Why should I go to Chip Merlin’s Las Vegas public adjuster seminar in August? A number of public adjusters understandably have asked this question, but an insurance company adjuster who publicly criticized me has placed the value of my advice at $10,000!! If you are a public adjuster, do not miss this valuable seminar; sign up while seats last at the bargain price of a $100 donation to United Policyholders.

According to Kevin Hromas, I am the most valuable educator of first party property insurance claims in the world. Hromas is an insurance company appraiser and adjuster. A couple months ago, I got a number of text messages indicating that he was saying all kinds of negative, and even defamatory, things about me and our firm during a speech in Oklahoma City. I did not think much about it because others told me that few people paid attention to him. But we noticed that he signed up for a public adjuster seminar we are hosting in Las Vegas. Why would an insurance company representative come to our seminar?

I asked Craig Speck to call Kevin Hromas and disinvite him. We had no idea how he got on our email invitation list. Friends are invited; he is not a friend.

Craig told me the following:

Chip, I told him that the $100 donation he made to attend was being refunded. He told me to tell you that unless you (Chip Merlin) sent him $10,000, he was going to attend.

I told Craig that Kevin Hromas set the value of the seminar—$10,000. Why would an insurance company expert appraiser want $10,000 to not attend my seminar? Does he hope to learn things that the insurance companies he works for have not taught him?

Now some insurance company claims adjusters and their attorneys are wondering if this is true. Here is Hromas’ social media post on the matter:

Kevin Hromas and his two-person firm is not a major player in the insurance claims adjusting industry. His obvious bias against policyholders and his crazy “Chip Merlin is going to pay me $10,000 or I am going to show up and force myself into his seminar” establishes that at least one insurance company adjuster assumes that policyholders who suffer losses and their representatives should be viewed as suspected frauds. Why would I or any insurance company want this man or those of the same persuasion at a seminar or want to work with him in resolving an insurance claim? Policyholders need honest, empathetic, and motivated professionals to fully and promptly pay the entire amount owed, not derogatory zealots who assume policyholders and their representatives are crooks.

Ethical insurance claims managers who want to hire ethical and vendors may want to recall recent lessons from Superstorm Sandy. Unreasonable outcome-oriented vendor “expert” firms consider their role as a tool to help reduce claim severity.

There is a legitimate need for SIU claims adjusters, and I do not espouse a Pollyanna view that all policyholders and their representatives are completely honest. They are not. But two wrongs never make a right. Hiring vendors with an attitude to help control claims severity at the cost of paying less than full value of a covered loss is not right.

For public adjusters looking to help policyholders, we invite you to our Vegas Seminar at the Venetian, August 3-6. It starts with an opening cocktail party on August 3rd, and seminars run through August 6th. Is it worth $10,000? I guarantee you it is for you!!

If you are interested to see if Hromas crashes our event, you will have to come—everybody knows what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!!

Seating is limited, if you are a public adjuster please RSVP @ 813.229.1000 EXT 212 or events@merlinlawgroup.com.

Thought For The Day:

“It is up to the public to stop attending these theatrical…shows…and circuses with wild animals. The rhetoric about how the animals are happy and well cared for are lies. Don’t be swayed by them. The money behind these shows is huge; there is nothing good about them.” 
—Tippi Hedren