How should an insurance company retain claims-related emails and adjuster text messages?

An insurance company should treat claims-related emails and adjuster text messages the same way it treats any other business record: by what they document, not by the technology that carried them. A message that captures a coverage decision, a settlement negotiation, an investigation note, or an instruction to a claimant is a record and should be retained accordingly, regardless of whether it arrived in Outlook or on a phone.

Classify by content, not channel

The first principle is that the medium does not determine the record status. A binding statement of coverage sent by text message carries the same evidentiary weight as the same statement in a formal letter. Build a retention schedule that maps message content to record categories (claim file, underwriting, litigation, transitory) and apply consistent retention periods drawn from that schedule rather than from the inbox or messaging app defaults.

Tie retention to the claim and to legal exposure

Claims records typically need to be kept for the life of the claim plus a defined period afterward, governed by state insurance regulations, statutes of limitation, contract terms, and tax rules. Because insurance is heavily litigated, anticipate that claims communications may become evidence. The moment litigation is reasonably foreseeable, a legal hold must suspend normal disposition for the affected records, including texts.

Capture text messages deliberately

Text and chat messages are the hardest part. They live on personal or mobile devices, are easy to delete, and are often outside corporate archiving. To make them defensible records:

• Provide approved, captured channels for adjusters and discourage business communication on unmanaged personal apps.
• Ingest mobile and chat messages into the official recordkeeping system so they are searchable and protected from automatic deletion.
• Preserve associated metadata (sender, recipient, timestamps) and any attachments.

Document and dispose consistently

Apply retention and destruction uniformly. Records destroyed on schedule, in the ordinary course of business, before any duty to preserve arose are generally defensible; selective or ad hoc deletion is not. Document your schedule, your holds, and your disposition decisions.

For broader guidance on managing communications as records, see the email and messaging topic hub.

These practices reflect long-standing recordkeeping principles in standards such as ISO 15489 and guidance from records authorities, adapted to your jurisdiction’s insurance requirements.