Public Adjuster Fee Cap Controversy and Insurance Company Lobbyists
An insurance lobby sponsored blog recently made some controversial claims regarding public adjuster fee caps. Obviously, many lobbying for the insurance claims industry would like to prevent anybody...
View ArticleOverhead and Profit Issues--Ask a Winner Kelly Kubiak and Her Friends
Insurance companies hate to pay Kelly Kubiak’s clients because she is such a tough advocate for policyholders. Overhead and profit issues may be an interesting academic issue for insurance nerds, but...
View ArticleHomeowners' Policy & Claims Bill of Rights Working Group Formed
Robin Westcott announced through a press release that a Homeowners' Policy & Claims Bill of Rights Working Group was formed. The press release indicated the following: Florida Insurance Consumer...
View ArticleFlorida Policyholder Bill of Rights
Florida's Policyholder Bill of Rights will be reviewed next week by the Homeowners' Policy & Claims Bill of Rights Working Group, as I noted yesterday in Homeowners' Policy & Claims Bill of...
View ArticleImpartial Appraisers and Public Insurance Adjusters
An insurance company objected to a public insurance adjuster who had been selected as an appraiser in a Tennessee loss, claiming that the public adjuster was not "impartial." The insurer reasoned since...
View ArticleFEMA Insurance Requirements for Governmental Entities
The Federal Emergency Management Agency a/k/a FEMA provides disaster relief grants to governmental entities under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act.) Many are not...
View ArticleFile Flood Proofs of Loss
Policyholders with flood insurance claims should file proofs of loss if they expect to get paid anything more than what the National Flood Insurance Program has already paid. Filing a proof of loss is...
View ArticleProof of Loss Pointers and Practical Observations
The issues concerning filing proofs of loss and statutes of limitation are many and frequent. A very experienced public adjuster complained that a New Jersey attorney who is relatively new to the...
View ArticleStop FEMA Now
Stop FEMA Now held a 300-person meeting last night in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Nobody from FEMA showed up, and it probably was a smart move if those government officials wanted to live to see...
View Article"Pigs Can Fly and Hell Has Frozen Over" - Policyholder Sues To Give Back Money
When a federal judge analyzes an insurance dispute and states that "pigs can fly and hell has frozen over," I pay attention. In Brooks v. Foglio,1 the Honorable Joseph Eron Irenas noted the following...
View ArticleReinsurance Costs Drop But Not Florida Insurance Rates
Florida’s CFO Jeff Atwater must have had sticker shock when getting his bill for insurance renewal premiums. Last week, Atwater fired off a letter to Florida’s Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty...
View ArticleFlood Insurance Not Flowing Following Superstorm Sandy - Homeowners Insurance...
Union Beach, New Jersey, took a very hard hit from Superstorm Sandy. Over 80% of Union Beach residential structures had flood waters above two feet. The sad statistic is that even with flood insurance,...
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A Fun Day - Joining the New York Bar and Talking with Chris Christie
In Oh The Places You Will Go---Especially in the Insurance Claim Industry, I discussed how interesting it is to do the things we get to do in this insurance claim business. Wednesday was one of those...
View ArticleRoofers Posing as Public Adjusters
The insurance claims industry has a quiet battle raging with the roofing restoration industry. Insurance companies dislike some roofers’ sales tactics involving assignments of rights, agreeing to...
View ArticleClaims Management Practices
Discovery of claims management practices was a topic of discussion on Sunday morning at the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) annual convention. They have their convention in Las...
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Labor Day on the Jersey Shore and the Ocean Sand Exclusion
Labor Day on the Jersey Shore is a big deal. People from all areas of New Jersey and Philadelphia come to the Shore to celebrate. The hotel I normally stay at in Red Bank is booked with weddings....
View ArticleProof of Loss Tips for National Flood Claims Involving Superstorm Sandy
Proof of Loss filings are challenging when it comes to National Flood Insurance claims. Superstorm Sandy flood claimants, public adjusters, and other attorneys have asked me numerous questions about...
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Gambling Losses are Not Covered
Office football pools are a way of American life. Most states even allow this minor form of gambling. I was invited to play in a co-counsel's office pool this week.Here are the winning picks for week...
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Chip Merlin Chairs Flood Proof of Loss Workshop
Filing a Federal Flood Insurance Proof of Loss is filled with possibilities of malpractice for public adjusters and attorneys. While I was just sworn into the New York Bar just several weeks ago, as...
View ArticleSandy Flood Proof of Loss Deadline Extended Additional Six Months
At least some people in the Federal Government are listening to the people. National Flood Program managers made a wise and fair decision extending the Flood Proof of Loss deadline until April 28,...
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