Claims Magazine is a publication everybody in the insurance claims business should subscribe to and routinely read. The January issue has an article, Speaking Of: WIND 2011, about the upcoming 12th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference, to be held in Houston, January 24-27.… Continue Reading
Many policies provide a route to the potential resolution of a claim via the appraisal process. Recently, I spoke with Umpires who handle appraisal cases for residential and commercial losses, and I learned more about what can go wrong during the process and suggestions on ways to prevent the common missteps that can delay or … Continue Reading
Insurance defense attorney Janet Brown founded a valuable organization and conference for the windstorm insurance industry where ideas and lessons are shared every year. The 12th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference will be held in Houston on January 24-27, 2011. For claims adjusters and those involved with hurricane or tornado losses, this is a "can’t miss" event.… Continue Reading
This morning I am in Dallas at the Windstorm Symposium. Steve Pate and I will be giving a presentation about the most significant property insurance cases from the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Lousiana and Texas over the past year.… Continue Reading
Texas is where "the game" is being played regarding insurance coverage disputes in 2010. The Windstorm Insurance Network will hold its second Texas Insurance Symposium on May 11, 2010, in Dallas, Texas, where many of the issues related to windstorm coverage will be discussed. Certainly, the coverage issues raised by Hurricane Ike litigation will be highlighted.… Continue Reading
I represented a Houston based hotel management company last spring regarding Hurricane Ike insurance claim disputes with eleven hotels they owned or managed in Texas. Some cases simply go right, and this one settled after two months. My client’s owners went out of their way to call to my attention that managers in the hospitality … Continue Reading
The Windstorm Conference is in full swing. I was introduced to an engineer, Bruce Holmes. He told me that he was very upset with his colleagues and others in the insurance industry. He asked if I could refer others to his website where he has a proposal for change and action.… Continue Reading
The Windstorm Conference starts tomorrow in Jacksonville. If you represent policyholders or insurers with hurricane claims, you have to be there, since hurricanes are the largest windstorms. It provides an opportunity to learn from those actively engaged in all aspects of the hurricane insurance claim experience.… Continue Reading
The Merlin Law Group will host a fundraising event next Tuesday night to help Frank Artiles in his campaign for a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives. The fundraising reception will be held at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Presidential Suite 1830 from 10:30 P.M. to 1:30 A.M. It is intended to be after the … Continue Reading
Bill Berk called me yesterday regarding the upcoming Windstorm Conference next week. During our discussion, he mentioned that his partner, Evelyn Mercahant, won a trial for QBE against a condominium association represented by a very good trial attorney, Daniel Rosenbaum. The Association was seeking millions, but the jury awarded zero.… Continue Reading
The 2010 Windstorm Conference is quickly approaching. I noted in my earlier post, The 2010 Windstorm Insurance Conference, the following:… Continue Reading
If you are involved in hurricane claims in any manner, you need to register and go to the 2010 Windstorm Insurance Conference. It will be held from January 25 through 28, at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida. It is the only Conference devoted soley to windstorm insurance issues.… Continue Reading
I get asked that question quite often. Doing what I do for a living, given my last name, and having proven my prognostication prowess (with money backing up my opinion) by opening our Texas office BEFORE the first of two major hurricanes to hit Texas, I can understand why many come to me for that … Continue Reading
One of the more successful professional organizations that I have been involved with over the past decade is the Windstorm Network. Insurance defense attorney, Janet Brown, conceived the idea. It has an Umpire Program that provides classes for certification for the appraisal of property insurance disputes, an Umpire Directory, and a Code of Ethics, which has been approved … Continue Reading
Following up on yesterday’s post, What does a Property Insurance Coverage Policyholder Lawyer Think About the Day After a Def Leppard Concert?, there has been some debate in the insurance press regarding the 2009 Michael Jackson Tour. Phil Gusman has three articles in the National Underwriter Property & Casualty on the topic: Will Insurers Pay For … Continue Reading
I anticipate significant discussion and controversy regarding Citizens plan to remove the appraisal clause from its policies. Currently, many claims under Citizens policies go to appraisal because policyholders and Citizens disagree over the value of a loss. I suspect that many of these cases going to appraisal are those where policyholders hired public adjusters. Appraisals … Continue Reading
A reminder that the Windstorm Insurance Network is sponsoring a special Texas Windstorm Insurance Symposium. It will be a one day event on April 2, 2009, at the Hilton Hobby. Follow these links for the Program Agenda and a listing of the Breakout Sessions. Online registration for the event is closed, but walk-in registration onsite … Continue Reading
On Friday, one hundred and forty-eight Texas public insurance adjusters attended a seminar our law firm sponsored in Houston. I am pretty sure it was the largest ever gathering in Texas of people dedicating themselves to the study of helping property insurance policyholders.… Continue Reading
(*Chip Merlin’s Note–Chris Haley of Trial Exhibits, Inc., was on a panel with John Garaffa, of Butler Pappas, and myself at the recent 2009 Windstorm Insurance Conference. Chris is a veteran Consultant and Expert Witness regarding Electronic Discovery. I asked him to provide a Guest Blog on this increasingly important aspect of insurance coverage and claims practice … Continue Reading
Nobody calls my office telling me what a great job their adjuster has done to fairly maximize their recovery in a prompt manner. Why should they? Risk managers, property managers, insurance agents, attorneys, public adjusters and policyholders, generally call our firm because they need help with claim delay or a denial. Their stories usually have … Continue Reading
If you are involved in hurricane claims in any manner, you need to register and go to the Windstorm Insurance Conference. It will be held from January 25 through 28 in Orlando, Florida. The Windstorm Insurance Conference was founded nearly a decade ago by insurance defense attorney, Janet Brown. Her law firm biography does not do … Continue Reading
