This new product looks quite promising for combating flood damage- called FloodSax:
Here is the link to the firm’s June 3, 09 Press Release announcing this product:
FloodSax- New product to combat flooding- replaces cumbersome sandbags for flooding
June 6, 2009
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Posted by ClaimSmentor
FEMA considering use of Foreclosed homes for large catastrophe in Florida
June 3, 2009Now here is an option that sure would work well when looking for Additional Living Expense housing for insureds as well if they would be available for short term rentals for storm victims:
In another update on FEMA housing, the Obama Administration is considering a Katrina Fema housing transition and sale of Katrina trailers for $1.00 to $5.00 per trailer. Read about that here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/02/AR2009060203897.html?g=0
Here is also an update on the sale of FEMA Trailers in another move
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US Senate Committee holds 5/21/09 hearing on Chinese Drywall issues- Link to archived webcast and testimony presented
May 22, 2009We know this topic keeps coming up in the claims industry on how the chinese drywall claims are going to be handled so I wanted to share this link to the 5/21/09 archived web cast and links to the presentations made to the US Senate committee yesterday for your reference material.
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Update on Results of Carrier Certification Poll- 750 Votes!/ Also- Updates on May and June Carrier Certification Classes you may be interested in
May 9, 2009Remember our poll posted 2/13/09 created to survey independent adjusters on the value of carrier certification courses they took? Here is a link to it if you missed it:
We had 750 total votes to different questions asked with some not so surprising results. The results tab does show at the bottom of the link. I think it goes without a doubt that independent adjusters are traveling far and wide to attend these carrier certification exams, incurring a large amount in expenses for travel and hotels to attend, and not gaining much value from them. Just take a look at the findings thus far on information provided to process the entire claim such as additional living expenses and contents claim training!
We’ll let the poll continue to run and take a final look at it a year from the date posted in February 2009.
As far as updates, we have seen some great things by way of improvement for independents by two carriers. For instance, Tower Hill Insurance sure gets our first award for being independent adjuster friendly by providing the very first entirely online program for their certification course. According to the information we see on the AmCat website, it is first of all FREE and 2nd of all it is entirely online. Thank you Amcat and Tower Hill! Note also on the Amcat site they say that this also certifies you for the new FL insurer Royal Palm Insurance company.
Another big improvement is finding that there is a USAA class being offered as a stand alone class with a cost of only $50.00. We’d seen one at $25.00 in Chicago (by Allcat adjusting firm) this year but that wasn’t a convenient location for the majority of adjusters in TX and FL who work cats. We’d also seen it offered by Eberls this year FREE. I’m thankful to see these stand alone offers at no charge or at these minimal prices. Two earlier this year had been offered at $300.00 because they were included as part of an adjusting firm seminar so there was an entrance fee for the whole conference.
As anyone who follows us on ClaimSmentor knows, we aren’t fans of fees being charged by adjusting firms for required carrier certification class and exam. If there is to be an expense I strongly feel it should be incurred by the carrier who could present these at field claim office locations throughout the US at no charge yet they all continue to insist that the exams be hosted by adjusting firms they select to handle their claims. Try looking at any of the carrier websites and I only know of one who even mentions who the firms are that they use (State Farm and Citizens of FL). They should also provide enough staff to get present these at central locations nationwide. One of the major carrier in fact only designates ONE- yes ONE- staff manager that must attend all carrier certification classes thus it is next to impossible for the assigned adjuster firms to book theirs even when they do service their claims. It makes it kind of hard to have adjusters available if they can’t get into the classes! I’d like to name this carrier as it is so ridiculous but I try to keep things positive around here as commenting on the industry as a whole versus pointing the finger at one firm or carrier individually. It’s not easy sometimes! (Smile!)
On the negative side of things, we were told in April that one of the major carriers is now insisting that their adjusting firms not use their company name on any blogs or forum posts or other websites to advertise their upcoming training. That is utterly ridiculous. If an independent adjuster does not know who handles a specific carrier, they would have no way of searching on line to find where to get the carrier class if the carrier’s name is never mentioned. Geez…..I still say we have not run out of independent adjusters (check the Department of Insurance licensed adjuster numbers if you doubt it)- it is just that the independent adjusters can’t jump through the hoops in the “where is waldo claims game” as I’ve written about before in the Claims Organization Blame Game blog here:
I will give you one hint on which carrier won’t let the adjusting firms mention their name anymore but if IDL means anything to you as an experienced adjuster- you know which carrier I’m talking about!! Here’s a link to just one of the four firms now offering “IDL” training (a big thumbs down for this new carrier requirement: click here to view.
Well- Here are my favorite picks for carrier certifications coming up for May and June 2009. If your adjusting firm would like to be added to our Carrier Certification Forum where we list all upcoming classes we know about on ClaimSmentor for our members just give me a shout with a copy of the info on your class for participants so they can register. We are going to begin posting them all as well here on the blog due to the large number of search engine hits our blog gets on carrier certifications ….I’m sure from adjusters who are looking for them! We hope these links are helpful to adjusters following this blog:
1) Tower Hill Carrier Certification Class: Amcat Adjusting firm http://www.amcatusa.com/edcenterpage.htm
2) Royal Palm Carrier Certification Class: http://www.amcatusa.com/edcenterpage.htm I also know CNC-Resource out of Mobile AL does the Royal Palm certification exam as well http://www.cnc-resource.com/
3) USAA Carrier Certification Class: http://www.amcatusa.com/edcenterpage.htm
Claim Conference- A BIG THANK YOU TO CRAWFORD AND COMPANY– 5 days of FREE training to include Carrier certification for Cypress Insurance in FL. We are very hopeful that their conference sets the standards for all adjusting firm standards. By providing this seminar FREE it makes it possible for all independents who need to update their training to attend. Many have not been out to work since they came home from Hurricane Ike in late December or so or worked very few weeks on some of the recent wind or hail storms.
4) Crawford and Company upcoming 5 day Claim Conference for adjusters training- FREE in Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX (even includes FREE estimate classes-what a savings over paying for individual Xactimate, etc classes!). Here’s the direct link to all of the Claims conference Information for these two events:
NFIP Certification- here’s another chance for 15.00 if you missed all of the ones provided directly by Fema over at CNC-Resource in Mobile. 5/14 and 5/15 in Mobile www.cnc-resource.com .
If your not yet a ClaimSmentor member and wish to join to find all other carrier certifications coming up, you can view the link to join us at the bottom of our home page there or on the About US tab on this blog link.
If you are still looking for Citizens of FL Daily and/or Catastrophe trainings to certify to handle there claims in 2009, here is the link to our former post providing the names of the 30 selected firms:
The feedback I’ve gotten from attendees at all of the Citizens required training is that they are real nap takers! The adjusters certainly are not seeing any improvement over their online classes they did in 07 versus the new face to face requirements. Also- it will take an entirely seperate blog to discuss the huge disaster with Citizens stating adjusters have to be appointed by one adjusting firm although the independent has no clue which of the firms will end up getting assignments. The Fl Dept of Ins allows independent adjusters to be self appointed. They are NOT required to appointed by an independent adjusting firm- atleast when we got research and opinions on this from Dr Birzon at UCF Insurance Department who helps us with licensing issues. We are looking into this new Citizens requirement and will post more on the Citizens class topics next week. The first thought that comes to mind is that Citizens is sure taking the “independent” status out of the equation and making them more of an “employee” but we shall see with further research! It is very disturbing to independent adjusters who work for many different adjusting firms and don’t want that information known to other firms. It’s a real mess. I’ve gotten more phone calls over this issue than any issues since a major hurricane hit!
Here are links to several prior blogs we’ve written on the subject of Carrier Certifications you should also view:
Have a great weekend!
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Posted by ClaimSmentor
Organization Chart for the Claims Handling Blame Game- A Humorous Graph -A Serious Look at Claim Bad Faith Issues
March 6, 2009
Insurance Company – Adjusting Firms- Claim Staff -Reinspectors -Independents – Public Adjusters
Claim Litigation Attorneys
→ → (Everyone to R) ← ↓ ↑ → ← ↓ → ← (all 3) → ← (all 4)
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What a mess that makes no sense and it isn’t humorous at all. This is a huge insurance consumer issue. Just check out the Bad Faith organization or NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) for all kinds of information and surveys on claims handling. The link I put to NAIC is their 2009 Report on the Top Complaints by insurance consumers. You can sort by carrier, by type of complaint, by state I think, and much more!
When are we also going to get Insurance Departments on board to help improve this by doing the following things I’ve discussed in this blog before:
1) Require Insurance companies to report to all state insurance departments consumer links where they provide complaint information for carriers to provide information on adjusting firms that have been dismissed by a carrier for trends of bad faith claim handling issues. Presently, I know of no place when independent adjusters can validly find this information until it is too late. Dismiised firms are not required to be reported (if they are I am not aware of it) so they just move on to solicit new carriers so even more insurance consumers continue to be harmed by firms with bad consumer servicing problems.
2) I believe insurance companies require liability and errors and omissions information from adjusting firms before they use them. Are there any reporting requirements by state insurance regulators on claims ratios on E and O policies for adjusting firms or independent or public adjusters so 1) policyholders don’t hire a PA who has a large complaint ratio 2) so adjusting firms have a source to know (other than just checking regulator sites to be sure an adjusters license is still active), and so adjusters can have a valid source to see the complaint ratio of an adjusting firm so they can make a good decision about which adjusting firm they wish to deploy with so they don’t get hooked up with a firm that might be unprofessional?
3) Insurance Regulators should require that adjusting firms be required to disclose the name of the owner and the name of any key executives they may have on the payroll and post them on their website. Often if an adjusting firm develops a bad reputation with adjusters or carriers, they just either a) move to another state so carriers and adjusters cannot find bad information about them at insurance department licensing sites that allow you to research licenses or b) the adjusting firm owners or key executives just change the name of the adjusting firm so adjusters don’t know who they are.
4) Another thing that concerns me when trying to find good adjusting firms for newly licensed adjuster recommendations , when asked by ClaimSmentor members , is that so many of the adjusting firms do not list one thing on their ABOUT pages about who the key owners are. I tell them just to go to http://www.whois.net/ but this only tells you when a website domain was open and the contact name and information for the person who opened the site. Sometimes the only results you get there are to the website company they opened the site with but it is one source of information you might try.
5) Adjusting firms should be required to post links on all of their websites such as Department of Insurance Consumer Complaint contact information AND information for independent adjusters as to where they can report violations of adjusting firm contracts with independents and adjuster non- payment of fee bill complaints. If you don’t think there is a need, just check out this site that opened post Katrina and when overloaded by complaints of non payment to adjusters, their system crashed many many times : www.professionalfeecollection.com (site was opened post Katrina and we have no idea what happened to this agency and it’s alliance of attorneys working proactively to collect unpaid independent adjusting firm fees. We know they were overwhelmed by the claim files faxed in to them and the thousands of adjusters attempting to utilize their services. It was run by a Terry Bagsby out of TX. The interesting thing was that these adjusters were all complaining about the same continuous group of adjusting firms based on discussions I had with him in 05/06.
6) Adjusting firms should be required by State Insurance Regulators to not only have a contract for independent insurance adjusters but they should be required to have two signed originals so one can be given to the independent adjusting firm and one can be given to the adjuster. I cannot even begin to tell you how many new adjusters have been frankly taken advantage of either not being given a copy of the contract or no contract at all.
We wrote in our blog done a few years back called “Splish Splash don’t go taking a bath” on this topic.(See link at bottom of this blog) I always teach new adjusters in our Fundamentals class not to deploy without seeing the contract and making sure they agree to the terms, not to sign blank forms, to watch out for Non-Compete terms, to make sure they know what the fee split is with the adjusting firm (how much they keep of the fee schedule and how much you get based on a percentage fee split) or what your daily rate is if you are getting paid a daily rate how much it is and what your fee split.
There is much more information in the blog I wrote linked to above. The very best advice that I would give you is to see your personal attorney about E & O insurance coverage information in the contract to be sure YOU are protected and to be sure that you are not signing something you shouldn’t be signing.
7) Insurance regulators need to regulate a) the length of time a carrier has to pay independent adjusting firms and TPA’s who process their claims, the time an adjusting firm has to pay the independents, holdback percentage provisions in contracts and hefty fines for those adjusting firms not paying them within a regulated time).
8 ) Insurance Regulators must begin setting regulations for insurance carriers as to what claim handling fines a carrier can pass on and require of independent adjusting firms and adjusters.
They have gotten totally out of control on the RFP requirements I have seen such as Citizens of FL 2007 RFP 08-0016 or 07-0003 with fines as much as 1,000 per vioation. Is what developed after these fines starting being imposed in RFP’s is that independent contracts started transferring these fines on to adjusters in contracts without even specifying what these fines were.
9 ) Insurance regulators have got to put a stop to the erroneous information being advertised about the TEXAS adjuster’s license for independent adjusters. Just take a look at the many classifieds telling those interested in a claims career that the TX license with give them licensing in any where from 25-32 states.
This is inaccurate as the adjuster still has to fill out applications, finger prints and pay licensing fees for those non resident licenses. Dr Birzon at the University of Central Florida’s Insurance licensing online program has been forced to post a warning such as this on their website link (see News flash column on left of that link) because so many residents of FL had taken TX licensing classes thinking that they were waived from taking the FL Resident adjusters license.
I regularly receive resumes from adjusters who are permanent residents of FL that is all that I see in the licensing information of their resume is their TX license info. Dr Birzon has been so helpful answering questions on ClaimSmentor on licensing issues and even helped out a few of our adjusters who were in non compliance on CE’s and had to retake Fl license requirements again so we referred them to his online FL licensing program which the state regulators approved as a means of getting your FL license and bypassing the FL adjusters exam. These adjusters who were working out of a state on a catastrophe assignment could meet the FL Department of Insurance requirement they sit for the exam again by taking Dr Birzon’s online class at night and still service claims assigned to them out of state.
10 ) Insurance regulators need to require that any training firm producing adjuster
training classes be approved by the state department of insurance to meet minimum claims experience requirements ,which I would insist included experience in claims management, as well as professional insurance education requirements that are recognized in the insurance industy such as AIC (Associates in Claims) and/or CPCU course through AICPCU. I have completed IIA, AIC, and 9 sections of CPCU with only one left to go (the much dreaded Accounting session). I cannot tell you strongly enough how much I recommend these courses for independents as well.
11 ) While the insurance regulators do not control which independent firms a carrier uses, they should at minimum require that adjusting firms and TPA’s require some kind of screening. The one I prefer the most is the membership requirements at the National Association of Insurance Adjusters which is an association of independent adjusting firms who have had to go through substantial financial screening and other membership criteria you can view here.
12 ) There are good procedures established by the insurance regulators, emergency management, and state governors for adjusters coming in from out of state. They are called emergency adjuster regulations.
In a new trend the large adjusting firms are now requiring of independent adjusters, they are requiring that adjusters obtain non-resident licenses in all coastal states and those like Oklahoma and Minnesota that have regular windstorms. There are valid reasons because carriers and independent firms cannot activate non resident adjusters who do not hold a non resident license in the state of a storm until the governor announces that by his order at the time of an emergency that independent adjusters are allowed in the state to work claims on an emergency license.
If an adjuster secures a non-resident license in all the states a carrier MIGHT deploy them, they can stay longer because emergency licenses are temporary in nature and only allow adjusters to work a storm designated a catastrophe by the governor. Carriers also do not use their national catastrophe teams if there isn’t enough volume in a given state although I’ve read about alot of improvements on this. This is usually do to the fact that they have to bill the region where they deploy the adjusters for their services. Can we do something about this? It appears to me to be the only way carriers and adjusters can deploy adjusters and get around the governors emergency disaster authority. It has created a huge financial burden on independents and on CE reporting requirements when they should be concentrating on servicing insurance consumers. It is also creating a “dumbing down” of independent adjusters that can be used as we often see less experienced independent adjusters deployed because the experienced adjusters tend to leary of jumping through the huge volume of hoops and know that when the big one hits they will be deployed when carriers through out all pre-storm requirements.
I regularly refer new independent adjusters to these firms meeting the NAIIA criteria as hopefully a safety net for them when finding reputable firms. See their membership directory here. While I cannot guarantee it will, I would think that it would atleast provide a place to start when considering who is your “A” list of adjusting firms you will work for. How about for carrier independent staffing needs when their core adjusting firms “run out “of core adjusters (their A team of who they will first deploy based on experience and certifications and licensing”.
I do know some excellent firms that might not yet meet all of the NAIIA membership criteria who are trying to do the right thing. Several that come to mind as I have gotten to know their owners through years of membership at ClaimSmentor or through the staffing side of my operation are CSP claims (owners are retired carrier management), Legacy Claims (the one owned by the Ellis’s), and Action Catastrophe Claims. I do not post those here lightly as I have spent almost four years now getting to know them and I listen intently to what experienced adjusters working for them have shared with me, I’ve watched their adjuster training programs, and I’ve heard great reports on their CMS Claim Management systems and payment records with adjusters who complied with file requirements.
I know of very very few independent adjusting firms run by owners or managers who have these course certfications. One of my clients who feels as strongly about this is Dennis Martin, CPCU who runs the FL Division and catastrophe division of William Kramer and Associates. He is a joy to work with since he understands the issues facing our claim industry , the Florida insurance crisis , and knows what happens when an adjusting firm doesn’t properly manage claims and claims adjusters and CONTROL compliance with file requirements. This is especially important with their primary concentration on commercial claims such as very large Condominum Claim Associations.
We co -authored an article for Claims Magazine as the featured story titled “ A Box of Chocolates” in 2008 about condo claims handling. We both can’t thank Eric Gilkey, Editor of Claims Magazine for his skills and patience working with us as neither of us had significant experience in writing an article)!
Some Things to Ponder
This is also another thing that inquiring minds want to know! If a file is approved first by an independent adjusting firm manager and sent on to the carrier management for approval and they approve the file and pay the claim based on their review how can they possibly go back and fine an adjusting firm a year later when their auditors catch the mistake. I know of a few firms this has happened to. Where are the insurance regulations on this?
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Why do carriers always tell our members and my staffing firm that they don’t want to consider very good experienced catastrophe adjusters for staff positions when they meet all other qualifications such as a four year degree, insurance continuing education requirements,etc? I was astonished over the past four years to receive staffing requests from 3 major carriers that said the following ” we need adjusters but we can’t get approval in our budgets to use a staffing firm. Will you send them out free to your rosters? ” You’ve got to be joking! Take the resources I have developed over 4 years of staffing and building contacts and mass emailing for them free? I did post their notices in our Career Forum where we do post jobs such as these that we come across but I sure wasn’t servicing them free. Also, while I can understand that they think cat adjusters will jump as soon as a major storm hits, don’t tell us that your staff adjusters do not do so as well. What is your turn over rate? The only thing that keeps staff adjusters on your employment lists is the fact you often offer benefits such as health but adjusting firms are
getting just as savvy in some cases and they often get employment applications from your staff adjusters just like my firm does.
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Last but not list in the things to ponder list is the failure of carriers to put a stop to “hand me down” claims. Almost every issue of non-payment to new independent adjusters has come through a 2nd or more tier adjusting firm subcontracting claims out to another adjusting firm when they run out of adjusters. Often , I doubt the carriers even know about it. When the unpaid adjusters contact the carrier, they are often told “sorry….we don’t have a contract with that adjusting firm”…well dang….I guess the first tier firm made a sidetrack agreement with the 2nd tier firm leaving the independent adjusters to hang out to dry. I’m referring to adjusters who have a contract with firm 2 or on down the line but they have no contract with the adjusting firm who had the contract with the carrier. During the 04/05 season when the FL Dept of Insurance set deadlines with HUGE fines, I saw many a carriers hurt when the primary adjusting firms couldn’t account for claim file status. I never even knew this went on until I transferred to the independent claims industry. I had one firm call me and say “and we have the 1st tier contract with the carrier” on this one. Maybe I am wrong and this is a regular practice, but I can tell you the majority of calls my staffing firm received on non-payment issues when they were looking for a new assignment because they weren’t getting paid was from 2nd or more hand me down claim adjusting firms. I simply think the practice should be forbidden.
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There are four ways I can think of to add these regulations which are long overdue. Not being an insurance regulator, but someone with a huge interest in protecting independent adjusting firms and independent adjusters to preserve our important service to the claims industry:
1) Click on the link here to all insurance departments and print out a copy of this blog (just click on the blog title and it will open up just this blog versus reviewing a string of our blogs) and send a copy to either your state insurance department or to any insurance departments where you have worked assignments and/or are licensed. If you fear for your career in claims, just print it out and mail it in and don’t sign your name. If they get flooded with enough copies of this blog, maybe they will listen.
2) Print and send a copy to the NAIC who is responsible for cancelling the recommendations for National Licensing. Again, don’t sign it if you don’t want to. Volumes of copies of this might help. The link to the blog on this act is included at the bottom of this blog entry.
3) Insurance regulators who are responsible for claim handling regulations can add requirements such as these to their Good Faith claim handling regulations and licensing requirements for independent adjusters and adjusting firm licensing requirements.
4) How about Insurance Regulators developing a Code of Conduct form for independent adjusting firms (similar to what carriers require independent adjusting firms and adjusters are required to sign). Look at the NAIC Code of Conduct they require their member adjusting firms comply with
There are so many possibilities that can be done to improve the industry, reduce insurance consumer complaints, to reduce the number of consumers who have to resort to use of public adjusters thus reducing their insurance indemnification dollars, and to reduce the ever growing field of claim litigation. It is worse now than I have ever seen in over 30 years in the insurance industry.
Which claim career field is really responsible for the problems in our industry? Here’s a complex self assessment test. Is all it takes is four questions:
1) Who issues an insurance policy with insurance consumers with obligations required of both insurers and insureds? (Key to answer you will find the answer in column 1)
2) Who has to take instructions from who? (Key to answer- see column 2, 3, 4 as they answer to #1)
3) Who contributes to the training issues for the claim industry? See columns 5,4,3,2, and 1
4) Are public adjusters and consumer advocate attorneys the only driving force behind the increase in claim litigation? Yes in some instances they are but could they be successful in winning claim litigation cases by the hundreds if they weren’t finding examples of bad faith across the board- see 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the graph). I don’t think they are the only contributors of these huge costs which are being passed on to insurance consumers when carriers have to consider defense litigation costs when rates are determined by insurance companies.
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So why are we all mixed up and playing the blame game? This is such a goofy game not befitting of an industry that has such an important place in the lives of every person in America that has been going on as long as I’ve had a career in claims. Here’s how the game works:
Step 1 ) Insurance Companies (common to all major insurers) use independent adjusters when a major storm such as Hurricane Katrina and Ike
Step 2) Insurance Companies provide training before the storm only to independent adjusters with atleast 2 years experience and to their staff claim departments UNTIL the big one hits
Step 3) Carrier Auditing Departments, Claim Examiners and Managers. and Reinspectors start rejecting files because they don’t provide training or enough information to adjusters. It is provided during a carrier certification class which is usually a one day training session put on by CARRIERS through ADJUSTING FIRMS THEY SELECT or at a one day catastrophe induction center where they do present a good outline of file handling guidelines if you are experienced enough to just make exception to general claim handling instructions you already know
Step 4) Newly licensed adjusters are activated to handle claims when carriers lower their 2 and 3 year experience requirements when they THINK they have run out of adjusters based on information from the pre-selected adjusting firms who may service there claims. ***Let me point out here it is like a “where is Waldo” game for independent adjusters entering the industry to find out who is servicing the claims because the majority of CARRIERS provide no information on their website about which firms are handling their claims (God forbid someone might consider them “employees versus independents). See our prior blogs on the cycle
Step 5) Don’t overlook the fact that the file requirements and claims guidelines are changed by CARRIERS almost daily when on storm. Even if an adjuster’s file meets file requirements one day, by the time it make’s it through the claims management cycle (Independent or staff adjuster →Claim Examiner or Claim Manager→Insurance Company who approves claim settlement payment and settles claim with insured (often with in office claim trainees who have never handled a field inspection or an inoffice claim operation TEAM so the insured can get bounced around and never talk to the adjuster who actually inspected their claim?
Step 6) Who pulls the authority from most independents which takes away great customer service of explaining their itemized estimate to the insured in person while they are out there …see column one. This also applies to carriers who have pulled field adjusters from handling contents claims and additional living expenses so the insured once again has to deal with multiple adjusters (field and in office) rather than having the personal claim service they desire from one adjuster?
Step 7) Carriers then blame everyone in column 2, 3, 4, and 5 for causing poor claim survey results and swears to never use much needed independents so experienced independents leave the claim industry as they have no way to support their families.
Step 8. ) A major catastrophe such as Ike and Katrina hit and independent adjusting firms are asked to deploy again to assist storm insurance consumers who have no idea what changes have taken place at the carrier’s regarding claim handling standards as the Carriers in Column 1 do not communicate with individual adjusters or hold yearly claim conferences updating them on the hot topics they have been dealing with while independents were at home trying to support their families. Why don’t they have newsletters for independents (refer to comment above on employee/independent issues). No instead they insist they will stop using independents again.
Step 9 ) Return to Step 1 and the cycle we regularly experience starts once again.
For two examples of the blame game see the final report of the Citizens FL Task Force on Claim handling where they submitted their findings to the Citizens Board of Directors blaming both independents and public adjusters for reopen claim issues. I don’t recall seeing where any responsibility was accepted by this now largest insurer in FL except possibly understaffing with field adjusters but they are moving in the right direction training staff and Independents deployed pre-storm and with face to face meeting requirements that they are visiting unannounced to be sure the adjusters are being taught their claim handling expectations and not just glossed over.
See also this news article I posted recently where General Manager, Jim Oliver, of the Texas Windpool partially puts the blame on inexperienced adjusters. This is very exasperating to me when I am going on my fourth year of searching for all carrier claim certification classes for members of ClaimSmentor. I can rarely find them except by the few adjusting firms posting in classifieds which are cost prohibitive to most firms when they haven’t gotten many carrier assignments such as in 2006 and 2007. Carriers have staffed up with employed staff adjusters due to their erroneous decisions in the steps above instead of looking SQUARELY in the eyes of their claim training operations, their current trend to leave the responsibility of deployment of independent adjustering firms instead of the carrier maintaining control (again employee vs independent issues).
Should anyone question my dedication to keeping independent adjusters informed for the right reasons…it took me 8 hours of volunteer time to produce this one blog entry to provide resources and information for you. I had no clue as all of our resources were internally generated as claim staff employees.
It has been a very long four years studying the independent insurance adjuster industry and learning that while I had managed them for years that I knew nothing about what went on before they deployed with us. It has been a major eye opener which I openly share with those in our field who need to get caught up to speed immediately in their decisions on entering the independent field and once they confirm that decision learning the professional way to perform their duties. **Update 3/7/09: You can follow this blog through RSS feeds as long as you are not placing it on a site that has banner ad sales or revenue generated through google ads (exception CADO who also spends untold hours volunteering his time for his site). I am getting referrals to this site from Blog Colony which I still have to research which are new this week and have another site copying my links on right column on their website. I am taking proactive action through ICAN and this wordpress administration who controls websites so be forewarned if you want to remove them if you are using a link to this site to generate revenue for yours. All independent adjusting firms or claim groups are free to put up a blog roll on this such as the one CADO (www.catadjuster.org) has on their blog page in bottom left corner. WordPress does NOT allow banners or search engine ads at this location so I will be proactive with them to shut your feed to this blog if you are using it for such purposes which we can see on our administation dashboard.
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I welcome any volunteers who want to edit my blog entries to correct mistakes made. I was always taught by my mentor , my dad, not to present a problem without a solution….smile. If you have the solution for my lack of social networking editorial skills I welcome your help in this additional e-mentoring project.
For other great resource links, articles, and claims news I highly recommend Roy Cupps CADO site at www.Catadjuster.org which has operated atleast 10 years. His article section, news section, employer rating section, adjuster resume data base, and so much more . The archived forums provide a wealth of information about the independent opinions. We formed ClaimSmentor with Roy Cupps blessing initially in those forums but took quite a bit of harassment from a few bad apples who felt we were taking away their job opportunites so we moved the site to a private site at www.ClaimSmentor.com. I have nothing but the very highest regard for Roy Cupps and the resource links he keeps updating on his site.
Here are links to all prior blogs we have written in our archives since we began this service in July 2007 that discuss these issues on emergency licensing, carrier’s deploying adjusters, claim training, insurance regulations, and all other topics we’ve discussed in today’s current blog for a more thorough understanding of the changes needed :
8 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster licenses, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Auto Adjusters, Carrier Certifications, Catastrophe Adjuster, Citizens Insurance of FL, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Conferences, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Customer Service, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Daily Adjusters, Department of Financial Services, Department of Insurance, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Employment Contracts, Employment Law, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Florida Insurance Crisis, Florida Property Insurance Coverage, HR issues, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Recruiting, Staffing, Temporary Staffing, TWIA Texas Windpool Claims, Windpool, windstorm damage | Tagged: Adjuster License Information. Bad Faith Claim Handling Issues, Catastrophe Claim Staffing, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance Company RFP's | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Just one ClaimSmentor Moment #2 – TWIA Adjusters Blog on Ike Claim Handling Issues
March 6, 2009I found this today when looking at a new feature on yahoo linking to this blog:
1 Comment | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Training, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Customer Service, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Just a ClaimSmentor Moment -Quick Hot Topic Links, law blog, Property Claims, storm damage, Storm Duty, Windpool, windstorm damage | Tagged: Claim Handling Issues, Claims Litigation, Hurricane Ike Claims, TWIA Adjusters | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Are you getting any Chinese Drywall liability or property claims? Is it the new “Mold Gold” as Trader likes to call it?
March 5, 2009Very interesting. Last night I got a call from a firm owner wanting to know what I knew about Chinese drywall claims. I promised to research it when I had a chance to since I’m still playing catch up.
This morning what do I run across but a Harleysville Construction Litigation Claim Manager posting a discussion question in his Claims group. Here is a link if you can help him out. This would be great training informations for all independents working daily commercial liability claims:
Chinese Drywall Claims- Are you getting these claims?
This is interesting. I got a call yesterday wondering what I knew about Chinese Drywall Claims. Zip…since I’m Training but that also intrigued me. Today I then ran across a Linked in Discussion question by a Claims Manager for Construction defect claims wanting to know if anyone knew about it.
Here is a link to this Claim Managers question. I’ll be very interested to see if anyone from our group can provide more details.
Either reply here as a comment on this topic which we always welcome or reply to his profile on our Dimechimes ClaimSmentor Linkedin Group at: www.linkedin.com/in/dimechimesclaimSmentor.com
We welcome anyone in the claims industry to join our group as long as your profile at Linkedin is completed.
Thanks for helping the Harleysville Claim manager out!
Leave a Comment » | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Claim Consulting, Claim Training, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Independent adjusters, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Forums, Just a ClaimSmentor Moment -Quick Hot Topic Links, Property Claims, Property Insurance, storm damage | Tagged: Adjuster Training, Claim Estimating Issues, Property Liability Claims | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Breaking News (Smile)- David Rossmiller is Back! First full post on Zach Scruggs
March 3, 2009In the first of our Just a mentor moment sponsored by ClaimSmentor for quick claim hot topic links here we go!
Wow, I had just posted about two days ago in a post about how much those who follow the legal developments on social networks miss David Rossmiller’s posts at the Insurance Coverage Blog.
Between David’s famous blogs that thousands in claims on our side of the fence (and those just lurking from the other side) get a pretty well rounded pictures of current claim litigation hot topics if you combine reading at Rossmiller’s site expressing an insurance coverage /defense attorney standpoint, Chip Merlin’s blog from a consumer advocate attorney ( an now the infamous Citizens Mission Task Force Consumer Advocate) , now throw in a Slabbed blog review and we have atleast all sides of the published internet social network opinions for viewing.
Yall politics you will love if you want all sides of the stories published together! Hey Yall Politics- when you are you going to add in the Chip Merlin blog to the Scruggs stories so we have all the important blogs? Hint hint…. by the way – wouldn’t claims adjusters and managers love to see these 4 together LIVE on a panel for a Q & A discussion? It would be sold out within 10 minutes!
By the way- if you scroll down the right side of our blog here, you will find links to Claims Blogs of Interest I have found quite interesting when trying to locate information! We hope you will enjoy them!
Just another mentor minute link-When was the last time you thanked your mentors?
Here is who I thank as my mentor! Have you thanked yours by paying it forward?
http://www.claimsmentor.com/about.php (Now at 1,010 members and growing)
ClaimSmentor began on 12/08/2005 in recognition of William Robert Kane Sr. my father, my mentor, my friend.ClaimSmentor inception was on the 5th anniversary of his departure.. I thank him continuously for his willingness to mentor me throughout my life and my career. We hope all of you seeking a mentor get matched up so you have someone to truly thank for helping you along the way and that you too pass that on to a new trainee years from now.
Thank you David, Slabbed ( I still don’t know who they are), Chip Merlin, and Ya’ll Politics! Now when will the carriers pipe in? (Yes we know they THINK they can’t) Feel free to reply to this post and let the claims community know who you want to thank publicly!
1 Comment | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Conferences, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim mentor, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Emergency Adjusters, Employment Contracts, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, HR issues, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Insurance Forums, Insurance News | Tagged: Claim Litigation in MS, Claim Negotiations, David Rossmiller's Insurance Coverage Law Blog, EA Renfroe Adjusting firm, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Katrina Claims, Katrina Litigation, Lawyers in the insurance claims industry, MS Katrina Claims, Rigsby's MS Katrina Litigation, whisteblowers, Zach Scruggs | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
March 1, 2009 Announcement to ClaimSmentor and Dimechimes Claim Staffing Roster members- Change in Claim Industry Services
March 2, 2009
To: All ClaimSmentor Participants/Dimechimes Claim Staffing Roster Members by email
Re: Announcement on Claim Community Services
We would like to announce effective on March 1, 2009 that our staffing firm and
training services will be transitioning our services to 100% Claim Education and
Claim Training services through the following website locations:
The following three sites allow you different forms for your claim career professional
development based on your preferred preference for forums or online education
needs:
1) Our main website for our clearing house to our training information on different sites is Dimechimes Claims Staffing and Claim Training . We offer Claims Education services, support for professional training sources in the claims industry, Claim Career Coaching for new adjusters who wish individual counseling advice, Resume Preparation Services for Adjusters, Mock Interview preparation for adjusters preparing for their first insurance claims interview for staff adjuster positions or independent daily adjuster opportunities.
This is also our site for contact for claim staffing and claim recruiting needs by Independent adjusting firms and insurance carriers.
Our goal is progressive growth as an information highway to all available professional sources of training both online and in the field.
2 ) Dimechimes ClaimSmentor Adjuster Information Blog open to the public. This was opened in July 2007 for the many in the claims industry who do not enjoy membership in website forums and wish to retain their privacy while at the same time enjoy updates on hot topics in the claims industry while also locating valuable training sources.
3) We offer ClaimSmentor Forums, Discussion groups, field training study groups, information for trainees to network with experienced adjusters. Links to all opportunities we know about for carrier certification requirements, upcoming adjusting firm seminars,
information about 100% of the online information we can find for online training opportunities for new and experienced adjusters,adjuster licensing information and much more.
Anyone that is a member of our rosters is welcome to join us at ClaimSmentor without the need to provide other registration documents. Is all you need to do is reply to this email with your full name, city, and state and
we will check this information against our rosters and confirm membership by notifying you by email within 10 days of receipt of your email what your login id and a temporary password to participate there will be.
We provides opportunities for adjusters, adjusting firms, claim service vendors, lawyers in the insurance industry, lawyers who handle and understand independent contractor issues , CPA’s that adjuster understand adjuster issues regarding per diem, working out of state and other, and adjusting firm adminstrative members to join us at ClaimSmentor and network among our members. We are now in our fourth year of operation with just over 1,000 members to include 66 adjusting firm owners and managers, claim industry service vendors, software vendors of a professional nature-direct from the software vendors certified by the software developer themselves, and much more.
Our growth has been progressive and requires verification of id of all members and use of real names as we wish to maintain a postive professional source for those in the claims community. This transition will now allow career websites with claim job posting advertisement such as www.greatinsurancejobs.com (who by the way has always been mentor friendly notifying us of Claim Career Fairs annually) and claim staffing firms and recruiters to join the ClaimSmentor online e-mentoring group to participate to locate outstanding claim candidates, purchase banner ads to their firm websites, and for a very reasonable annual cost included with the purchase of a banner ad to download resumes from our participants. The same applies to all insurance company HR departments. Contact us at Debbie@Dimechimes.com for information on the cost of banner ads so you can join and utilize our services. There is no charge to join ClaimSmentor for adjusters.
Our closed forum at ClaimSmentor requiring login id allows members to ask questions as trainees hassle free in a major e-mentoring effort to cultivate improved independent adjuster reputations with insurance companies and with policyholders nationwide
as they process claims for those suffering a major crisis in their lives.
* Just do a web search on your name or login id if you participate on blogs or forums open to the public and you would be astonished about the information a potential employer could use against you when you are under consideration for a staff or independent position.
All registrants must register in their real name and claims or bar information is required to verify as well as a work summary or resume to verify your relationship to staff and independent adjusting insurance claims. The site remains closed to public adjusters and public adjusting firms.
There is NO charge to join at this time (exception is Claim Recruiters, Insurance Recruiters, Insurance Staffing Firms, and Insurance Job Posting Sites). They may join our site to post their jobs and to download resumes all included in the cost of their banner ad purchase. The same applies to Insurance Companies who are seeking an excellent supplemental pool of quality candidates.
There are minimal charges should you (newly licensed adjusters) wish to participate in our online live claim classes such as our 50 Hour Fundamentals of Property adjusting class which addresses many basic essentials not covered per our participants in basic estimating and scoping classes.
As we will now have much more time to dedicate our time as an information highway for training opportunities and for hot topics the claim industry faces, we will be actively seeking those with professional credentials to provide Guest
Blog entries for our Adjuster Information blog, to share their job opportunities for trainees and experienced adjusters, and participation in our ClaimSmentor e-mentor program.
Not only will we have this information through our forums live online but beginning April 2009 we will host group networking opportunities available to all adjusting firms and adjusters who are members of ClaimSmentor through volunteer efforts of our members participating in this e-mentor program. Adjusters on our Dimechimes Claim Staffing Rosters who chose to join us will also be able to attend as they would have transitioned to our ClaimSmentor site.
Why are we finalizing this transition?
.First and foremost is our passion for claims education to improve the image of
independent adjusters who service insurance company claims. Carriers are
limited in understanding our industry by the adjusting firms who service their
claims. We would like to promote information from the adjusters in the claims adjusting community for a better understanding of independent adjuster information needs while at the same time refrainng from a negative environment via public posting sites creating the wrong impression of independent claims members. The public forums do provide a valuable service to our industry providing important industry resource links and articles. I am just not fond of public posting by adjusters in forums as it could create a problem for them when they are under consideration for a job opportunity.
.To enhance professionalism in the independent adjuster/ staff adjuster relationships
. I can not bear to get one more fearful call from even experienced adjusters hammered for file handling stats while they are living out of their car with no power, showers, housing, cash or food, high speed internet to upload estimates and photos with no empathy from the carriers in many cases for the independent adjuster plight in the first wave of a hurricane. Independent adjusters are not provided housing . The larger adjusting firms may have the resources to reserve an initial block of rooms where their managers are staying but that does not happen for the majority of adjusters deployed. Carrier staff adjusters have housing locations found for them by the carriers with all expenses paid. The difficulty of this situation is that independent adjusters have no idea how long they will be deployed on an assignment so they really cannot afford to sign rental leases at storm locations. See our posts n Temporary Housing options not only for independent adjusters but for policyholders as well.
.We work hard to create reality training by hosting a mock disaster training for new adjusters reviewing carrier reporting requirements, Dept of Ins Complaints, Consumer Complaints, reality training about assignment organization, ethical consideration for proper file documentation and much more. We prefer to educate adjusters rather than have them go out unprepared in so many cases during Katrina and Ike. There are so many current safety issues with adjusters under those circumstances.s
. There are not alot of great options for independent adjusting firms to post for job opportunities especially on insurance industry job boards when they have catastrophe needs. The prices for advertisement is cost prohibitive when the independent adjusting firms have no guarantee from a carrier they will even get assignments. Secondly, the insurance recruiting industry normally charges up to a 33% first annual salary distribution for their fee per individual. Just check through the closed and archived purchasing documents at Citizens of FL or research this on the web. That does not work for the hundreds of catastrophe adjusting firms. They may only need these adjusters for a very limited time (carrier determines length and number of assignments) and they need a place where they can post one ad at a reasonable price for their nationwide storm assignments. Very few job sites allow for nationwide posting of jobs even though they are a good source by a candidate searching “all jobs”. We do not charge ANYTHING for job postings in the Career Forum to those recruiters and carriers purchasing an annual banner ad which is less than the cost to post 5 jobs on most job posting sites.
.To cultivate prepared claim trainees for insurance carrier staff opportunities
as well as for those newly licensed adjusters who prefer independent adjusting
opportunities and just do not know what is required beyond licensing.
.To encourage adjusting firms and carriers to do what makes sense regarding carrier certifications. I have had to turn down adjusters with 10 and 20 years adjusting both daily (non catastrophe claims) and catastrophe (known as a multi line adjuster) who were prohibited from deploying because the CARRIER was not flexible when their experience certainly could have substituted from nothing much more than an estimating test or property issues. An adjuster with that much time in the field certainly would have references who could verify the quality of their prior claim handling abilities. Look at our recent poll on carrier certifications and see what adjusters had to say that are participating on the poll. I’ll let it continue to run continuously through March.
.Claim litigation appears to be ever increasing post Katrina and post Ike
storms with a major complaint being that there were unfair claim practices in our industry and my belief that those newly licensed adjusters nationwide have no perception of what additional training is required. I am especially concerned that they do not understand coverage issues, proper handling of insurance department complaints, and complaint resolution issues. Several of the windpools are now requiring the independents provide their own E & O and their contracts require that independent firms and independents respond to complaints without the assistance of the carrier. That was probably the final straw for me regarding staffing. Both the Citizens RFP and TWIA it is my understanding both require this. You can view the Citizens RFP to view the hold harmless agreements and information on lawsuits. You can check with TWIA for information inquiring about this. Most importantly run to an Errors and Omissions carrier and protect yourself as recommended in the Q & A blog on here where www.CPLIC.net recommended adjusters definitely carry their own policy. Call Michael Hale there who is also a ClaimSmentor member and he can answer your questions.
You say you have E and O coverage through your adjusting firm? That may have been fine in the past and it may still be today but do not rely on that without confirming this with your attorney or their E and O provider. Don’t take a chance it is better to be safe and protected versus sorry. Make sure to verify first if your policy provides defense costs if you are named in a suit and also if attorney fees reduce the policy limits or if they are even covered. Again refer to our blog you can find in the right hand column the Categories tab and search for information there.
What I have learned through 2 years presenting classes from trainees would amaze you.
I had no idea of the misconceptions they were learning from others even with a staff management background and claim career of 28 years.
We hope to improve their understanding of our industry BEFORE they go out and commit Bad Faith causing all E & O premiums to increase as well as major problems for adjusting firms and adjusters being subject to claims litigation for their poor ability to handle claims by going out as newly licensed adjusters without functional claims handling abilitites or claims training that was totally insufficient to send them out in the field or to handle in office claims when they have no training in claim communication and policyholder and agent relationships.
.Why don’t insurance regulators provide requirements for independents like they are now enforcing for public adjusters in many states that INCLUDE apprentice field training subject to hefty fines if there is any fraud by the source confirming they trained under their supervision. Leaving training to fly by night pop up firms that are not monitored by the state regulators unless they offer CE is not an option in my mind t0 atleast preapproval of the course material by the state. If a class provides CE credit for your state that means that the state department of insurance has atleast approved the course material and approved a minimum acceptable instructor criteria.
. We have learned during our move to the independent side of claims operations
that there is too much lacking in communication between independent adjusters and carrier communications prior to assignments at the independent adjusting firm and independent adjuster level.
We have major hope that we can enhance the need for improved avenues of discussion unrelated to a specific deployment or assignment. We certainly cannot do it alone. We have not figured out what the appropriate method is at this time because adjusters and adjusting firms must be “yes” guys and gals to get assignments and so they don’t lose their contracts. I would never put them in that situation. I am not associated with a carrier or an adjusting firm directly any longer and there are many other retires or those that have left the adjusting field who I am sure would be glad to help bring these issues to the front line.
There are two good organizations you can get recommendations for training options. The first is your local claims association and I also highly recommend NACA – National Assn of Catastrophe adjusters. You can look at their website for a business member directory and locate adjusting firms there. I was disappointed when moving to independent status to find that NAIIA- National Assn of Independent Adjusters was for independent adjusting firms not for individual independents. They have strict requirements to include financial standards and number of years in operation before an adjusting firm can join. Adjusters check their list of business members and send your applications to those firm. I hope to live to see the day that they start a mentoring program such as NACA’s where independent adjusters can join as apprentice members.
It just goes to show even those firms on the independent side aren’t all independent adjuster friendly except for their core adjusters who can belong to such groups. What about the 10’s of thousands of independents who have to take assignments with her ever calls them since they weren’t called out by their “A” list firm (yes we do recommend independents also make good decisions about who they will deploy with first just as adjusting firms do to determine who will go out first based on independent contract terms, fee schedules, fee splits, reputation of the firm., etc). Whatever you do , do NOT accept assignments without a contract spelling out the terms with all blanks filled in. I’ve posted plenty of blogs here about non payment issues independents could not find representation on because they had either no contract or were never given a copy of the one they did sign nor did they ever see a copy of one signed by an authorized individual with the adjusting firm.
. The claims industry has major problems in regulation of independent adjusting
firms concerning payments from adjusting firms to independent adjusters while at
the same time the adjusting firms experience significant delays from carriers who do not have enough staff claim examiners to promptly review and process claims so not only
policyholders can be paid but so that independents can survive while deployed on catastrophe or assisting branch operations for carriers.
Many times the adjusting firm’s reputations suffer due to delayed payments from the carriers. Insurance departments need to establish requirements for turn around time on not only contact and inspected and closings as they do today but on time limits the carriers have to release the payment to adjusting firms so the independent industry can survive.
For example, you can view the latest RFP 08-0016 on the Citizens of FL Closed Purchasing documents and they have 30 days to pay the adjusting firm after the adjusting firm submits the closed file. This doesn’t account for weeks or months that could pass by before an overwhelmed adjusting firm who insufficiently staffed their office administration staff or hours could process the claims and submit them to carriers.
. To provide an avenue of open communication regarding RFP or request for
proposals for consideration by carrier claim operations who need good firms to represent them during a major storm. We will post any RFP opportunities by carriers now in our forums for carriers who chose to join as sponsors on our site (see banner ad comments above). This will include a mass distribution email to adjusting firms participating on ClaimSmentor linking them to documents on the carriers site announcing RFP’s for consideration by adjusting firms. At BARE minimum, they could post the RFP and bidding process on their site and let independent adjusting firms know when they are up for consideration and who was selected.
.To foster sources for independent adjusting firms wishing to share information
on growing technology concerns such as electronic discovery issues, claim
management systems, electronic claim files and other important topics specific
to claims.
In today’s environment, it still surprises me to see firms who email documents in to the carrier with no way for the adjusting firms or independent adjusters to respond to insureds calling in for file status. That is unacceptable claim service when there are valuable CMS Claim Management systems that are available today such as www.Clickclaims.com that not only allow open access to the live data uploaded in a file 24/7 so anyone taking agents or customers calls on file status can respond professionally to all customer inquiries.
In addition, systems such as www.ClickClaims.com also provide automatic zoning of claim assignments for tighter assignments so adjusters can see more claims without extensive drive time but also to save on high fuel charges thus saving on the cost of claims handling expenses for both independent adjusters but for insurance carriers as well. We all need to be cost conscious in our claim handling so we are not unnecessarily adding to increased insurance premium costs.
Another CMS feature available today is automatic loss notice uploading and automatic creation of the new file and electronic data fields. Did you know they were so progressive today that they have systems that will even place the first notice by automatically calling the numbers on the loss report submitted by the agent to let the insured know that their claim has been received, what the claim number and carrier contact numbers are, as well as the adjusters name and contact phone number. Now that is service! I have personally used the system in 2004 and 2005. I am not showing favorites but relying on a 2006 AMBest award that Clickclaims won for best CMS System. Simsol, Powerclaims, and Xactware all have them. The difference in using an outside system like ClickClaims is that it is not estimate software specific so you can upload estimates from any system.
I am no software estimate guru but the 2 people our industry can count on to answers questions no matter which software program is www.powerclaims.com and www.simsol.com (Gale Hawkins, owner of PC and John Postava with Simsol). Did you know independents are charge 20.00 just to make a call to ask a support help question. Now that is surely not a consumer friendly position when adjusters working out of hotel rooms should be able to count on them for live support good gracious with the cost they have to pay to activate the software while on storm!
. As a survey source to obtain the opinions from independent firms and
adjusters regarding claim handling issues without them fearing loss of contracts
and work assignments by opening the doors to communication by all parties.
Polls are a good source for evaluating independent adjuster opinions. How many times do carriers send out polls to independent adjusters or to staff regarding how the ADJUSTERS evaluate the information they received from carriers, the expertise of the temporary independent and staff claim examiners, claim managers, and reinspectors approving or rejecting their files during a storm?
The only surveys I have ever participated were either on our Adjuster Information blog here (and that would be a total of one thus far) OR via carrier surveys on employee opinion surveys evaluating employees opinions on their permanently assigned managers. Doesn’t this leave out evaluation of the entire temporary assignments while out on catastrophe? I can definitely say that we never received one from the carriers state wide in FL in 04 or 05 after processing their losses.
. To enhance adjuster understanding from a CARRIER claim management perspective through our participating carriers and adjusting firm managers assisting in panels and
forum topics both online and through new field ClaimSmentor groups where
professional sources come together for networking purposes similar to claim
association meetings. Watch for our first announcement coming soon!
. To work with carriers directly as a source for claims talent cultivation through requests directly to enhance information on their websites so the claims adjusting community can find vendors providing required independent carrier certifications and to enhance information adjusters learn at their required training. Survey results
(unscientic on our recent poll on our blog show most adjusters do not feel that
they obtained adequate training on topics other than on than estimating to
properly service claims meeting carrier file requirements.) You see very little advertisements or job postings from the major adjusting firms as they assume everyone knows who they are. I can assure you newly licensed don’t based on information gathered from our class members who have no idea. It should be the CARRIER’s responsibility to openly post the adjusting firm names authorized to handle claims for each storm along with the information such as website and phone numbers so adjusters can apply to service their claims.
It is not enough for carriers to assume we really are out of adjusters just because a particular firm may have run out but check DOI websites. How can this be when there are over 50,000 adjusters just in Texas alone.
. Hopefully to improve carrier requirements for professional file requirements
that are also policyholder friendly. The adjusting community has developed an
overwhelming opinion that our industry has become more “pretty file”
friendly than insurance consumer friendly. Just one example is the requirement
for “sketch” type diagrams versus allowing an adjuster to prepare a
professional hand written diagram which is adequate. How many times have you had
a file rejected for being off one inch?
While we understand in this age of claim litigation that file standards be consistent, we also understand surveys from sources such as NAIC continue to show time service issues and adjusters feel in many cases it is due to carrier excessive file requirements.
Lets together work to develop tips for carriers so they improve file review standards for their claim managers. We are NOT talking a union here or any of those options bantered about on web forums but professional carrier level panels. This may never happen but possibly the insurance department consumer affairs division can handle meetings for adjusting firms and independent adjusters without the carriers present ( I can hear them now…those dern independents we aren’t using them anymore and the cycle starts all over again instead of creating a positive training environment to mentor independents).
I innocently suggested to a few carrier claim managers and hr personnel that called me about our services to see why they didn’t use newly licensed adjusters as summer interns instead of teachers and college students. Being licensed carriers would have licensed (versus temporarily licensed) people who could be available year around. Don’t get me wrong, teachers that are off for the summer are a great resource but what about the many hurricanes that make landfall September 0 November. We won’t even go where that discussion went. Just check where your insurance carrier dollars are going by turning on the NASCAR races , golf tournaments or better yet the super bowl.
Wouldn’t it make sense to offer apprentice temporary independent positions they can staff through adjusting firms or professional organizations such as NACA? If they are available other than scholarships often posted on carrier sites then I have just not been able to find them. Believe me I tried requesting grants or support from carriers for our e-mentoring program to no avail. “You know carriers don’t sponsor people that don’t work for them”??? I thought that is exactly who independent adjusters serviced. How very disappointing.
. NAIC (National Assn of Insurnace Commissioner )cancelled the discussion on the Independent Adjuster Model National licensing recommendations in 2007 or 2008. Use the category link to locate that post here. I’ll get the links updated tomorow so you don’t have to search.
Independent adjusters are now being required to obtain non resident licenses in anywhere from 10 to 15( one email and resume this week from a newly licensed adjuster stated they had already completed 18 non resident licenses but had no other training) states versus allowing them to work under emergency adjuster licenses. There are valid reasons for this but this is also a huge added burden financially to independent
adjusters when carrier staff adjusters are not required to obtain them at all as special rules apply to staff adjusters. Some carriers do license those in call centers that handle claims nationally but that usually does not apply when they have to resort to rotating in daily adjusters temporarily for peak work loads). Check it out on your state department of insurance licensing website).
Can we work together to promote a better way to qualify adjusters who wish to
service catastrophe claim adjusting needs? New adjusters are misinterpreting comments publicly posted on many adjusting firm websites (especially the large adjusting firms because this is what the carriers are requiring I am assuming )about the non resident requirements so rather than obtaining functional training they think non resident license is the only requirement to obtain adjusting firm deployments.
Claims handling is not a game of bingo where you just fill in the dots to win.” B- Fl license”, C- Tx license, diagram- check, photos- check, you get the idea. That seems to be the manner new trainees are being taught which drives me nuts!
. To enhance independent adjusters understanding of professional claim
development through sources such as www.aicpcu.org versus forum training and
attendance at ridiculous prices at the hundreds of new schools or adjuster websites cropping up nationwide put on by some adjusters with little more than 1 or 2 storms under their belt and no true perspective of carrier management expectations from a
management standpoint. We are here to service carriers and minimal claim
handling practices are destroying the independent talent being deployed by
carriers. One such example includes trainees sharing with us that they were taught at a “claim school” they didn’t have to climb roofs and could do “drive by ” photos. Whew- now that brings fear of Bad Faith for sure! A second example is a firm holding classes that has one 30 day assignment to a windpool as his credentials! It is getting pretty dern scary out here without regulations training firms must meet to allowed to teach something so important as claims handling.
.Together the synergy of our group networking together can improve so many
needs not only for the claims industry but for insurance consumers already
facing an insurance coverage crisis as multiple carriers leave the coast.
. To raise awareness for all adjusters on safety concerns while handling claims
in an environment often hostile to the claims industry post Katrina and Ike. Just search for safety concern posts we have already posted on our blogs about ladder safety and an adjuster murdered while field inspecting a loss near Tampa, FL several years ago.
. To raise awareness of the often overlooked agency / claims relationship that
is being experienced in claims. I find through the 200 plus newly licensed adjusters
taking our class that they were totally unaware of the need to communicate with agents who have worked long and hard to foster clients while at the same time experiencing
underwriting restrictions worse than at any time I recall in over 30 years in claims. We have two or three blogs here on that very topic!
. To foster relationships with insurance departments to enhance information
available to adjusters regarding complaint ratios for adjusting firms while at
the same time requiring insurance companies to notify insurance departments of
adjusting firms dismissed for unethical or poor claim handling issues.
Insurance consumers should not be subject to claim handling by firms showing trends for providing inferior claim service nor should adjusters who have spent thousands
of dollars training be subject to abuse by the few bad apples in the adjusting
firm community who repeatedly take advantage of adjusters by not paying
fees earned to adjusters.
We need to stop adjusters from calling policyholders to see if they have been paid as it is their only source of information as to whether the independent adjusting firm was paid and they should have been paid. Carriers need to include information on contacting them in their carrier certification and/ or induction center classes in the event an adjuster becomes the victim of such efforts.
This is a widespread problem carriers need to be aware of. Independent adjusters are forbidden to discuss things like this with carrier staff. Advice often posted about placing liens on an insured’s property and other advice that has not been researched through expert attorneys would never be tolerated by carrier and could totally destroy an adjusting firm or adjusters association with a carrier. Let’s find out what the legal community advises through volunteer articles and guest blog posts or links to great articles found on the web written by law firms specializing both in claim litigation from a consumer standpoint as well as attorneys representing carriers. There are some great articles on so many topics available through article links on public law firm websites at no charge so there just is not an excuse for us not to learn from these outstanding resources.
How about the poor advice many new independents are given about “throw away” phones..see our communication blog for more details. Thank goodness for independent firms or insurance companies now requiring voice mail for customer messages. My personal preference which I required while managing at independent firms is that ALL messages from policyholders be logged into the activity log by the call centers or administrative help. I then required the admns bring all messages directly to me if the call was over an adjuster’s failure to show up for an appointment or to return calls. Most carriers do have such strict requirements while many of the independent firms do not implement those requirements if the carrier has not specified this requirement.
. Due to increased litigation published in news sources and blogs, carriers and adjusting firms are being served with suit papers in an ever increasing number. Questions are regularly posed regarding an adjuster’s training, and independent adjusting firm or TPA’s training for adjusters, and to the adjusters and or carrier executives themselves.
I have been weighing these problems since Katrina litigation and have finally made a decision that I in good conscious cannot comfortably send adjusters out to adjusting firms when we have no control over their payment delays, the carriers training requirements and other liability issues.
I have decided to pursue growth of our training services to field networking opportunities through ClaimSmentor to help improve the problems just partially outlined above.
“Pay it forward” to thank the mentors you have had in your life by joining our efforts at ClaimSmentor and through our Linkedin contacts, and by comments adding to discussions either in the forums, this blog, or our linkedin site. Together we can make a differencef in claim relationships.
We will continue to accept registrations through ClaimSmentor. Members will
have the opportunity to upload their resumes and adjusting firms, recruiters, and carriers to upload a flyer or brochure on their company just as they do now. They will also be able to access our Rosters and find talent that may just meet their needs by considering our members.
Firms can sort by state and experience levels as we have trainees through managers and
experienced adjusters.
As we will no longer be staffing with the exception of a very few select
existing clients or carrier staff positions, we will begin a service for
carriers and adjusting firms who desire mass distributiion of their opportunities
rather than waiting on adjusters who might just happen to find them on web
advertisements.
We will be proactive for you so you are not left without qualified adjusters should you wish to participate in this service. This will give you additional candidates to consider for deployment when you have depleted your roster of qualified candidates.
All participants at ClaimSmentor should go to the “MY Account tab” after
login and change your preference to allow or not allow emails from our mailing
system to your registration email. However, note that this will also prevent you
from receiving notifications on topics you want updates on. All member profiles
are required to have an active valid email address under our Terms of Use posted
in the forums as well as real first and last name and city and state.
Please allow 10 days to receive your login id and password if you are a new
registrant as we are presently overwhelmed with requests for membership as we
transition thousands of adjusters from our claim staffing rosters to members of
ClaimSmentor for those who confirm they would like to participate.
If you are a member of our rosters receiving this announcement by email, we will not automatically register you at www.ClaimSmentor.com. You must reply to the email you receive from Debbie@Dimechimes.com requesting specifically to join. We will not upload your resume or profile fields. You can do that upon first login when you join.
Watch for much more information in our forums coming very soon as well as
upgrades on all of our sites to include this blog and our new Dimechimes ClaimSmentor Claims group located under Insurance Claims groups at :
www.linkedin.com/dimechimesclaimsmentor.com
We cannot thank you enough for your continued support and participation in our
ClaimSmentor e-mentoring project to support the claims industry and to those who were members of our deployment/assignment rosters.
We do hope you will be supportive of our ClaimSmentor efforts. The S in
ClaimSmentor has always stood for service to the claims industry and we will now
“major” in those service attempts!
The only change you should see is improvement in our forums, blog posts, and experience and credentials of mentors who join to participate enhancing your membership at ClaimSmentor, and many more claim assignment opportunities for those moving from our rosters at Dimechimes Claim Staffing as we network and register many new members to bring you information. We will be posting many more insurance and claim recruiters and job posting sites information now that I no longer have will have a competitor joining from the recruiting side.
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You can find all website and contact information at the About page here on our blog.
6 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster licenses, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Auto Adjusters, Carrier Certifications, Catastrophe Adjuster, Citizens Insurance of FL, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Conferences, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Customer Service, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim mentor, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Department of Financial Services, Department of Insurance, Emergency Adjusters, Employment Contracts, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Florida Insurance Crisis, Florida Property Insurance Coverage, HR issues, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Online Adjuster Training Classes, Poll for Independent Adjusters, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Recruiting, Staffing, Temporary Staffing | Tagged: Adjuster Forums, Adjuster Licensing, Adjuster Links, Adjuster Resources, Adjusting firms, Claim and Agency Relationships, Claim Consulting, Claim Litigation, Claim Litigation Information, Claim Network Groups, Claim network programs, Claim Staffing Firms, Claims Associations, Claims Education, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance Carrier Certifications, Insurance Company RFP's, Insurance Department Regulation of Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance Recruiters, Lawyers in the insurance claims industry, Linkedin Dimechimes ClaimSmentor group, NAIC, Online Adjuster Training, Temporary Employment for Claims, TPA | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Compare TWIA Manager Jim Oliver’s comments about a major Galveston storm 6/08 to 2/09 Statement on Ike Claims- Part I of II
February 26, 2009It is amazing what you can run across on the internet when you just spend some time looking around. Anyone that follows posts made here knows we certainly do that…if only we could afford a great editor to turn this information into fine editorial posts!
Atleast we plug along the best we can here given very very limited time these days due to my daughter’s medical recovery from tumors discovered in 2008 and subsequent major surgery a few weeks ago to correct damage caused when the tumors shattered nerves and bones as they developed and the radiation damage caused in the aftermath of tumor removal operations. So bear with me here and take the information and article links we post here and gather as much information as you can from the articles. Our goal here is very clear to those in the independent claims industry who have a most difficult time when they are not on assignment with carriers gathering hot topic information to educate them on the problems facing our industry. Reporter NOT…Editor NOT..Journalist NOT but interested in helping independent claims adjusters understand our industry…now that is a BIG YES! I sure miss the days with a carrier having a great administrative assistant to take my reports and by magic turn them into professional appearing work product! (Thank you Gail, thank you Cindy and many others!). So set aside your grammar, spelling, and run on sentence checkers and read the professional articles linked within this post.
While researching information today after reading an article from the Galveston news the other day updating the statistics on TWIA (Texas Windpool ) claims from Ike quoting manager Oliver found here, I ran across another article quoting the General Manager at TWIA, Mr Jim Oliver, over at Gene Taylor’s old website/blog here .
I hope you read both- it is almost scary how very dead on he was about the “what if a Category 3 hit Galveston” written in June 08. I have to say that manager had the intuition and knowledge to evaluate the what if’s correctly and what effect it would have on the state of Texas and the policyholders. He was almost dead on as well about the dollar amount of damage. This is a don’t miss comparison. Do his comments sound familiar about major carriers pulling off the coastal coverage?
A few comments on the first link in the February 09 article found on MS Congressman Gene Taylor’s old blog.
Here we go again about “inexperienced adjusters” quoting from comments by Jim Oliver. I’m sorry but someone has to stand up for those inexperienced adjusters and independent adjusting firms (whose hands are tied as to who can and cannot attend the carrier training based on experience) who they had working some of the TX Windpool claims. I am not blaming TWIA .It is a constant problem in the Insurance Company/ Independent Adjusting firm/ Independent Adjuster relationships.
Let me explain why. I feel qualified to do so after founding and supporting our site at ClaimSmentor where we have over 1,000 partipants with about 50% of them being new independent adjusters. I can tell within 30 days of membership those who are serious about their training and those that thought it was a “get rich quick scheme” or career because they either 1) walk away and forget the thoughts of a claims career when they find out how much is really involved BEFORE deploying or 2) they are extremely serious in their pursuit of professional claims development and I see them on the site forums at night and on weekends (you would NEVER find staff doing so if they aren’t on salary or on the clock).
They spend literally thousands of dollars and time without the benefit of an employers expense account for per diem while attending carrier certification classes, taking required estimate software training classes, adjusting firm conferences, being forced in some cases to pay for training just to get on rosters in hopes of being deployed on a storm (I’ll post some unbelievable samples for you tomorrow).
Now here is the real kicker that goes on every day in this industry which drives all of us crazy as there is no such thing as a carrier mentoring new independent adjusters. All national carriers and the windpools set a minimum number of years experience required BEFORE an independent adjuster can sit in at an independent adjusting firm designated by the carrier’ to administer required training for them. The carriers may send one to a few representatives to the adjusting firm selected to present the material but that isn’t always the case either.
It is usually a minimum of two or three years experience required yet the carriers do NOT allow them to take carrier certification exams without the experience….until something major hits and then they often waive the certification requirement if they are licensed. Heck- look at TX emergency adjuster license information on the TX Ins Dept website and they even allow emergency adjusters to work under an experienced adjuster (unless they changed something recently).
Also, check around on the majority of carrier websites and you will not even find mention on their claim links information or links to independent adjusting firms who they can take classes with so independent adjusters even know who presents them. It is all based on who they (independent adjusters ) know and what advertisements or forum posts they find as to where they can find an exam to take.
In additon, thousands travel across the country just to find one. I do not know of any carrier yet adminstering them online. Rumor has it one major carrier will be presenting their training on laptops given to the adjusting firm but the independent will still have to travel across the country to watch the laptop presentation and to take the test. We understand the need for a proctor to administer the exam but come on….how about Prometrics or one of the exam centers with national services where adjusters take license exams? How about the fact that an independent has no clue who may call to deploy them from an adjusting firm standpoint so they have to take as many carrier exams as they can complete before each storm season so they can go? What about the fact the carrier’s often think that there are no experienced adjusters available when the reality is there are many many independents who are turned away because they just haven’t taken their exam yet prior to the storm the carrier will not make any common sense exceptions yet they have 20 years in the claim industry? Believe me this does go on…I hear it from adjusters, adjusting firms, and my claim staffing firm has experienced this many many times.
I am not supporting inexperienced adjusters with a license only…just the inexperienced adjusters who have taken classes (not 3 day schools or worse yet a one day class!) and by that I mean classes approved by state insurance departments who approve trainers for CE courses sometimes requiring at minumum 5 years or more experience in the m industry person and continuing insurance education in insurace such as the AIC or CPCU designation? It is one thing to have field adjusted claims and an entirely different thing to manage claims and understand all of the reasons there are file requirements due to Bad Faith claims and the current litigation environment.
Today there are many experienced adjuster resumes from adjusters with 10 plus years experience with a vast amount of litigation experience that can run circles around some carrier “claim examiners”, reinspectors, and entry level claim managers. I hear these war stories too from the field. Why is ok for all the blame about what went wrong on a storm squarely on the shoulders of independent adjusting firms and independent adjusters who are required to follow carrier established guidelines. As the saying goes “if they tell you to staple the photos upside down…don’t argue or we will lose our contract to service their claims”.
Now exactly how are they (independent trainees ) supposed to gather that experience?
Experienced independent’s do not have time to train them as it slows down their productivity and they do not make one dollar until closed files get approved and they receive payment usually weeks and months later. Believe me, the carrier quotas for contact and inspections in this industry are sometimes impossible for staff or independent adjuster to meet. The carriers are driven by Department of Insurance deadlines for contact, inspected, and closing numbers and atleast in the past they had to report those numbers at minimum to the department of insurance on a weekly basis. The second concern I hear regularly is that they would be concerned about liability issues if a trainee they aren’t responsible for as an independent fell off of a roof or if the adjuster happened to be involved in an accident while handling inspections on their daily agenda? These are valid concerns. That is why we started ClaimSmentor- to see what we could accomplish online to avoid those concerns and I can tell you – it works and they will be much better trainees when they can accompany a field adjuster later during a storm.
I agree with the decision of carriers to best service the policyholders however….when something major such as Ike or Katrina causes massive damage those requirements are thrown out the window and anyone with a license can successfully deploy without any real life training or often given a one day training seminar when they arrive on site.
How about the carriers that cross train staff claim central adjusters who have NO field experience versus a good percent of independent adjuster trainees that often have fantastic construction general manager experience, insurance agency experience, or other skills much more easy to work with than trying to train someone on construction.
I can vouch for the fact it is easier to teach a contractor who knows construction and estimate programs to complete claim forms and learn policy than it is to teach an in office phone adjuster who has no construction experience to learn that side of adjusting. I know- I started in office and moved to the field after two years in office so I understand the difficulty dealing with construction training while handling an insured in crisis.
Ask anyone who has deployed with merely a license if an adjuster’s license prepared them whatsoever for a carrier’s file requirements, estimate format or estimate scoping guidelines and they will tell you definitely NOT!
What about the carrier staff adjusters who may not even have a non resident license in that state? Check any insurance department website and see what they have to say about waiving non resident licenses for staff adjusters. Is it because the carrier has deep pockets and independent adjusting firms and adjusters do not in the event something goes wrong or do the insurance departments merely assume the carrier’s have trained all in office folks before deploying them on a major disaster?
How about the carriers that are forced to use auto adjusters to adjust property claims because their executive office forbids use of independents in these poor economic times and worse yet underwriters who definitely have a great grasp on coverage but no clue how to handle a claim or to understand construction repair concepts?
This is a nationwide problem with most carrier’s which I have never understood. If we accept premium dollars do we not owe it to policyholders to have the properly trained claims adjusters?
Hail damage experienced adjusters do not necessarily understand total losses for major hurricane damage or major fire loss damage estimates.
There is alot of improvement needed all around in the catastrophe claims industry on the carrier side , the independent side, the insurance department regulations, and the National Assn of Insurance Commissioner’s who cancelled the proposed National Independent Adjusters Model Licensing Act which those who are independents do not understand to this day. I’ve blogged about that in the past and will post a link to that blog in Part II.
Watch later this week for part two….for tonight- enjoy reading the two articles. You will definitely be quite shocked at Jim Oliver’s correct assessment of what would happen in Galveston.
I’ll also leave you with a link for Slabbed’s interpretation of this article and TWIA from a consumer perspective written today after I shared a link to the Galveston article with them based on an entirelydifferent blog discussion we had the day before . You’ll find their blog article here.
You may disagree with Slabbed posts but if you follow them regularly you will atleast come to the understanding they are diligent in their efforts to help slabbed homeowner’s(those who lost entire home but the slab during a storm) in the fight about homeowner policy exclusions that create the non coverage issues . I feel the same way about Attorney Chip Merlin’s blog entries. If you don’t know Chip…and I have never personally met him..he is a force to be dealt with. He has offices in FL, MS, and now Houston as well.You can also find photos of him giving a seminar at the National Public Adjuster Association conference at www.NAPIA.com.
In fact, I link to his blog often as well for training purposes. Yes, I do understand he represents the insured not the insurer but that does not change the fact we can learn from his articles and blogs when you don’t find any insurance attorney’s writing such great blogs (except Rossmiller who hasn’t blogged for almost 6 months). If an independent or staff adjuster read them such as his posts on Bad Faith…he is “shouting from the roof tops “that would prevent adjusters from being sued if they just followed fair claim handling guidelines. You just have to “toughen up” to read both and have a thick skin so you don’t take the negative comments about the insurance industry as a whole personally. By the way…if you are a Fox news fan or Headline News fan it might be, he is regularly interviewed on the horrific missing childrens cases in central FL (Caylee and Haleigh) . You shouldn’t let the negative comments keep you from reading some important information and articles on his website and blog. Both Slabbed and Merlin’s blogs post links to court documents on active insurance claim litigation we all rarely ever get an opportuntiy to view since staff nor independents are privy to file documents on a claim not assigned to them.
Truth be told, adjusters inheriting files from a few bad apples (experienced and inexperienced it just depends on the adjuster’s ethics and training) make the same comments about some files involving poor file claim handling by a percentage of adjusters. The only difference is staff and independents cannot post publicly for fear of losing their jobs. It still doesn’t mean we can stick our heads in the sand and not study the issues and all work a little bit harder to do the right thing no matter what pressure we are under and we all know how bad that pressure is on storms such as Ike and Katrina.
I’ve been there and have so much empathy for not only the claims industry but for policyholders suffering these losses with no coverage. I’ll post more on the 2009 Multi Peril Act as well later this week.
Speaking of Attorney’s, what happened to one of the rare great blogs with the insurance company perspective many of us followed over at David Rossmiller’s blog? Those of us who follow these forums and blogs miss the point and counterpoint between the insured’s perspective and the carrier’s perspective! If you know if Rossmiller is ok, let us know! I think his last blog was in September of 2008 which is remarkable considering his opinions posted on Scruggs and Scruggs recent appearance in MS court with no comment from Rossmiller.
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Update 1:24 am CST- Ok- I just had to add one more great article titled “Talent Cultivation” from a February 09 issue of Claims Magazine found here:
**Link will move to archived links there when the March issue comes out.
When will carriers learn if they are going to depend on independents for major catastrophes as they downsize their staff that they need to make carrier certifications more accessible online and that independent adjusters need to be trained when they don’t have an inbox overflowing with new assignments waiting for them after a storm class on scene. They can have an “A” list of experienced certified independents that are activated on regular hail storms and a “B” list of less experienced independent adjusters also trained and ready to go when the major storms like Ike and Katrina! Now that would be talent cultivation and a claims mentor of the finest nature! We have hundreds of very trained adjusters as well as experienced adjusters. At ClaimSmentor you can deploy with NO fee as we invite your HR departments to post job opportunities for both experienced and for trainee adjusters and independent claim managers and claim examiners regularly!
Join us and come in and download their resumes! You decide if many of them are better than a newly licensed only trainee!
**Update 2/27/09…Just one more link: Here is a Self Assessment Test with 125 questions a newly licensed adjuster can review and see how many of these topics covered in our Fundamentals Class at ClaimSmentor and this is far from a complete list of basicessential things they need to know before deploying.
You can’t teach this im a 1 day or a 3 day class. They may learn very very basic essentials but many that take my class online after taking many very good field classes advise that much of this material was not covered. Mind you these are new adjusters who have taken and passed adjusters license exams, estimate software classes, and in many cases have passed atleast 1 carrier certification exam. They usually have the 3 basics at minium (license, software, and 1 carrier certification ) and tests that cover basic estimating but not the majority of these other important topics. Is it any wonder we have files often mishandled due to a lack of training?
Carriers should not complain about needing inexperienced independent adjusters not trained on claim file requirements if they are not willing to let them take their training. They pick up the expense as independents. Follow the example of NFIP who allows them to attend their workshops but will not certify them without 4 years experience….but sometimes make exceptions during major disasters IF they took the current year’s workshop.
My many heartfelt thanks go out to the now hundreds of experienced adjusters who participate on ClaimSmentor to help answer trainee questions without any hassle in our forums and even join us sometimes stopping by in our live online classes for trainee adjusters as well as thanks to the claim managers who also do the same. Our site would not be possible without their partipation and willingness to support our e-mentor project.
**Update 2/28/09 10:45 AM: I had not been following the claim statistics that often recently and today ran across an Insurance Journal article form August 08 about the TWIA losses already depleting funds when two other minor hurricanes came in before Ike. Read this link for the information:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2008/08/26/93100.htm
2 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusting firms, Carrier Certifications, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Conferences, Claim Consultant, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim mentor, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Claims, Department of Financial Services, Department of Insurance, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Employment Law, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, HR issues, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Insurance News, Online Adjuster Training Classes, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Staffing, storm damage, Storm Duty, Temporary Staffing | Tagged: Adjuster Training, Independent adjusters, Texas Windpool Claims, TWIA Claims | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Branch Consultants Whistleblower Case Reinstated- Appeal Court Decision February 2009/Also links to info on the Rigsby Whistleblower cases
February 23, 2009We had previously written on this blog about the Branch Consultants case being dismissed in this prior blog entry on 10/17/07:
Here is another blog on 3/28/08 we wrote about the appeal filed with links to many other blogs and news articles:
We have now learned the Appeal Court decision of February 09 has reinstated the case.
We have located some news coverage giving many more details to include a news link at State Farm who was now dismissed from the case commenting about the case. Some of these articles do include the names of which companies have been dismissed from the case and which insurance companies, adjusting firms, and software estimating companies are still named in this case.
Here is a link to the news on State Farm’s Katrina news link:
http://www.statefarm.com/about/hurricane/dismiss_qui_tam.asp
Attorney Kanner who represents Branch Consultants has information up on the Qui Tam section of his website that contains information about numerous news articles that have been published on this case here:
http://www.kanner-law.com/CM/LeadingCases/LeadingCases88.html
For those who remember this case with the 4 unnamed whistleblower cases (the news says they are PA’ s (public adjusters) filed under “Branch Consultants” who we never could find a website for, the Court of Appeals reopened the case this week. We did locate the name of one of the adjusters in a news article linked to in the first blog above (Max Johnson named in a news article):
Here is a blog post over at http://www.slabbed.wordpress.com with links to the court documents from this week:
http://slabbed.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/allan-kanner-can-just-evermore-kiss-my-ex-rel/
To see lots of blogs Slabbed has posted updating the status on the EA Renfroe/State Farm/Rigsby cases you can also view these- there are so many I don’t even try to post them all but many are interested in these cases:
http://slabbed.wordpress.com/legal-qui-tam/qui-tam/
And here is the news story with a good summary and update on the Branch Consultants RICO suit: (Note this names the carriers, 3 adjusting firms and software firms involved in this whistleblower case):
http://blog.nola.com/tpmoney/2009/02/new_orleans_whistleblower_laws.html
**Update 2/25/09:
***Update 3/1/09
Great article at National Underwriters P & C with information about State Farm and Allstate being dismissed from this case.
2 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Customer Service, Claim mentor, Claim Representatives, Claim Training, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Windpool, windstorm damage | Tagged: Claim Whisteblower Cases | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Independent Adjusters- Participate in our poll on Carrier Certification Exams
February 13, 2009Be sure to click on the comments tab at the end of this post to find the link to the blog post regarding the need for improvement in carrier certification exams for independent adjusters.
I changed the View Results to allow voters to be able to view the results- check back often for updated results! Note the vote poll software program only allows voting 1 time per cookie so adjusters cannot vote multiple times.
5 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Carrier Certifications, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim mentor, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Poll for Independent Adjusters, Property Claims, Temporary Staffing | Tagged: Adjuster Training, Carrier Certifications, Claim Surveys, Claims Polls | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Have you registered for your 2009 NFIP Adjuster Certification Class?
February 5, 2009Here is the link to the NFIP- National Flood Insurance Adjuster Certification Workshops:
http://www.nfipbureau.fema.gov/training/index.html
You will see the link for adjusters at the top of the right hand corner. Register asap if you have not already as these classes fill up quickly. We have many members of ClaimSmentor who are already attending them in Jacksonville, FL today.
Note this is a different link than they used in 2008 for Adjuster classes and that old link which many are trying to use says their are no workshops presently posted so many adjusters may think that they are not yet available.
3 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Carrier Certifications, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Conferences, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim mentor, Claim Training, Daily Adjusters, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Insurance Adjuster, Property Claims, storm damage | Tagged: Adjuster Training, Carrier Certifications | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
FL Emergency Adjuster Regulations for Tropical Storm Fay
August 21, 2008
Independent adjusters working Tropical Storm Fay claims will need a FL Emergency Adjuster license per the following directive by the FL Department of Insurance if you do not have a resident or non resident FL license:
http://www.myfloridacfo.com/agents/Emer-Rules/Emer_Adj_Instruct.htm
1 Comment | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster licenses, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Catastrophe Adjuster, Citizens Insurance of FL, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Department of Financial Services, Department of Insurance, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Employment Law, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Florida Insurance Crisis, Florida Property Insurance Coverage, HR issues, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Recruiting, Staffing, storm damage, Temporary Staffing, windstorm damage | Tagged: Adjuster License Information, Emergency Adjuster Licenses, FL Hurricane Damage | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
MS AG Hood and State Farm reach agreement on Katrina disputes Wednesday 8/6
August 7, 2008
MS AG Jim Hood and State Farm apparently reached an agreement on Katrina insurance claim disputes on the wind vs water claim settlement issues. We’ve gone around the net for a wide view of opinions on this news and here are some very different perspectives on who is the victor if there is one in this lengthy battle:
First we have the Sun Herald News from Biloxi, MS who includes a response from State Farm regarding comments made by AG Jim Hood on the settlement you can view here:
http://www.sunherald.com/199/story/731995.html
Legalnewsline discusses State Farm’s reaction about “perplexing comments” made by AG Hood:
For a truly different perspective see comments from the anti insurance side of things- look at what the SLABBED web blog is saying on this :
http://slabbed.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/breaking-jim-hood-settles-with-state-farm/#comments
and a second SLABBED blog post today:
http://slabbed.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/ag-hood-and-the-state-farm-settlement-by-the-record/
Directly from State Farm’s Hurricane Response web page is this:
http://www.statefarm.com/about/hurricane/sf_suit_dismissed.asp
Here is another detailed story from the National Underwriter’s Property and Casualty news providing additional background and information on this “settlement”:
Saving the very best for last, you won’t want to miss Attorney David Rossmiller’s detailed and often humorous look back at Hood’s deposition testimony and other detailed history on these cases with Hood:
Here are links to 3 prior blogs we have posted on this subject :
**Update-here is the pdf of the agreement posted by the Sun Herald:
http://media.sunherald.com/smedia/2008/08/07/06/state_farm.source.prod_affiliate.77.pdf
1 Comment | Adjuster blogs, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Customer Service, Claim Representatives, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Complaints, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Windpool, windstorm damage | Tagged: Claim Litigation in MS, Katrina Litigation, Rigsby's MS Katrina Litigation | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Hurricane Dolly Makes Landfall in Texas-Checking Availability for Rosters
July 23, 2008
We are receiving numerous inquiries and stand by requests from adjusting firms as I am sure most independent adjusters individually are receiving. We will be contacting adjusters as we receive more definite information on deployment opportunities. If you have not already submitted a resume and would like consideration for any staffing requests received, please view our Opportunities link for a detailed list of information we need contained in your resume for immediate consideration (preference to those with TX resident or non resident license). We have a heavy request list for large loss commerical adjusters and for billingual adjusters as well.
This is the latest NOAA report stating Hurricane Dolly now has sustained winds of 100 mph and currently a category 2 hurricane:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/231457.shtml
WTNT34 KNHC 231457
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
HURRICANE DOLLY ADVISORY NUMBER 13
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042008
1000 AM CDT WED JUL 23 2008
…DOLLY VERY NEAR THE TEXAS COAST WITH 100 MPH WINDS…EYE SHOULD
CROSS THE COAST IN A FEW HOURS…
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM
BROWNSVILLE TO CORPUS CHRISTI…AND FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF
MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE BORDER BETWEEN MEXICO
AND THE UNITED STATES. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY
SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
AT 10 AM CDT…1500 UTC…THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING NORTH OF PORT
O’CONNOR HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN
EFFECT FROM NORTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI TO PORT O’CONNOR.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM LA
PESCA TO SOUTH OF RIO SAN FERNANDO.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA…INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 1000 AM CDT…1500Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DOLLY WAS LOCATED
BY RADAR AND A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE NEAR LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH…
LONGITUDE 97.0 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES…50 KM… EAST-NORTHEAST OF
BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.
DOLLY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH…11 KM/HR.
A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED
IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE EYE OF
HURRICANE DOLLY WILL BE CROSSING THE COAST NEAR THE TEXAS/MEXICO
BORDER IN A FEW HOURS. PERSONS ARE ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE OUTDOORS
DURING THE RELATIVE CALM OF THE EYE BECAUSE WINDS WILL SOON
INCREASE QUITE RAPIDLY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH…160
KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DOLLY IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STRONGER WINDS…ESPECIALLY IN
GUSTS…ARE LIKELY ON HIGH RISE BUILDINGS. SOME ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES…35 KM…FROM
THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES…220 KM. PORT ISABEL AIRPORT JUST MEASURED 54 MPH…87 KM/HR
SUSTAINED WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH…113 KM/HR. AN UNOFFICIAL
OBSERVER JUST EAST OF MATAMOROS MEXICO REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF
65 MPH…105 KM/HR WITH GUSTS TO 119 MPH…192 KM/HR.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE
PLANE WAS IS 964 MB…28.47 INCHES.
DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10
INCHES…WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES…OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH
TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN MEXICO OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE RAINS
WILL LIKELY CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH
TEXAS AND NORTHEAST MEXICO.
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS…ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES…CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS TODAY
AND TONIGHT.
REPEATING THE 1000 AM CDT POSITION…26.0 N…97.0 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD…NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…100 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…964 MB.
INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 1200 PM CDT AND 200 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE
ADVISORY AT 400 PM CDT.
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
Here is some pertinent information and links you will find useful should you be considering deployment opportunities for Hurricane Dolly and emergency preparedness information coming out in the news:
Texas Department of Insurance Adjuster License Information:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/licensing/agent/index.html
Texas Department of Insurance Emergency Adjuster License information (for those who do not carry the Resident or Non Resident adjusters license):
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/IN/content/htm/in.013.00.004101.00.htm#4101.101.00
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/licensing/agent/revagtemeradj.html
Note that an adjuster must apply within 5 days of beginning work and the emergency adjuster license is only valid for 90 days unless that time is extended by the state.
Be sure to read this special memo to catastrophe adjusters and emergency adjusters in Texas for current information as well:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/licensing/agent/agemeradj.html
Here is the link for the emergency adjuster form and other TX license forms:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/webinfo/08qforms.html
It should be noted that the firms we have staffed for have all been requiring either a resident or non resident license versus allowing adjusters to operate on emergency licenses on all storms we have helped staff for this year so I have no doubt the same will apply to those we help deploy to Hurricane Dolly assignments since it is not a major catastrophe although the winds as of 10am have now increased to 100 mph.
Here is an interesting story from July 2008 on TX cracking down on unlicensed contractors you should also view:
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080710_tnt_contractors.40e37006.html
This next link is also an interesting June 2008 news article on what financial impact is expected should a major storm hit the TX Coast and information on carriers there as well as impact on the TX Windpool:
http://polfeeds.com/item/Texas-Wind-Pool-Update
Also, in the event you need information to verify a TX Public Adjuster license information, here are the links on the requirements of Public Adjusters in Texas:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/licensing/agent/agpubadj2.html
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/licensing/agent/revaglityppia.html
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/IN/content/htm/in.013.00.004102.00.htm#4102.105.00
Texas Windpool Adjuster News Links:
http://www.twia.org/news.html#adjuster_news
Texas Windpool new policy limits and rates info effective 2/2008:
http://www.twia.org/pdf/uw_bulletins/limits_revise_bulletin_Nov2007.pdf
Info from Tx Windpool on changes to Loss of Rents January 2008:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/alert/event/2008/documents/P-0907-13.pdf
The above link explains the proposed changes to Loss of Rents in Tx on secondary wind policies and below you will find the link to the hearing info on 1/29/08:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/alert/event/2008/event20087.html
Link to Texas Windpool Forms and Endorsements:
http://www.twia.org/downloads.html
Here is a link to the Top 40 Homeowner Insurance Companies by market percentage for the State of Texas:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/company/top40.html
If you are a newer adjuster and missed many prior blog entries on standby, independent contracts, temporary housing links to find housing for your assignment, you will want to review these prior blog entries providing you still current information:
1) What shots does CDC recommend for disaster workers (be sure to check this out if you are working flood claims):
2) Ladder Safety Concerns:
3) Claim Adjuster and Agency Relationships- Part I and II:
https://dimechimes.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/claim-adjuster-and-agent-relationships-part-ii/
4) Standby Calls for Adjusters Part I and II:
5) Here is the prior blog on working claims in Mexico with links to information you need to know to work claims there:
6) Crisis Intervention while working Catastrophe Claims:
7) Temporary Housing and RV Park Information for Adjusters and Insured ALE needs:
8 ) Understanding Independent Adjusting Firm Contracts:
9) Understanding Adjuster Fee Schedules:
10 ) Disaster Communications- Throw Away Cellphones You Say?
11) Time Management Skills- Starting a Storm:
12) Catastrophe Adjuster Resumes Do Differ:
13) How much income can I make as an adjuster?
14) Carrier Certification Requirements (you may not be able to deploy with them for some major carriers):
Note, should you be looking for TX based independent adjusting firms for additional deployment opportunities here are several links which may be of use to you:
National Association of Independent Adjusters (you can search companies by state. This is an excellent link as NAIIA has experience and reputation requirements for member firms which should provide a safety net to adjusters looking for reputable adjusting firms):
http://www.naiia.com/ * See search tool to search state of TX in top left of home page
National Association of Catastrophe Adjusters:
http://www.nacatadj.com/Members08/MDList/Business.aspx
Catadjuster.org Employer listing search by state:
http://www.catadjuster.org/Directory/tabid/64/agentType/ViewType/PropertyTypeID/37/Default.aspx
Catadjuster.org Vendor Ratings (Also be sure to enter Vendor Feedback in search tool to check some available information on Independent firm reputations with adjusters:
http://www.catadjuster.org/Channels/EmployerRatings.aspx
Catadjuster.org Vendor Feedback Forum Archive Information:
http://www.catadjuster.org/Forums/tabid/60/forumid/40/postid/1915/view/topic/Default.aspx
We wish all adjusters reporting very safe travels! We will be contacting those on our rosters as our needs are definite.
Update 1pm CST:
Links to current damage reports at South Padre Island:
http://www.spislandbreeze.com/news.php
Counties involved in Hurricane Dolly landfall area:
Cameron County: Population in 2005- 374,000 plus- see Census reports and links to local hotels,etc:
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/popInfo.php?locIndex=22606
Links to other Cameron County info such as motels and airports:
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=22606#Cens
Road closure information for Cameron County to check for Road Conditions:
http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/travel/road_conditions2.htm
Willacy County poplulation- approximately 20,000 and other census info:
http://www.city-data.com/county/Willacy_County-TX.html
Willacy County Road closure information:
http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/travel/road_conditions2.htm
This news report states many more in the path of the storm and discusses some of the current damages witnessed:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/topnews/story/419810.html
Tx Emergency Management Situation reports (latest about 1pm):
2 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Auto Adjusters, Carrier Certifications, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Customer Service, Claim mentor, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Claims, Department of Financial Services, Department of Insurance, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, RV Rentals, Staffing, storm damage, Storm Duty, Temporary Housing, Temporary Staffing, Windpool, windstorm damage | Tagged: Adjuster License Information, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim Staffing, Emergency Adjusters, Hurricane Damage | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Transcript of the Scruggs Sentencing hearing and other news reactions
June 30, 2008
Numerous stories have come out since Friday’s sentencing of Dickie Scruggs. Below you will find links to some of the most interesting of the many articles written:
The Sun Herald has posted a complete copy of the Sentence Hearing Transcript here:
http://www.sunherald.com/newsupdates/v-print/story/653064.html
See AG Hood’s comments:
http://legalnewsline.com/news/213854-ag-hood-somber-about-scruggs-sentencing
Here’s a photo of Dickie Scruggs and son Zach Scruggs (who will be sentenced this Wednesday) walking into the court house:
Here is a Clarion Ledger article quoting Attorney Jones who was involved in the suit with Mr Scruggs over the disputed attorney fees in the suit which was involved in the bribery charges:
I’d also check out Legalnewsline.com for some of the best articles I’ve read including this one:
Full Five for Emotional Scruggs/ Hinds case-2nd bribery case mentioned in this article as well:
http://legalnewsline.com/news/213839-full-five-for-emotional-regretful-scruggs
WSJ Law blog reports Scruggs nearly fainted and had to be seated during sentencing:
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/06/27/breaking-news-scruggs-gets-5-years-in-prison/?mod=googlenews_wsj
Leave a Comment » | Adjuster blogs, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, storm damage, Storm Duty, windstorm damage | Tagged: Claim Litigation in MS, MS Claim Litigation, Scruggs | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Scruggs Sentencing Scheduled for Friday 6/27/08 in Bribery Case
June 26, 2008
The eyes of many claims personnel are watching this week’s activity in the Scruggs bribery case since the charges stem from a dispute over attorney fees received on a settlement Scruggs reached with State Farm over Katrina claims. The bribe is alleged to have developed over a dispute Scruggs had on the division of the attorney fees between members of the Scruggs Katrina group in which Scruggs wanted the suit by Jone’s moved to arbitration for settlement and allegations of a bribe that Scruggs and other lawyers admit to participating in with hopes a judge move the case to arbitration to settle the dispute. A history of the case is contained in the Sentencing Memorandum and Scruggs Memorandum linked to below if you aren’t up to date on the history of these allegations.
Tomorrow is the sentencing date for Dickie Scruggs. There has been quite a bit of news this week regarding letters sent to the Judge asking for leniency for Scruggs. Here are links to quite a few news stories and blogs on the topic here, here, here, and here. ( Sun Herald, Ya’ll Politics, Folo, Rossmiller Blogs).
Since I began this blog this afternoon, FOLO is also reporting that Jone’s attorney, Grady Tollison, has received a subpeona for tomorrow’s hearing and quotes him as saying that actually the damage to Jone’s would have been based on a fee dispute of over 50 million (versus the 28 million discussed in the news on the dispute) in attorney fees due to settlements with carriers other than State Farm as well. Here is a link to that newest information: Click here and here in yet another Sun Herald article and a FOLO blog.
The Sun Herald has also published a link to the Sentencing Memorandum of Richard F. Scruggs as well as a Memorandum by the US Attorney’s office. Scrugg’s memorandum is a lengthy 32 pages going back through his childhood years, his military career which I’d previously wondered about, his law school days and his career. There is much written in his memorandum about his generosity as well as in letters submitted by his friends and associates in the letters they sent to the Judge. It is very disturbing to read of his wife’s illness and I’d imagine this is just a horrid time for her and their daughter.
As great as his gifts and donations have been and as great as his achievements have been, it is hard to imagine leniency for him when you remember the pure hell the insurance industry has been put through and the unseemly things such as payment to the Rigsby’s, the trailer meetings, the pigs/lipstick jokes, the billboards in Illnois, the events with Hood and Lott, and other events that have been so very unprofessional in the insurance litigation, his blasting of insurance personnel photos and the blogs on his website prior to it coming down after the bribery events. Even had insurance company personnel made some incorrect settlement decisions on wind /water issues, I saw no need for the unprofessional public circus that was made of this litigation which resolved nothing for many of the cases that pend still today that are involved in this ongoing nightmare. I cannot even begin to imagine the nightmare it has been for the policyholders involved. This does not mean that I think coverage should have been provided where none existed (flood exclusions or absence of flood policy,etc). I just believe that these cases could have moved forward to resolution in some manner much more professionally. I for one am very happy to see the recent comments from the Judges asking all parties to keep their focus on that resolution long overdue.
Mr Scruggs is asking for sentencing at 30 months while the US Attorney is asking for the maximum guideline of 60 months. Their memorandum says in part that the Judge should consider the difference of the initial offer by the SKG for Jone’s share of attorney fees from the State Farm settlement at $1.2 (approx) vs the $5.3 million that Jone’s sought in his suit against Scruggs for an approx $4 million intended loss to Jones had their bribe been successful. See new info just posted above about Jone’s attorney who says the intended loss to Jones was much more due to settlements also reached with other carriers.
You can read the full contents of the US Attorney’s Sentencing Memorandum and Scrugg’s Memorandum via the links on this Sun Herald Article (see links to right near article title): Click here
It has been quite a while since I blogged regarding updates on the Scruggs cases but there have been significant numbers of actions going on involving the EA Renfroe, Rigsby, and State Farm cases. Frankly, it is just more than one person could possibly keep up with by updates here although I regularly read them to keep up to date myself. I will shortly post some of the most important things that have developed from a claims management- claims adjuster standpoint to try to bring things more current on the blog. These developments include updates on all of the Rigsby depositions, discovery of computer records on the Rigsby computer, and much much more to include information that there was yet another hearing on the record production this afternoon in Judge Walker’s chambers.
I remain hopeful that EA Renfroe is successful in the Rigsby/Renfroe case and am appalled at what the Rigsbys have put them through. This could have happened to any adjusting firm that had employed these folks and I think the adjusting community should be doing all they can to stand behind the EA Renfroe adjusting firm. Not many firms would have had the resources to fight this lengthy case and all they have endured as a result of the Rigsbys actions that could have cost them their adjusting firm (by carriers avoiding using them) and their resources. I do not personally know Gene or Jana Renfroe but they have earned my respect as I watch their handling of the highly unusual actions on this case. I have yet to read anything against their firm of any validity even mentioned by the Rigsbys so it is quite a shame that they have dragged them through years of litigation when the Rigsbys allegations have been directed to carrier activities versus adjusting firm directives. The Rigsbys were involved with this adjusting firm I believe eight years before their allegations. What a violation of the trust this firm placed in them to work as managers for them in the field where if any problems existed in the field, the Rigsby’s should have been the eyes and ears for them at the storm site and immediately reported any concerns to the independent firm THEY CHOSE to work for.
I will post the actual Scruggs sentence information as soon as the many news sources start updating this tomorrow. Backstrom (attorney in Scruggs office) is also scheduled for sentencing tomorrow and Scruggs son Zach is scheduled for July 2nd sentencing. News reports and the US Attorney memorandum linked to in the Sun Herald article are suggesting a 30 month sentence for Backstrom.
You can always find the newest court documents and discussions regularly posted at the following websites if you are interested in almost daily updates. These various websites have a wide range of views on the Rigsby/Scruggs/EA Renfroe/State Farm updates from the public, law blogs, concerned MS citizens upset about the slab cases, and insurance coverage law views which I find fascinating to understand all perspectives of this ongoing Katrina litigation:
State Farm’s Katrina response updates- click here
Insurance Coverage blog – click here
Ya’ll Politics blog – click here
Folo- blog – click here
Slabbed- blog –click here
I mentioned in a recent blog that carriers are taking notice of the blogs and it’s becoming much more common for them to post on blog comments. Well this week, Judge Biggers also recognized the blogs allowing MS Attorney Tom Freeland who is an author on the FOLO blog (uses name NMC on the blog) to view the pre-sentencing letters along with the press who had also filed motions to view these letters.
Independent adjusters and claim managers are watching these blogs as well as they are a frequent source of court documents we are also interested in viewing for accurate information on hot topics rather than just receiving bulletins with talking points which in the past used to be the only source of information we had on lawsuit files.
The post Katrina litigation has had a major impact on independent adjusters as carriers increased staff adjusters due to the negative implications the Rigsby actions as independent adjusters has created for all other independent adjusters who would never consider violating the code of conduct forms signed nor would they have taken carrier confidential documents. I think the majority would have followed carrier established procedures for reporting any allegations of wrongdoing on the part of other independents or staff adjusters instead of taking the route the Rigsbys chose to take. Their actions have cost untold numbers of independent adjusters claim assignments as carriers “staffed” up to avoid independent adjusters having access to their records as the Rigsbys did. How many independent (and staff) adjusters have been listed in suits and will suffer increased premiums on their errors and omissions coverage as a result of having to report these cases to E and O carriers. The ramifications of the Rigsby actions have been a detriment to the entire independent adjusting/insurance carrier relationships. What a shame. You need to be reading all of the things being filed to truly understand the details of what is being reported before making a decision about how you feel about this. I doubt we ever know 100% of the truth about what happened but by following these cases, we learn more each and every day it seems.
I personally think it is very important that the claims industry stay tuned to these postings for educational purposes. If we don’t know what went wrong or the alleged claim issues leading to lawsuits….how can we ever improve claim handling activities to avoid repeats of the post Katrina litigation or understand concerns expressed by policyholders when we are out in the field ? By providing real life examples, it is quite educational to new adjusters during training to understand why proper file documentation is so very important.
Leave a Comment » | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Auto Adjusters, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Customer Service, Claim mentor, Claim Representatives, Claim Training, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Hurricanes, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, law blog, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Storm Duty, Windpool, windstorm damage | Tagged: Claim Litigation, Claim Litigation in MS, Katrina Litigation, Scruggs | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Nationwide Insurance Proposes One policy covering Wind and Flood Coverage
June 26, 2008Nationwide Insurance is proposing a new policy covering the peril of flood and wind coverage. There are several news stories out on the issue as well as information Nationwide has now published on their website.
Would this not be fantastic news for adjusters? All of us who have had to make the determination after a hurricane attributing damage to wind and flood know the difficulty doing so. I am curious if the policy is written based on the posted information how adjusters would be trained and certified to handle the claims. Presently, Nationwide does have an independent adjuster certification exam. Flood claims are presently covered by NFIP requiring independent adjusters who have successfully obtained their flood certification. We’ll post more later as this information becomes available.
Here is the link to all of the news on the Enhanced Homeowners Policy as posted on the Nationwide website: click here
Here is a link to the AP article advising Nationwide has petitioned Congress for permission to sell this policy: click here
We continue to staff for an adjusting firm who is a Nationwide vendor and we do have a waiting list for adjusters waiting to take the next Nationwide certification class with them. If you need the Nationwide Independent adjuster certification exam and would like to be notified of the next class, submit your resume verifying a minimum of two years of adjusting experience to Dimechimes Claims Staffing and Claim Training (contact info on About page here on blog) and we will notify you of the next scheduled certification class and testing.
1 Comment | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Seminars, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Carrier Certifications, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Customer Service, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim mentor, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, Hurricane Damage, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Staffing, storm damage | Tagged: Flood Claim Training, Flood Policies, Insurance Coverage, Insurance Crisis, Wind and Water Exclusions | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
What shots does CDC recommend for disaster workers? Watch for more flood adjuster training info this week
June 16, 2008
I have limited time available to post new blogs this week but wanted to be sure to get this information up today about CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommendations for shots for disaster workers. This is especially important for the many of you deploying to the flood damage in Iowa and other states. Fox news is extensively reporting about the toxic waters, the mold issues, the snakes and other harmful issues that could cause major safety concerns for insurance adjusters.
Here are the CDC recommendations. I would take heed and see your physician for the necessary shots BEFORE you depart:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/disease/responderimmun.asp
Watch later this week for our posts on claims adjuster/ independent adjuster flood claim training information to include NFIP certification, special estimate software specific to flood claims and much more info you need to know on flood coverage , flood policies, and more issues that differ to work as a flood adjuster versus a property adjuster on wind, hail, fire, and other type of losses as the file requirements and safety concerns differ greatly.
4 Comments | Adjuster blogs, Adjuster Training, Adjusters, Adjusting firms, Auto Adjusters, Catastrophe Adjuster, Claim Blogs of Interest, Claim Consultant, Claim Consulting, Claim Customer Service, Claim Job Opportunities, Claim mentor, Claim Recruiting, Claim Representatives, Claim Staffing, Claim Training, Claims, Daily Adjusters, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Adjusters, Flood Claims and Flood claim training, HR issues, Independent adjusters, Independent Adjusting Firms, Insurance, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Blogs, Insurance Forums, Insurance News, Property Claims, Property Insurance, Recruiting, Staffing, storm damage, Storm Duty, Temporary Staffing | Tagged: Adjuster Safety Concerns, catastrophe adjusters, HR issues for Adjusters | Permalink
Posted by ClaimSmentor
Dimechimes ClaimSmentor Adjuster Information Blog 
March 7, 2009 at 12:03 PM | edit[…] […]
February 18, 2009 at 11:39 AM | edit[…] Independent Adjusters- Participate in our poll on Carrier Certification Exams […]
February 13, 2009 at 6:02 PM | editSee our blog written about Carrier Certifications in the past few months addressing these questions:https://dimechimes.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/insurance-carrier-claim-certifications-where-do-you-test-for-them-much-improvement-needed-in-the-process-of-certifying-independent-adjusters/We will leave this poll open for 30 days
February 13, 2009 at 5:59 PM | edit[…] https://dimechimes.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/independent-adjusters-participant-in-our-poll-on-carrier-... […]