What is a critical step an adjuster must take when assessing a claim linked to vehicle theft?

Verifying the ownership of the vehicle is a critical step for an adjuster when assessing a claim related to vehicle theft because it establishes the legitimacy of the claim. Ownership verification helps ensure that the individual filing the claim is indeed the rightful owner of the vehicle at the time of the theft. This step is essential to prevent fraudulent claims and to ensure that the insurance company pays out benefits only to the actual owner.

While contacting previous owners for verification might sometimes be useful in certain situations, it is not a fundamental necessity in assessing a theft claim. Estimating the vehicle’s resale value and requesting a mechanistic inspection may be relevant in the context of value assessments or mechanical evaluations post-recovery, but they do not address the immediate need to establish rightful ownership before proceeding with the claim assessment.