Yesterday’s post, Should Appraisers Be Advocates For A Party To An Appraisal?,noted the importance for insurance appraisal participants to first determine what state law applies. A clear example of this important point is the post, Appraisal Is Not Governed Under Arbitration Rules in Utah, where Utah directly holds that appraisal is not arbitration and the Utah Arbitration Act does not apply to an insurance appraisal. Contrary to that view, Rhode Island directly finds that its arbitration laws apply to insurance loss appraisals. 

Continue Reading Rhode Island Appraisals—The Arbitration Act Applies to Determine the Partiality of Appraisers and Umpires

Rhode Island policyholders at loggerheads with their delaying, denying and recalcitrant insurers may seek help in the claims process by filing a complaint with the Rhode Island Insurance Division.
Continue Reading How To File A Consumer Complaint With The Rhode Island Insurance Division About Your Delaying, Denying and Bad Treating Insurance Company

Rhode Island Priest Giving Pre-Race Blessing For Crew of Merlin (click image to view video)

Rhode Island appraisals are treated very similar to Florida appraisals. The general rule is that unless the claim is denied for coverage, the parties must go to appraisal if it is demanded. Insurers seeking to avoid appraisal need to specifically indicate why the dispute is subject to a coverage denial and must be litigated.
Continue Reading What Property Insurance Claims Can Go To Appraisal In Rhode Island?

In this episode we’re headed to Rhode Island, the Ocean State, to define insurable interests.

Rhode Island case law on the issue dates back to the 1800’s. In Cronin v. Vermont Life Insurance Company, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island held that to recover on an insurance policy one needed an insurable interest.1 Rhode Island also follows the principle that we’ve seen many other states follow, a “person has an insurable interest in property, by the existence of which he will gain an advantage, or by the destruction of which he will suffer a loss, whether he has or has not any title in … the property itself.”2

Continue Reading Insurable Interests Defined: A Blog Series – Episode Seven, Rhode Island

From October 20th to the 22nd the First Party Claims Conference (FPCC) annual meeting is being held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island. For the uninitiated, “FPCC is a nationally recognized provider of education specifically designed for adjusters, public adjusters, attorneys and others in the first party property insurance claims community.”1

Continue Reading Annual Meeting of the First Party Claims Conference Set for October 20-22 in Warwick, Rhode Island

Many insurance professionals, including some members of Merlin Law Group, will be gathering in Warwick, Rhode Island next week (Oct. 21-23) for the First Party Claims Conference. Those attending the conference in Rhode Island will hear from speakers on various insurance claim topics and will be learn about recent developments in the insurance industry.

Continue Reading What Constitutes a Total Loss in Rhode Island?