If you are involved in hurricane claims in any manner, you need to register and go to the Windstorm Insurance Conference. It will be held from January 25 through 28 in Orlando, Florida.
The Windstorm Insurance Conference was founded nearly a decade ago by insurance defense attorney, Janet Brown. Her law firm biography does not do her justice. She has been nationally recognized as one of the top insurance company litigators for some time. Janet and I have battled in Court over just about everything. She is competent, creative, professional, and a person who quietly knows the weak points of any argument.
Fortunately, she had the brilliant idea to start a Windstorm Insurance Network whose membership was inclusive of all trades and professions dealing with windstorm claim issues. There is not another group or association like it in the insurance business. Most insurance groups, seminars, and conferences are exclusive of others. The advertisement for this year’s conference describes its inclusive nature:
"Each year, WIND holds its annual Windstorm Insurance Conference which provides an opportunity for professionals from many disciplines to discuss and educate themselves on a variety of subjects important to those engaged in windstorm insurance claims.
Representatives from all segments of associated businesses and organizations convene for this three-day event to review and address the impact of past hurricane seasons, lessons learned, future trends, and other relevant topics including, windstorm damage, insurance losses and claims, mitigation efforts, disaster response, and alternative dispute resolution. The conference, which is co-sponsored by the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) of the American Bar Association, offers continuing education credits for numerous professional designations. Nearly 1,300 professionals attended the 2008 WIND Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.
By bringing together all segments of the property insurance arena which deal with the aftermath of a windstorm, the 2009 WIND Conference will develop and promote a greater understanding of windstorm claims issues among property insurance professionals."
The Conference has special training sessions for those seeking Umpire Certification in appraisal disputes. There is also a special Flood Adjusters program leading to certification as well. I am on a panel that will analyze the nuances of electronic discovery litigation in insurance coverage and claims practice disputes.
The bottom line is that the Conference offers valuable instruction on how to handle windstorm insurance claims from a number of different perspectives. If you want to know what the top people working in the insurance industry are doing, go to this conference.
