A Series of Video Presentations and Text on Insurance Claims

Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/excellence-claims-handling-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-1c and see the introductory video at https://youtu.be/kLSSBG7kZy0 and at https://rumble.com/vrhaka-excellence-in-claims-handling.html, Go to “Excellence in Claims Handling” and subscribe at https://barryzalma.substack.com/welcome and go to https://zalmaoninsurance.locals.com/subscribe subscribe to my locals account and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4000 posts.

 Professional Insurance Adjusting

At the turn of the century, insurers, in a search for profit, decimated their professional claims sta. They laid off experienced personnel and replaced them with young, untrained and unprepared people.

A virtual clerk replaced the old professional claims handler. Process and computers replaced skill and judgment.

Insurers intentionally forgot that the promises made by an insurance policy are kept by the professional claims person. A professional claims staff is a cost-effective method to avoid litigation.

The professional claims person is an important part of the insurer’s defense to litigation against insurers for breach of contract.

A staff of claims professionals dedicated to excellence in claims handling are a profit center for an insurance company. Experience establishes that claims professionals resolve more claims for less money without the need for either party to involve counsel. A happy insured or claimant satisfied with the results of his or her claim will never sue the insurer.

Incompetent or inadequate claims personnel force insureds and claimants to lawyers. Every study performed on claims establish that claims with an insured or claimant represented by counsel cost more than those where counsel is not involved.

Prompt, effective and professional claims handling saves money and fulfills the promises made when the insurer sold the policy.

Excellence in Claims Handling

Excellence in claims handling is a program that can help insurers avoid charges of bad faith in both first and third party claims.

An insurer must understand that it cannot adequately fulfill the promises it makes to it insured and the Fair Claims Practices Act which exist in almost every state, when dealing with claimants without excellence in claims handling. An insurer must work intelligently and with vigor to create a professional claims department.

A Proposal to Create Claims Professionals

To avoid claims of bad faith; to avoid punitive damages; to avoid losses; and to make a profit insurers must maintain claim staffs who are dedicated to excellence in claims handling. That means they will make sure every promise made in every policy is satisfied.

© 2021 – Barry Zalma

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