Who is a Surveyor?

A surveyor and loss assessor shall, form a major part of the working time, investigate, manage, quantify, validate and deal with losses (whether insured or not) arising from any contingency, and report thereon, and carry out the work with competence, objectivity and professional integrity by strictly adhering to the code of conduct expected of such surveyor and loss assessor.

The following, shall, inter alia, be the duties and responsibilities of a surveyor and loss assessor:-

• declaring whether he has any interest in the subject-matter in question or whether it pertains to any of his relatives, business partners or through material shareholding;
  Explanation: For the purpose of this clause ‘relatives’ shall mean any of the relatives as mentioned in Schedule IA to the Companies Act, 1956;


• maintaining confidentiality and neutrality without jeopardising the liability of the insurer and claim of the insured;


• conducting inspection and re-inspection of the property in question suffering a loss;


• examining, inquiring, investigating, verifying and checking upon the causes and the circumstances of the loss in question including extent of loss, nature of ownership and insurable interest;


• conducting spot and final surveys, as and when necessary and comment upon franchise, excess/under insurance and any other related matter;


• estimating, measuring and determining the quantum and description of the subject under loss;


• advising the insurer and the insured about loss minimisation, loss control, security and safety nmeasures, wherever appropriate, to avoid further losses;


• commenting on the admissibility of the loss as also observance of warranty conditions under the policy contract;


• surveying and assessing the loss on behalf of insurer or insured;


• assessing liability under the contract of insurance;


• pointing out discrepancy, if any, in the policy wordings;


• satisfying queries of the insured/insurer and of persons connected thereto in respect of the claim/loss;


• recommending applicability of depreciation and the percentage and quantum of depreciation;


• giving reasons for repudiation of claim, in case the claim is not covered by policy terms and conditions;


• taking expert opinion, wherever required;


• commenting on salvage and its disposal wherever necessary.

A surveyor or loss assessor shall submit his report to the insurer as expeditiously as possible, but not later than 30 days of his appointment.

Provided that in exceptional cases, the afore-mentioned period can be extended with the consent of the insured and the insurer.