Claims Pages - The Editor's Notes

[2013] May - Vol. XXV, No. 9

Mon, 06 May 2013 14:08:48 -0400

Just this morning, we uploaded changes to our careers area to make it more user friendly by (1) applying location, experience level, & area of expertise tags on thousands of jobs, (2) introducing new filter options, and (3) making the Add Job Listing link more prominent. Although some employers may not aware of it, adding a job to ClaimsPages.com is easy… and free!

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] April - Vol. XXV, No. 8

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:19:56 -0400

When I was a young adjuster, I had to investigate a claim where the insured’s vehicle had been “vandalized”. When I arrived, I found a van that was riddled with bullet holes from what later turned out to be a drug exchange gone wrong and the brandishing of guns by everyone involved, including our insured. Intentional act; claim denied.

An adjuster in a neighboring territory had to investigate a claim where the insured had shot someone in his rather exposed rear end after the insured discovered that his wife was literally a little too close to this fellow. Intentional act; claim denied.

One of the latest gun legislation efforts has been to hold gun owners strictly liable for the use of their firearms and require them to purchase insurance coverage. This assumes that an insurance company is willing to sell policies that will cover intentional acts. I don’t think that’s likely…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] April - Vol. XXV, No. 7

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:37:00 -0400

Because of the overwhelming response to our cell phone charging cable giveaway in the last newsletter, we’ve decided to expand our giveaway program to offer free mousepads as well.

These mousepads offer quick reference items such as hurricane classifications, tornado intensity levels, earthquake magnitudes, the coinsurance formula, and the calculation method for blood alcohol content.

We only have about 250 of them left, so submit your request at claimspages.com/giveaways before they are all gone.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] March - Vol. XXV, No. 6

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:50:37 -0400

Greetings from the PLRB/LIRB Claims Conference in not-so-sunny Boston where the chance of rain, sleet, and snow tomorrow is 100%. Now I understand why they have skywalks here.

If you’re at the conference, you’ll find us at just outside the exhibit hall where we are providing attendees with internet access, printing services and charging of cell phones. If you’re here, stop by and pick up one of the free cell phone charging cables that we’re giving away. They are available in a variety of colors including, naturally, pink and blue.

If you’re one of those unfortunate souls who was caught between a budget and an avalanche of pending files, you too can receive a free charging cable. Just email your request to adjusters@claimspages.com and indicate your cable preference (micro-USB, iPhone3/4, iPhone5) and desired color. And we’ll see you down the road…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] March - Vol. XXV, No. 5

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:49:00 -0400

Even if you didn’t feel the direct impact of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, you probably received a bevy of claims from hailstorms, tornadoes and wildfires which stretched across the United States. Total U.S. CAT losses have been estimated at $57.9 billion with nearly half of that provided by Hurricane Sandy.

The good news is that…. wait… there is no good news. While last year’s tornado activity was much greater than average during January and February, this year’s tornado reports are nearly the same with as many as 62 tornadoes occurring in a single day.

While the continuing drought conditions across the western states are sure to cause more wildfires, we’re also still in the midst of an active hurricane cycle which began in 1995 and can last 30 years or more.

It’s time to stock up on duct tape…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] February - Vol. XXV, No. 3

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:28:00 -0500

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we can get down to the business of who is responsible for the blackout and who is going to be sued. Based on the timing, you’d think that the 49ers were trying to bring a quick end to the game. Did a 49ers fan pull the plug?

The early suspect was Beyonce after her “electrifying” halftime performance. Even though she was not the culprit, you should never follow Beyonce. It always makes you look bad.

Eventually, the power company Entergy pointed the finger at the Superdome itself and the City of New Orleans, saying that the blackout was most likely caused by improperly maintained equipment at the stadium.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] February - Vol. XXV, No. 4

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:30:00 -0500

We are only one month away from the 2013 Claims Conference in Boston! If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s time to do so. Registration is free for employees of PLRB/LIRB member companies, and you can earn CE credits at the conference. It’s a great networking opportunity for both adjusters and service providers.

Like previous conferences, we will be setting up our internet kiosks just outside the exhibit hall where we will be providing general internet access and charging batteries for those addicted souls who can’t keep their fingers off their cell phones.

If you make it to the conference, please stop by to see us!

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] January - Vol. XXV, No. 1

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:25:38 -0500

A variety of new insurance laws will take effect in 2013 with a crackdown on uninsured motorists in Alabama, WC reform in California, PIP reform in Florida and New Jersey, continuing education changes in Virginia, and a plethora of insurance-related legislation in other states. In my view, some good… some not so good.

Fortunately, the job outlook for claims adjusters is stable according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although the number of AMD specialists is expected to dwindle, the total number of claims adjusters will grow 3% from 2010 to 2020. You’d never know it from looking at all the job postings in our career center but that growth rate is significantly lower than many other occupations. But at least it’s heading in the right direction…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2013] January - Vol. XXV, No. 2

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:32:58 -0500

Have you seen photos of the red dust storm in Australia? They are simply amazing. At first I thought we were being punked by some clever photoshop artist, but then the major news outlets picked up the story as well. You can check out photos on Google.

In other strange news stories:

Alberta man offers $500 reward for stolen outhouse

Florida man gets time served for evading police while DUI on horse

5 Idaho Inmates Sue Beer Companies for $1 Billion

Australian woman injured having sex on business trip wins court ruling

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] December - Vol. XXIV, No. 26

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:35:00 -0500

FEMA has announced its schedule for the 2013 NFIP Adjuster Certification Workshops. Although FEMA does not have it on their website yet, you can find the certification classes in our calendar area starting with a January 16 workshop. Make sure you sign up early as these classes tend to fill up fast.

And for those of you who missed the Large Loss Conference in Washington, DC due to Hurricane Sandy, you may be pleased to know that the Windstorm Insurance Conference in Orlando is still a go for January 28-30. It offers breakout sessions on a variety of claims-related topics and provides continuing education credits in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and several other states. For more details, visit www.windnetwork.com.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] December - Vol. XXIV, No. 25

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:58:43 -0500

Things must be getting nasty in New York. Late last week, Governor Cuomo announced a change in insurance rules for handling hurricane Sandy claims. He’s reduced the time limit for insurers to contact claimants from 15 days to 6 days, authorized the issuance of temporary adjuster licenses to out-of-state public adjusters (I’m sure that will help), and created an Insurers’ Report Card so consumers can “evaluate” how these insurers are doing. He’s obviously trying to bully insurers into handling claims more quickly, presumably by paying every claim without inspection, so he can appear more responsive.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, complaints of gouging by public adjusters is taking center stage. NJ Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore, Jerry Green, has announced plans to cap the amount that a public adjuster can charge a homeowner for services. This comes after complaints by some homeowners that they have been charged as much as 50 percent of the insurance payment.

And the pot is just starting to boil…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] November - Vol. XXIV, No. 24

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:57:00 -0500

I don’t know what’s scarier, watching two good old boys deep frying a turkey in the great outdoors… or hearing William Shatner singingabout his love of deep fried turkey.

Before trying it yourself this Thanksgiving (the cooking, not the singing), I’d suggest checking out these “Turkey Basics”.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] November - Vol. XXIV, No. 23

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:56:16 -0500

The governors of several Mid-Atlantic and New England states have unilaterally declared that their residents will not be charged a hurricane deductible from the “post-tropical storm” that essentially everyone else refers to as Hurricane Sandy. Apparently, they are relying on some sort of Jedi mind control… pay no attention to the insurance policy language… I wonder if that works in elections as well?

By the way, if you’re an adjuster who needs a service provider directory for Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia, just email adjusters@claimspages.com or call Adjuster Services at 800-290-1347.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] October - Vol. XXIV, No. 21

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:46:46 -0400

You may not have noticed it yet, but “The Institutes” have introduced two new courses, Workers Compensation Claim Practices (AIC 44) and Catastrophe Claim Fundamentals (CLM 201). While both are available in print or as an online self-study course, AIC 44 is required to earn the AIC designation through the Workers Compensation Track. You can check them out at AICPCU.org.

By the way, can anyone tell me how Felix Baumgartner can plunge 128,000 feet without receiving a scratch while my “smart” phone can’t fall two feet without cracking the screen?

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] October - Vol. XXIV, No. 20

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

It’s been quite a while since I mentioned this, but anyone can add events and career listings to our website. Just click the + Add link to access the form. After a cursory “meets our approval” review by our staff, the listings will appear on our website in the careers area, calendar section and home page. It’s also featured twice a month in the Claims Intelligence Report, which is delivered to more than 65,000 staff adjusters, independent adjusters and service providers.

And speaking of events… I’ll be at the 2012 Large Loss Conference from October 29-31 in Washington, DC. I hope to see you there!

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] September - Vol. XXIV, No. 19

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:45:00 -0400

If a weeble were to wobble into your local grocery store, you’d know that he could have only gotten there on his Lit Motors’ C-1, the world’s first gyroscopically stabilized, two-wheeled electric vehicle. According to the manufacturer, it won’t tip over, even in an accident. Next story… Weeble meets Oversize Load on highway.

On a completely unrelated note, someone at the Regional Adjusters Conference in Schaumburg introduced me to the NAIC/State Based Systems tool for looking up adjuster licenses. Not all states participate yet, but it’s growing.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] September - Vol. XXIV, No. 18

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:44:00 -0400

Over the weekend, we launched a new version of our online service provider directory. It automatically recognizes your location and selects the county for you. If you need to change it, just type in the first few characters of any city, county or zip code and select from the dropdown list that mysteriously appears.

Besides the location, we’ve also been tinkering with our county “results” page. We’ve included new graphics, larger fonts, and phone numbers in a sans-serif font for easier reading. We hope that you’ll find these changes beneficial as you are searching for service providers.

If you’re at the PLRB Regional Adjusters Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois tomorrow, I hope you’ll stop by our internet kiosks and let me know what you think of the new design.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] August - Vol. XXIV, No. 17

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:43:00 -0400

In the wake of Hurricane Isaac, this special report was created to provide you with information and resources to assist in the handling of storm-related losses in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] August - Vol. XXIV, No. 16

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:27:00 -0400

On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit Florida with such force that it forever changed the insurance marketplace and resulted in the creation of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Now on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, the Insurance Information Institute has released a white paper which details the impact that this catastrophic event has had on private insurers and government in Florida. If you’re like me, you’ll be pleased to know that they also included a lot of pictures (tables and pie charts).

Despite the disruptions that Hurricane Andrew may have caused, the jobs market for insurance adjusters in Florida appears to strong. Anybody interested in being a Catastrophe Claims Unit Manager in Florida?

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

[2012] August - Vol. XXIV, No. 15

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:54:00 -0400

Two tropical storms are heading our way. Ernesto, already in the Gulf, is expected to hit Mexico with tropical storm force winds on Tuesday while Florence is expected to turn toward the U.S. East Coast later this week. Fortunately, neither are expected to have much impact. The hurricane season doesn’t really turn deadly until September based on a study of the deadliest Atlantic tropical storms.

In other totally-unrelated news, the robotic explorer Curiosity landed safely on Mars after traveling 352 million miles and enduring “seven minutes of terror” as it plunged through the Martian atmosphere. Meanwhile, Michelin, Toyota and Hyundai issued recalls for products that don’t work.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC