The Independent Insurance Claim Adjuster Resource

An analogy should be considered in preface:  “If we merely buried the dead without an autopsy, how far along would medicine be?”.  Another mode is the age-old adage for the definition of insanity, which is doing the same thing over again with the same unsatisfactory results.

There isn’t an independent vendor or in-house claim representative who has a continuously successful 100% close file rate.  At some point, we have all re-opened a file for one reason for another, and that’s particularly true with regard to wind and hail perils in the property coverage sector.

The majority of independent adjusters and claim professionals do not have the same access to post-claim activity that Carriers and Underwriters do. 

It’s true that a small number of independent claim providers regularly receive access to final claim settlement, often delivering settlement checks and obtaining release.  When it comes to the majority of more simple claims, such as hail, wind, property and non bodily-injury auto, there often isn’t any post-claim data available.  This creates somewhat of a short-fall for both the insurer and vendor, particularly in the 21st century.

The first argument most carriers and underwriters typically make here, is that no need exists to let the vendor review (or even know) the disposition of the file after their independent services are completed.  This argument also exists in several other types of coverage.  Essentially, the carrier assumes that if the independent vendor has completed the file, then it is closed, and there is nothing else to discuss; move on to the next file.

Conversely, many independent claim offices will argue Read more…

Hey all you independent adjusters, claim reps, public adjusters and insurance attorneys!  Here’s a serious situation for you to ponder and comment on.  We would be delighted to receive your input on this situation:

A mess of tree limbs located within the lines of an insured-rental property falls and lands almost exclusively onto a parked vehicle in the public right of way.  The roof of the vehicle has been crushed in and the windows are broken with damages estimated at $13,000, therefore the vehicle is non-operable.  You are assigned the claim and learn the following: Read more…

December 28th, 2010

It was widely report that a Maine ski lift failed causing injury to three or more riders this morning, at the SugerLoaf Mountain resort near Carrabassett Valley, Maine.  According to eye witness reports, the chairs were approximately 20 to 40 feet above the ground.  The extent of injuries is not known at this time but is suspected broken bones are involved.  Over 80 other riders were stranded on the lift awaiting rescue.  Rumors have circulated the that only method for rescuing the stranded riders is to provide a rope for them to escape with.  It is highly unlikely that any type of ladder equipped vehicle would be able to navigate the steep snowy mountain side.

SugarLoaf Ski Lift Incident

From an insurance claim perspective there is little doubt that the resort will be able to object to Read more…

Monday, December 27th, 2010

There aren’t too many other things that go hand in hand so well as blizzards and insurance claims, except for maybe holiday food and weight gain. Today marked the pinnacle for one of the worst winter storms in the Eastern United States.  The storm has left tens of thousands stranded in vehicles and subways alike from the Carolinas up to Maine, causing the bulk of problems in New York City where there isn’t much of a place to put the 16 some odd inches of heavy white frozen precipitation.  It was recently reported that the Big Apple’s 5 boroughs are entrenched in a backlog of over 1,200 emergency calls caused by the immobility of police, fire and emergency worker personnel.  We could ramble on for pages about the length of the storm and the problems it has caused, but we’re here to ramble about insurance claims related to these storms. Read more…