Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

THE POLICYHOLDER'S ADVOCATE®

Blog Authors

AB C D E F G HIJ K L M N O PQR S TUV WXYZ

Courtney Abrams

Latest from Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

What May and May Not Be Resolved Through Appraisal or Arbitration in Florida?

By Christina Potter

January 20, 2021

Property insurance policies have long-contained appraisal and arbitration provisions.1 Although both avenues offer insureds the ability to resolve their claims through extrajudicial means, each has clear distinctions and similarities. In certain circumstances, some issues may only be resolved through a trial court.…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Functional Replacement Cost – When Will You Encounter It and What To Be On the Lookout For

By Mark Dillman

January 19, 2021

In unique situations, actual cash value (“ACV”) or replacement cost (“RC”) coverage may not be the best match to meet a property owner’s needs, or even be available. Policies that provide functional replacement cost (“FRC”) valuation, or endorsements that do so, offer an alternative. This valuation method is most commonly used to insure older structures built with obsolete materials and by outdated or custom methods; structures where the RC often exceeds the market value. One…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Accord & Satisfaction: Will My Insurance Claim Be Dismissed If I Deposit A Payment? – Part 2

By Julitza Perez

January 18, 2021

Communications between Insurance Companies and their insureds are always important, and copies of these are requested to understand insurance claims when filing a complaint. Recently, the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals ruled on an Accord and Satisfaction case in which Plaintiff presented a memo received from the insurer that contradicted its allegations against the Plaintiff’s Hurricane claim.…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Rockfall Damage Not a Landslide Victory

By Courtney Abrams

January 17, 2021

Houses, rescue teams and evacuated people who have collapsed due to landslides

In a recent case, Sullivan v. Nationwide Affinity Insurance Company,1 the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a trial court’s decision finding a policy’s earth movement exclusion barred coverage for damage caused by rockfalls. On Monday, the three-judge panel found the policy’s earth movement exclusion is not limited to damage caused by soil movement, but also included rocks, concluding a “rockfall” is a type of “landslide.”…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Storm Restoration Leaders Gather at SRC Summit on January 23rd-25th

By Drew Houghton

January 16, 2021

April Hall with Storm Consultants, LLC, & the Storm Restoration Contractor Summit (SRC Summit) joined Chip Merlin on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming SRC Summit event she is hosting in Frisco, Texas, on January 23rd – 25th. As many of you that follow our blog know, it is common this time of year for industry seminars and events to take place around the country. However, due to COVID, this year is quite different and the…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

The Best of Both Worlds! Join me on Friday at 2 for a Brief Presentation on Hybrid Expert Witnesses

By Anthony Orlando

January 15, 2021

A hybrid witness is a fact witness who also happens to have the requisite knowledge, skill, or expertise to provide opinion testimony and whose opinion is formed as a result of the witness’ involvement in the subject events.1…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Insurance Surrogates and Insurers Delegating Those Duties Do Not Want Surrogates To Be held Accountable For Failing To Provide Honest and Good Faith Treatment In Washington

By Chip Merlin

January 15, 2021

The battle regarding insurance surrogates is being waged in Washington state. Many insurance companies want the Department of Insurance to allow unlicensed non-adjusters determine how much policyholders deserve to be paid. Here is the what the Washington Department of Insurance states is a legislative priority:…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Municipal and Local Government Insurance Claims With Governmental Insurance Pools Are Different

By Chip Merlin & Jamie Glass

January 14, 2021

Governmental insurance pools or quasi-governmental entities offering insurance are often treated differently than typical private insurance companies. Since many of these insurance entities are set up to provide insurance to other governmental entities, especially municipalities and local school districts, it is important to recognize that state laws often treat these entities different than private insurers.…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Steven Lesser- A Leader of Public Adjusters—Passes

By Chip Merlin

January 13, 2021

Lesser & Company have been pioneers and leaders in Florida public adjusting since 1944. It is Florida’s oldest public adjusting firm. I was stunned to learn from Mark Boardman that Steve Lesser passed yesterday morning. I felt a lump in my throat and wished that this horrible news was simply not true. Steve is my age. It is hard to accept that my friends and I are getting so much older that the things that…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

Are Public Adjusters, Restoration Contractors and Other On Scene Experts Hybrid Expert Witnesses? What Rules Apply To Them?

By Anthony Orlando

January 12, 2021

In the legal world, there are generally two types of witnesses that you will see: (1) fact witnesses and (2) expert witnesses. Well, technically there are three, if you count hybrid witnesses. These types of witnesses serve both factual and expert purposes.…

Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

THE POLICYHOLDER'S ADVOCATE®

Blog Authors

What May and May Not Be Resolved Through Appraisal or Arbitration in Florida?

Functional Replacement Cost – When Will You Encounter It and What To Be On the Lookout For

Accord & Satisfaction: Will My Insurance Claim Be Dismissed If I Deposit A Payment? – Part 2

Rockfall Damage Not a Landslide Victory

Storm Restoration Leaders Gather at SRC Summit on January 23rd-25th

The Best of Both Worlds! Join me on Friday at 2 for a Brief Presentation on Hybrid Expert Witnesses

Insurance Surrogates and Insurers Delegating Those Duties Do Not Want Surrogates To Be held Accountable For Failing To Provide Honest and Good Faith Treatment In Washington

Municipal and Local Government Insurance Claims With Governmental Insurance Pools Are Different

Steven Lesser- A Leader of Public Adjusters—Passes

Are Public Adjusters, Restoration Contractors and Other On Scene Experts Hybrid Expert Witnesses? What Rules Apply To Them?

Stay Connected

Company

Products

Support

New to the Network