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In late January, I wrote a blog post highlighting the absence of any published market conduct exams on the Oklahoma Insurance Department website after 2009, despite the OID’s claim that “[a]s part of the regulation process, we perform and publish Market Conduct Examinations.” In an attempt to figure out what was going on, I submitted an open records request seeking all OID market conduct exams conducted after 2009 and promised I would keep everyone posted.…

Continue Reading The Case of the Missing Market Conduct Exams: Part II

Lawrence Mower wrote a Herald/Times article titled Regulators Were Warned Years Ago That Insurance Companies Were Altering Florida Claims.1 The article discusses how the American Policyholder’s Association provided this information and examples to Florida’s insurance regulators, but nothing happened. It stated in part:…

Continue Reading Insurance Regulators Ignore Insurance Company Wrongful Claims Practices—Will a Real and Professional Investigation Ever Take Place?

Note: This guest post is by AAPIA President Cole Kline.

In case you didn’t know, there are two national public adjuster associations. APIA, the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters,is not well-known but is growing in strength and energized with new purpose and zeal. …

Continue Reading Who is AAPIA, and, as Chip Merlin recently asked Holly Soffer (AAPIA general counsel), what are we up to lately?

Cash is the blood of any business. The owners of businesses know that without positive cash flow, their businesses could die as sure as a human will die without blood. These owners purchase insurance relying upon prompt and substantial payment of cash benefits following a catastrophe. What happens when the insurance company does not promptly pay?…

Continue Reading Do Insurance Executives Have Empathy For Their Business Customers Following A Loss?

Peg Brown is the Chief Deputy Commissioner for the Colorado Division of Insurance. When she made an announcement this week at the Rocky Mountain Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (RMAPIA) that she would be retiring, I was sad. It is my impression that Peg is in her prime with passion and experience that genuinely helps Coloradans and Colorado’s insurance market. I would not have felt this way a decade ago. But over the years, I have come to appreciate Peg’s views and proactive endeavors to improve insurance for everybody. She will be missed.    …

Continue Reading Empowering Policyholders: How to Collaborate with State Insurance Departments for a Better Insurance Landscape

Ron DeSantis did not create the current mess of the Florida insurance industry. There are many causes and people to blame for the current mess. The question raised by a recent publication1 is whether the proper measures to correct the problems were not taken because the insurance industry has paid off Florida’s top executive. …

Continue Reading Did The Insurance Industry Buy Out Florida’s Leaders?

The title of this blog post came from Corey Harris’ quip to me after he read a recent media post, Claims of Florida Insurance Companies Underpaying Policyholders Under Investigation. My hope is that Jimmy Patronis does a thorough investigation and finds what the vast majority of Hurricane Ian policyholders with significant claims already know—the insurers are not promptly and fully paying benefits owed under the policy. …

Continue Reading Is Jimmy Patronis Investigating Insurance Company Wrongdoing Like Ray Charles Trying to Hit Major League Baseball Pitches?

Last week, I was preparing for a four-or-so-hour presentation for the National Claims Institute. The title of the presentation was “How To Prepare Hurricane Files For Litigation.” My excellent and valued co-presenter was Remington Huggins, who prepared a masterful PowerPoint to which I only added some minor edits.  …

Continue Reading The Property Insurance Adjuster Job—Follow the Best Claims Processes and Get the Policyholder Fully and Promptly Paid 

I believe that why you do the work you do means a lot more than what work you do. I started this law firm 38 years ago to challenge the status quo and to level the playing field for policyholders versus their much larger and financially superior insurance companies. I envisioned a law firm of champions and knights for policyholders who could stand up to the army of mercenary insurance company attorneys. I say “mercenary” because I could not imagine explaining to my maker that I had used my God-given talents to save Travelers Insurance Company $25 million versus passionately using those talents and encouraging others with a similar mindset, in a much more fulfilling, just, and noble cause.  …

Continue Reading Why Does Merlin Law Group Exist? Why Do We Give Our Time, Money and Effort to United Policyholders and The American Policyholders Association?