A court in Georgia found coverage for a loss based on the presence of a semicolon. In the case Lee v. Mercury Insurance Company,1 the court found coverage for a home destroyed by fire based on the potential ambiguity created by a semicolon.
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Georgia Public Insurance Adjuster Conference – May 2
Now is the time to make plans and register to attend the Georgia Association of Public Insurance Adjusters’ 2017 Spring Conference. The GAPIA conference will be held on May 2, 2017, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. You can register for the conference by clicking here.
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Assignment of Benefits, Part 5: Georgia
At the request of another one of our readers, this week we are going to take a look at Assignment of Benefits (“AOBs”) in Georgia and how they are handled there.
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Join us in Atlanta
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Chip Merlin and I will be speaking on behalf of the Merlin Law Group at the Fall Georgia Association of Public Insurance Adjusters Meeting on October 4, 2016, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
Texas Should Look to Georgia on Mandatory Arbitration Issue
We know an insurance company has submitted to the Texas Department of Insurance (“TDI”) a policy that requires mandatory arbitration in the event of a dispute on a claim. TDI won’t disclose which carrier submitted the new policy form or provide a copy of the proposed form on the basis of “trade secrets”… a response that makes no sense. What really makes no sense is that TDI would even consider allowing a mandatory arbitration clause into an insurance policy in Texas. Many states, like Georgia, prohibit arbitration clause in insurance policies.
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Is Your Claim Too Late in Georgia?
Some losses are not as readily apparent to policyholders as a fire or significant water loss. The policyholder may not discover the damage until days, weeks or months after the loss occurred. This can often be the case for hail losses to roofs. However, when the policyholder gives notice weeks or months after the loss, the insurance carrier will often claim late notice and rely on the notice condition in the insurance policy to deny coverage.
Georgia Association of Public Insurance Adjusters Spring Conference
Devoting just one day to continuing education can make a big impact on your skills. The Georgia
Association of Public Adjusters is having its Spring Conference next week. The meeting is open to licensed public insurance adjusters. You don’t have to be a GAPIA member to register.
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Are Contingency Fees for Insurance Appraisers Permitted in Georgia?
This question was recently posed to my firm from an appraiser in Georgia. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer. I have to respond with the typical lawyerly answer of “it depends.”
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Insurance Company Has to Have Reasonable Requests Pursuant to the Policy
When submitting a claim to an insurance company, a policyholder has certain obligations that must be followed. The insurance policy contract lists the obligations. The policy document was written by the insurance company and approved (most of the time) by the insurance regulatory agency for the state where the property is located. Insurance contracts are usually “take it or leave it” when it comes to the wording of the provisions. An insured can buy endorsements to the policy, add additional insurance, and change deductibles but the language about the coverage and the explanation of what is excluded is not something an insured can make edits or changes to for the insurance company to consider and make part of the contract.
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Georgia Public Adjusters Unite! Register Now
Join Merlin Law Group at the Georgia Association of Public Insurance Adjusters Fall Meeting on Thursday, October 8, 2015.
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