Claims Commandment XI
Thou Shall Empathize With the Claimant Everyone in a claim situation is unhappy, disturbed, shocked, injured either in body or emotionally and needs help. The adjuster must recognize the difference between sympathy and empathy.
Empathy is identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives. It is the ability to understand another person’s circumstances, point of view, thoughts, and feelings. Sympathy, on the other hand, is the sharing of another’s emotions, especially of sorrow or anguish and includes pity and compassion. It is the fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, especially in sorrow or trouble. Sympathy must be limited to the needs of relatives or clergy, not a professional relationship. The adjuster should avoid sympathy and work to convince the insured or claimant that the adjuster empathizes with the claimant’s situation. Empathy can be shown if the adjuster can honestly express one or more of the following similarities between the adjuster and the claimant and simultaneously establish rapport: