The standard commercial lease for an entire building will require the tenant to either buy building insurance or reimburse the landlord’s premium payments if the landlord buys the insurance. If the tenant opts to purchase the building insurance, this often results in a lower overall premium to the tenant since the building coverage is underwritten with the tenant’s other insurance needs, such as business interruption insurance, workers compensation, liability insurance, and business personal property coverage. This begs a legal question—can a tenant can have an insurable interest in property it leases, i.e., the landlord’s building? Continue Reading Does a Tenant Have an Insurable Interest in a Leased Building? Yes

Whether labor can be depreciated in arriving at an actual cash value property loss settlement has been a hot topic of debate over these past five years, and the subject of many Merlin lawyer blogposts. An Illinois appellate court recently weighed in on the issue in Sproull v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company.1 Continue Reading An Illinois Appellate Court Concludes That Labor Cannot Be Depreciated In Arriving At An Actual Cash Value Loss Settlement

The 2020 hurricane season began June 1, 2020. It is important for adjusters to prepare themselves now on state-specific policy provisions and statutory language that can impact coverage in the event of another hurricane or named storm this season. Continue Reading North Carolina Department of Insurance Provides Guidance on Procedures for Catastrophic Adjusters

Steve Badger and Steve Patrick are really great at what they do—and both publicly do a lot in the field of properly insurance claims handling. Both have been outspoken about insurance fraud. In my recent post, Want A Hail Damage Claim Tip Which Helps Policyholder Recovery? Do Not Miss Friday At 2 With Chip Today, I noted the following:

‘Badger Traps’ will also be a topic with a big shout out to Steve Patrick for his upcoming seminar. The above photo is of Steve Badger and me. Yes, Steve Patrick has a warning about the smiling man next to me and what you have to be careful of when dealing with insurance companies about Overhead and Profit issues with contractors. Patrick’s seminar is gratis to American Policyholder Association members.

Continue Reading Badger Traps and How Contractors Can Avoid Being Accused of Insurance Fraud

Drew Houghton will join me tomorrow afternoon for Tuesday at 2 With Chip Merlin regarding the Practical Considerations When Evaluating Hail Loss Claims. Drew Houghton heads up our Oklahoma City Office and was a big part of our move to new offices in Oklahoma City last year, as I noted in Grand Opening of Merlin Law Group’s Oklahoma City Office. Continue Reading Practical Considerations When Investigating Hail Loss Claims to Be Discussed at Tuesday At 2 With Chip Merlin

Tennessee is a beautiful state. The powers that be even gave me a license to ply my trade in the Volunteer State. I was recently researching whether causation can be determined by an appraisal panel in Tennessee. Continue Reading Causation in Appraisal—What is The Causation Rule in Tennessee Appraisals?

The Complex Litigation Coverage Litigation Handbook1 provides a comprehensive procedural guide to litigating complex insurance coverage matters in a not-so-complex way. The book supplies an overview of various insurance policies, issues, and litigation tactics all the way through appeals. The book expanded upon a two-year effort by the American Bar Association Task Force in conjunction with the help of experienced insurance coverage litigation judges to create a definitive reference tool for insurers and policyholders involved in litigation. It’s a must read for anyone starting out a career in insurance litigation to the senior professional. Continue Reading Book Review: Complex Litigation Coverage Litigation Handbook

Friday at 2 is a quick recap of a few timely items of interest to the property insurance claims industry. It is a 15-minute summary by me of some of the recent important property insurance claims industry topics, and allows for some quick answers to questions posed to me earlier from the Tuesday At 2 With Chip, which is longer and more in depth on just one topic per week. Continue Reading Want A Hail Damage Claim Tip Which Helps Policyholder Recovery? Do Not Miss Friday At 2 With Chip Today

The end is near! It truly is when it comes to Hurricane Irma insurance claims. The three-year notice to submit all claims is coming due very shortly. In a little more than a month, the deadline will pass. So, why not have a top-notch seminar to learn all about what to do and not to do regarding Hurricane Irma claims and earn four continuing education requirements at the same time? Continue Reading Hurricane Irma Insurance Claims Virtual Seminar on August 10—The Deadline to Submit Hurricane Irma Claims Draws Near