In a previous blog post, we shared the 60 Minutes documentary “The Storm After the Storm”, an expose’ on the egregious claims conduct of flood insurance companies in the wake Superstorm Sandy; specifically, their alleged widespread and systematic alteration of engineer’s reports by which they used to deny valid flood claims. According to the New York Times article this morning, the engineering firm at the center of this documentary GEB Hi-Rise Engineering, of Uniondale, N.Y., and Matthew Pappalardo, a […]

In a post by the Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog in May of 2015, Merlin Law Group Attorney Robert Trauttman, Esq. discusses one of the benefits of having a Public Insurance Adjuster representing policyholders at the outset of their claims. The video addresses the benefits of having a Public Adjuster at the beginning of your claim to assist in guiding the Insurer to set proper reserves. We wanted to share a link to the video, […]

When policyholders encounter a property claim denial, or claim determination that they feel to be inconsistent with their expectations of coverage, they generally believe their only option is to turn to an attorney to resolve the issues. In my experience, this is generally a result of policyholder’s lack of awareness of the existence of Licensed Public Insurance Adjusters, and the role they serve in the claims process. I commonly am asked whether a policyholder should […]

Association management professionals are frequently called upon by their clients to assist in a variety of different projects and matters. These matters range from basic maintenance too complicated construction projects. While it has always been our Firms warning and positions that Association Managers should not expose themselves to the liability that comes with adjusting insurance claims on behalf of their clients, see our blog post, “Why an Association Manager Should Never Adjust a Client’s Insurance […]

One of the most common black eyes on the insurance claims and the insurance restoration business is the stigma of unscrupulous roofing contractors. The door knocking after a storm, hard sales tactics, poor follow-up and execution on construction, and a litany of other phenomenon experienced by consumers post storm. The practices of contractors, or other not licensed professionals, adjusting insurance claims on behalf of policyholders is referred to amongst the industry as “the unauthorized practice […]

In today’s property insurance claims environment, there are numerous hurdles a claimant must overcome in order to recover the fair amounts owed to them under their policy after a loss occurs. In our opinion, none more troublesome than the outcome oriented and biased experts frequently utilized by insurance companies. This claim investigation tactic is widely deployed by insurance carriers, whom utilize 3rd party consultants and experts, most commonly in the form of “forensic engineering firms”, […]