steps you had to take just to get a response.
If things get extreme, this is when a regulator or attorney becomes useful.
But don’t jump to that immediately. Most delays are just sloppy communication, not a plot to avoid paying your claim.
How To Protect Yourself While Waiting For A Response
While you’re waiting, your best move is to protect your timeline and your evidence.
That means keeping copies of everything, staying ahead of any deadlines, and maintaining a clean record of all attempts to reach the adjuster.
Here are a few things that make your life easier later:
- Save every email, voicemail, and message.
- Keep all repair estimates, photos, and receipts in one place.
- Write down the dates and times of every attempt to contact the adjuster.
This helps if you need to escalate or file a complaint because you’ll look organized and credible. Plus, it keeps you from forgetting tiny details that may matter later in the process.
Bottom Line
Dealing with an unresponsive insurance adjuster feels like pushing a car uphill some days, but you’re not stuck. You have options, and most of them are simple steps that can turn the claim around pretty quickly.
Start gentle, build up to firmer communication, and if needed, take it up the ladder until the company picks up the pace.
Stay organized, stay calm, and remember you don’t have to accept silence.