Many different people read this blog for many different reasons. I was in Dallas for a deposition involving a Hurricane Ike claim, where my client’s public adjuster was being deposed. The opposing attorney, Robert Radcliff, of Langley Weinstein, is a very skilled, well prepared and creative counsel for the insurance company.
At exhibit number 256, Radcliff handed the public adjuster a document that listed the following:
The minimum requirements of a well documented public adjuster claims file will include:
Contact Information
Retention Contract
Insurance Policy
Summary of Coverage and Limits
Time Deadlines—Proof, Replacement Cost, Statute of Limitations
Diary
Communications
Causation Proof
Damage Proof
Checklist of Post Loss Requirements
Claim Costs—listed and copies of invoices.
Insurance Company Causation and Damage Proofs
Claims Payments—listed and copied.
Closing Statements or Public Adjuster Invoices for Services
That is exactly what I wrote in the paper, Public Adjuster Best Claims Practices and the Claims File, published in Saturday’s post Public Adjuster Claims Handling Best Practices.
For all my public adjuster friends, it appears that the insurance industry may consider what I wrote authoritative enough to be a claims handling standard. While most public adjusters have files that adhere to most of these "minimum requirements," I am certain many public adjusters fail to maintain all of them. For example, some public adjusters have privately argued with me regarding the need to keep diaries of activities and communications.
The Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters has already asked for permission to use my paper in its orientation class required for all new members. Since I think these standards help policyholders obtain full, fair and prompt recoveries, I will promote them and provide additional details of each aspect in the future.
