Todd, John, and Jim discuss how experts can help policyholders prove their insured loss to the carrier in Property Insurance Roundtable's latest podcast episode. More and more insurance companies are using experts to support their side of a claim settlement. That is why today’s policyholder must often take advantage of similar professional resources to help prepare, support, and settle their claims. Understanding and utilizing the coverages available for this purpose can help protect the insured not only against financial loss but for the cost of recovering it. Our experts will review the basics of loss preparation cost coverage including what it is, why it’s needed, and how to ensure you have purchased the right type and the amount of coverage.

Quotables:

“It’s important to have experienced professionals who are on your side representing your best interests. The insurance company will have their own experts, and you need to have your own experts too – it just makes sense.”

“Public insurance adjusters… that are hired by a policyholder know exactly what is required to prove the claim, which is the burden on the policyholder – to prove their claim. And public adjusters know how to assemble the other necessary experts to assist them in that process. And having handled thousands of claims, public adjusters know where to start in order to put the claim together and how to get it done in the fastest way possible.”

“I have seen situations where insured became heavily dependent upon their agent or broker in the loss situation and most of the agents and brokers I have worked with and dealt with over the years don’t have a lot of claim experience. They have a lot of underwriting experience, they have a lot of placement experience – but on the claim side, most of them don’t have the ability or don’t have the knowledge or experience to deal with a complicated claim. And I have seen that mistake – and in most cases, the agent or broker actually represents the insurance company’s interests – hence the term ‘agent’ - over that of the insured, so not hiring independent sources or consultants like a public adjuster or forensic accountant, and so on - not only did they not have a full recovery but the recovery was actually hindered in the process.”

To listen to this episode in its entirety, click below: