Marc Gaffrey

Adjuster Safety: Disaster Site Safety

Theresa Chimento, MPH, Project Director, J.S. Held LLC
Marc Gaffrey, JD, Partner, Hoagland Longo Moran et al
Richard Hammond-Moore, General Adjuster, Church Mutual Insurance Group

Develop skills to identify hazardous materials

Understand who should do the testing and write the protocols

Learn what PPE to wear to stay safer on claims with hazardous materials

Understand the legal issues with hazardous materials on claims

Leonardo Garzon

Weather Experts in Claims: So Many Perils

Howard Altschule, CEO, Certified Meteorologist, Forensic Weather Consultants
Leonardo Garzon, PE, Managing Dir.-Latin America, McLarens
Bryant Green, JD, Attorney, Zelle LLP

Learn about the role of Forensic Meteorologists and how getting reliable site-specific weather reports early in the claims stage can help adjusters conduct a prompt and thorough investigation and help make the proper determination of cause and scope of the loss. Wind speeds, hail sizes, and rainfall amounts can change over short distances and how having accurate, site-specific weather historical information after each event can play major role in the claims resolution process.

Learn how engineers and adjusters use metrological data to conduct building envelope, roof, and cause and origin investigations—including the use of 3D Building information Modeling (BIM).

Understand the scope of investigate tools available under the “duties after loss” section of an insurance policy and how counsel can assist the adjustment team in discovering the information needed to investigate losses; including inspections, requests for information, proofs of loss, and examinations under oath.

Learn how to ensure the quality of the claims investigation will satisfy Daubert’s reliability factors, including: (1) whether the expert’s technique or theory can be or has been tested—that is, whether the expert’s theory can be challenged in some objective sense, or whether it is instead simply a subjective, conclusory approach that cannot reasonably be assessed for reliability; (2) whether the technique or theory has been subject to peer review and publication; (3) the known or potential rate of error of the technique or theory when applied; (4) the existence and maintenance of standards and controls; and (5) whether the technique or theory has been generally accepted in the scientific community.

Timothy Gillihan

Winery Claims: Don't Make Pour Decisions

Jeff Cassidy, Vice President, RCF Salvage
Timothy Gillihan, CPA, ABV, CFF, Senior Vice President, J.S. Held LLC

Developing enough technical knowledge to understand the nuances of winery losses

Tactics for handling a large complex loss involving a niche category of loss

Resolve valuation issues on winery losses by better understanding what stage of process the damaged goods were at time damaged

Strategies for avoiding the most common mistakes in valuation involving a winery loss

Kenneth R. Gilvary

Claims Handling for Iconic Hotel

Diane Barnes-Reynolds, JD, Managing Partner, Tampa Office, Simon, Reed & Salazar, P.A.
Kenneth R. Gilvary, M.S., P.E., Principal Engineer/Owner, Revision Engineering Inc.
Tom Jefferies, Senior Vice President, Allcat Claims Service

Identify key issues when handling a large damaged occupied iconic hotel in a disaster zone          

Organize and manage claim conditions while separating sudden damage from ongoing conditions

Separate multiple causes of damage/loss using appropriate allocation methods

Evaluate risk and resolve complicated claim disputes, while maintaining excellent customer service to the insured.

Robert Granquist, Jr.

Large Multifamily Structural Water Losses

Robert Granquist, Jr., AIC, Executive General Adjuster, Gallagher Bassett Tech. Svcs.
Alex Mavrelis, IH & IEQ Practice Director, Gallagher Bassett Tech. Svcs.
Donald Rondy, Senior Project Professional, Gallagher Bassett Tech. Svcs.

Understanding the Stages of the Assessment and Restoration Process – discussion of the roles of the various parties, avoiding conflicts of interest, and the terms and conditions of water losses

Restoration Project Oversight and Clearance Inspections – driving the restoration process through rapid response, repeated assessments and mapping, area by area clearance, and cooperation between consultants and contractors in order to reduce overall project costs

Water Loss Project Documentation – compiling the moisture mapping, field and photographic documentation, dates and timelines, testing results, and clearance criteria into a single deliverable

Alicia Gray

Adjusting & Subrogating a Large Loss: Magical Realism

Jacqui Arnold, FCLS, Sr. Claims Strategies Spec., Liberty Mutual Group
Sarah Friedman, WRT, RRP, OSHA 10, VP-Strategic Marketing, ServiceMaster by Gilmore
Alicia Gray, Claims Manager, Fides Insurance Group

Implement practical and decisive behaviors in the adjusting of a large loss involving subrogation

Assemble working relationships with subrogation, mitigation, consulting, origin and cause and litigation partners

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of a pursuing subrogation viability

Design positive outcome(s) from claims investigation and subrogation pursuit

Bryant Green

Weather Experts in Claims: So Many Perils

Howard Altschule, CEO, Certified Meteorologist, Forensic Weather Consultants
Leonardo Garzon, PE, Managing Dir.-Latin America, McLarens
Bryant Green, JD, Attorney, Zelle LLP

Learn about the role of Forensic Meteorologists and how getting reliable site-specific weather reports early in the claims stage can help adjusters conduct a prompt and thorough investigation and help make the proper determination of cause and scope of the loss. Wind speeds, hail sizes, and rainfall amounts can change over short distances and how having accurate, site-specific weather historical information after each event can play major role in the claims resolution process.

Learn how engineers and adjusters use metrological data to conduct building envelope, roof, and cause and origin investigations—including the use of 3D Building information Modeling (BIM).

Understand the scope of investigate tools available under the “duties after loss” section of an insurance policy and how counsel can assist the adjustment team in discovering the information needed to investigate losses; including inspections, requests for information, proofs of loss, and examinations under oath.

Learn how to ensure the quality of the claims investigation will satisfy Daubert’s reliability factors, including: (1) whether the expert’s technique or theory can be or has been tested—that is, whether the expert’s theory can be challenged in some objective sense, or whether it is instead simply a subjective, conclusory approach that cannot reasonably be assessed for reliability; (2) whether the technique or theory has been subject to peer review and publication; (3) the known or potential rate of error of the technique or theory when applied; (4) the existence and maintenance of standards and controls; and (5) whether the technique or theory has been generally accepted in the scientific community.

Morgan Griffith

Earthquake Claims Handling: California Accreditation

Douglas Dell, VP & Director, Vale National Training Center
Dan Dyce, CPCU, RPA, Consultant, Dan Dyce Consulting
Morgan Griffith, PE, Senior Managing Engineer, Exponent

Recognize what earthquake damage looks like in order to complete a full scope of damages

Properly use earthquake Shaking Intensity Maps in the analysis of earthquake damage

Find and use inspection checklists that will help make sure a thorough inspection of a structure was completed

Decide what earthquake damage you can scope on your own and when to involve a technical consultant