Can you imagine a scenario where a public adjusting firm acquires an engineering company and then hires those engineers to determine the cause of a loss? Would any independent adjuster, company adjuster, or insurance company attorney readily accept the expert opinions provided by that engineering company? The answer is clearly ‘no.’
So, why should policyholders be compelled to accept engineering opinions from firms owned, directly or indirectly, by independent adjusters? Surprisingly, there are several larger independent adjusting firms that have purchased engineering companies and subsequently rely on them to produce reports on losses.
HAAG, on the other hand, does not face this particular challenge. During a conversation with Lori Hall at HAAG’s booth at the Windstorm Conference, it was evident that she takes pride in highlighting HAAG as an employee-owned company. While I’ve expressed my opinions about HAAG’s work in the past, it’s worth noting that the company has stood the test of time and is not controlled or bought out by independent adjustment firms.
So, the question remains: Can anyone explain why and how independent adjusters hiring opinions from their in-house engineers doesn’t raise concerns about potential bias and a predisposition towards specific outcomes in the claims adjusting process?
Thought For The Day
To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.
—Confucius
