The insurance claim industry is especially fun if you enjoy travel and meeting interesting people. Losses and catastrophes are usually unique with novel issues. They happen in remote and in urban areas. I have traveled to fascinating places and visited with interesting people so far this week. It made me think of one of my favorite books, "Oh, the Places You Will Go."

Craig Speck and I were at Rockefeller Center in New York on Tuesday morning meeting with public loss adjusters regarding various claims disputes and issues they were facing. Most of them were from Southern California and had an interest in our Wildfire Seminar we have scheduled on October 30 in Los Angeles. One obvious trend for the public adjusting industry is that it is becoming more national in scope and many travel coast to coast.

By Wednesday morning, I was in Denver meeting with Erin Kristofco for breakfast. Our discussion included a hail storm claim which is set for trial in October. Most people think of snow storms in Colorado. The truth is that Colorado has significant and recurrent hail damage claims.

Later that day, I was in Colorado Springs with public adjuster Troy Payne regarding the Waldo Canyon Wildfires. Troy talked about how busy he was adjusting hail damage claims in nearby neighborhoods when the wildfires broke out.

The fires were devastating. People are referring to the homes that were totally lost as "Hole in the Ground Claims" because only the basement area was left. It reminded me of the term "Slabbed Claims" which we initially coined following Hurricane Ivan in Pensacola as noted in Slabbed. Hurricanes Katrina and Ike caused many more "Slabbed Claims," but I never heard of "hole in the ground claims" until Erin Kristofco mentioned the term yesterday. Here is a picture of demolition work of a "whole in the ground" claim:

The Colorado Springs Fire Department made a video of the fire: 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AZei9lJ2G1k%3Frel%3D0

Today, I am in San Francisco at a very exciting deposition of a business interruption accountant. The Zelle Hoffman Conference room overlooks Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Bay. Top notch insurance defense firms typically have beautiful conference rooms.

So today, I am thinking about Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from that classic work:

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…

And when you’re alone there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

Out there things can happen, and frequently do,
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew.
Just go right along, you’ll start happening too!

Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do…
will make you the winningest winner of all.

Insurance is bought because it helps reduce the frightening consequences of the unexpected. We can then venture a little easier to those places that are waiting for us to go.

Cheers to the journeys you are on.