Professional conduct, ethics and policyholders' protection
Code of conduct
- Independence and impartiality are the core duties. A surveyor must not act for both insurer and insured, and must disclose any conflict.
- Confidentiality: claim data may be used only for the assignment and must not be disclosed to third parties without authority.
- No solicitation, advertising, rebates or gifts. Fees must not be contingent on the size or outcome of the claim; a percentage-of-settlement fee compromises independence.
- Competence: accept only work within the licence and expertise; do not delegate the core survey without the insurer's consent.
- Communicate promptly and courteously, and keep records available to IRDAI on demand.
Policyholder protection
- Fair treatment includes giving the insured a reasonable opportunity to produce documents and explaining adverse findings in factual language.
- Claim rejection must be reasoned and communicated in writing. Grievances are governed by the IRDAI (Protection of Policyholders' Interests) Regulations, 2017 and the Insurance Ombudsman framework.
- Respect data privacy, avoid discriminatory or accusatory language, and report suspected fraud through proper channels.
Worked example
An insurer asks a surveyor to bring a loss down to Rs 2 lakh when his measurements support Rs 3.5 lakh. The surveyor should refuse, document the request, and submit the report with calculations. Complying would breach impartiality and the code, and the insured could complain to IRDAI or the Ombudsman. The duty is to the truth of the loss, not to the paying insurer's target.
Traps
- Accepting a fee as a percentage of the settled claim.
- Acting where a relative is the insured or broker without disclosure.
- Disclosing claim details to third parties.
- Using intemperate language about the insured.
- Failing to give the insured a fair opportunity to produce documents.