Quality Claims Attends San Diego Home Show

In an effort to get the word out about public adjusting, Quality Claims exhibited at the San Diego Home Show in the Convention Center last weekend. We received lots of questions about insurance claims as well as positive feedback and an expressed need for our services to the public. Quality Claims expects to attend more of these events in the future and invites anyone with policy or claim questions to come and speak with us.

Rain, Rain Everywhere!

By Seth Knudsen, Claims Adjuster

If you have been in Southern California the last few weeks you are most likely drying something out. SignOn San Diego reported this to be the 9th wettest December on record. Homes throughout Southern California have suffered mudslides and flooding while others experienced water damage from roof leaks and wind driven rain.

If you suffered damage which you believe exceeds your policy deductible you might be considering making an insurance claim.

It is always good to know what is covered under your policy and what is not. Generally speaking, homeowner policies WILL NOT cover mudslides and flooding of homes. What is normally covered in a homeowner’s policy are roof leaks and wind driven rain. To get your damages paid, make sure you do your part by protecting your home from further damage.

Of course each policy can be different. You should always review your policy to see what coverages you do have or call your insurance agent/broker and ask them.

SignOn San Diego Article: Rain produces San Diego's 9th wettest December

Quality Claims Holiday Safety Tips

by Kim Cary, Senior General Adjuster

This is the perfect time of year to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. There is a higher risk of fire this time of year from Christmas trees, fireplace fires and unattended holiday candles. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 3000 people lose their lives every year to residential fires in the US. In addition to changing the batteries, they also suggest testing your smoke alarms monthly. See the link for details. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

When it comes to getting a settlement from your insurance adjuster, you have more than one option.

By Seth Knudsen, Claims Adjuster

November 30, 2010

 

Often people who have claims are at the mercy of their insurance adjuster’s opinion and calculation of the damaged value(s). This is troubling as the adjuster is employed by and represents the company he works for and not you.

 

What are your options when it comes to a smaller than expected settlement amount?

1. hire a public insurance adjuster
2. hire a lawyer
3. hire an appraiser

Depending on the type of claim you have (auto, homeowners, liability, business, etc) one or all can help you with getting the settlement you deserve.

 

You might say to yourself, “Is it worth it for me to hire someone?”

 

In my experience, more often than not, the answer is YES.

 

I think of it this way; I have to pay for my gas to commute to work and back - that’s paying for something to make money.

 

In addition, you have the peace of mind of knowing you were fairly reimbursed for your loss. You don’t have to always wonder if you were shortchanged.

 

Quality Claims Management Corp. is a national public adjusting firm. Public Adjusters are professionals who are employed exclusively by a policyholder who has sustained an insured loss. They handle every detail of the claim, working closely with the insured to provide the most equitable and prompt settlement possible. A Public Adjuster inspects the loss site immediately, analyzes the damages, assembles claim support data, reviews the insured's coverage, determines current replacement costs and exclusively serves the client, not the insurance company.

 

Let us know if we can help you in getting a better settlement.

Insurance Commissioner Elect Dave Jones

By Kim Cary, Senior Adjuster

Novemeber 12, 2010

On November 2nd, California voted in Dave Jones as the new Insurance Commissioner. The Commissioner oversees the California Department of Insurance (CDI) which ensures that consumers are protected; the insurance marketplace is fostered to be vibrant and stable; the regulatory process is maintained as open and equitable; and the law is enforced fairly and impartially.

According to insurance.ca.gov:

As a state mandated regulatory agency, the CDI has authority over how the insurance industry conducts business within California. The following eight points represent areas where regulatory authority is exercised on a daily basis by the Department:

• Legal - Legal action is the ultimate enforcement instrument of the Department. Possible legal enforcement actions include: Cease and Desist Orders, Notices of Noncompliance, and Administrative Law Hearings. These actions may result in fines or penalties against our licensees.
• Consumer Protection - The Department aids consumers by regulating how insurance companies market and administer their policies. Insurance business must be conducted in an honest, open, and fair manner.
• Licensing - As mandated by the California Insurance Code (CIC), the Department holds licensing examinations for brokers and agents and investigates suspected violations of the CIC by licensees.
• Enforcement - To protect the public from economic loss and distress by actively investigating and arresting those who commit insurance fraud and to reduce the overall incidence of insurance fraud through anti-fraud outreach to the public, private, and government sectors.
• Certificates of Authority - Insurance companies that want to do business in California must apply and be reviewed by the Department to determine whether or not they should be given the authority to sell insurance in this state.
• Conservation and Liquidation -The Department takes an active, leading role to conserve, rehabilitate, or liquidate troubled insurance companies under appointment of the Superior Court.
• Rate Regulation - The Rate Regulation Branch, under the provisions of Proposition 103, reviews proposed personal auto and homeowners insurance rates to ensure that they are fair, reasonable, and adequate.
• Financial Surveillance - By examining and reviewing key financial statements and conducting audits of insurance companies in California, the Department oversees the financial condition of the insurance industry and helps to ensure stability and to protect policyholders.

Insurance Commissioner Elect Dave Jones is currently serving his third term in the California State Assembly representing Sacramento’s 9th District. He served in the Clinton Administration as Special Assistant and Counsel to US Attorney General Janet Reno. He also worked as a Legal Aid attorney providing free assistance to the poor.

As indicated on his campaign website, Dave Jones believes in holding insurers accountable and will strive to keep insurance premiums affordable. He is a strong consumer advocate and was awarded the 2008 Consumer Champion by the California Consumer Federation. He authored legislation requiring the Department of Insurance to obtain public input and hold hearings on major decisions.

Quality Claims looks forward to seeing positive changes for consumers at the Department of Insurance when Dave Jones takes office.

How to do a Home Inventory using your Camcorder or Digital Camera

By Ronald R. Reitz, CPPA
October 24, 2010

If your home and possessions were destroyed by a natural disaster, how easy would it be for you to remember every single item in your house? Would you be able to describe each and every possession your family had accumulated over the years, and then estimate what it would cost to replace each item today?

For most of us it would be an impossible task. However, after suffering a loss following a disaster, that is precisely what an insurance carrier will require you to do if you file a claim for recovery.

Following destruction of your property due to fire, flood, earthquake, windstorm or other disaster you will need to assist your carrier in calculating your loss in order to maximize your insurance claim. The insurance company will request an itemized inventory of all damaged and/or destroyed property. The list will need to include a description of the item, the age of the item, and the cost to replace it today.

You will even be required to separate your damaged property from your undamaged property. Have you ever considered where you could store all of your undamaged property?

After a disaster, you will have more important things to worry about than completing an inventory of lost items. The process of searching through all of your damaged things is not only a tedious one; it can be unpleasant and painful.

Quality Claims recommends an annual family meeting to sit together and compile, or update, an inventory of all of your possessions. For many people, a good time to do this is the beginning of each year, right after the holidays, when you may have lots of shiny new toys, electronics, jewelry and other gifts.

You will need to scan each room, identifying every item. To help with this, you can download free inventory list spreadsheets from the Quality Claims Management web site at http://www.qualityclaims.com/. If you are using a spreadsheet, you can check off the items one by one. It is a great time saver and helps you remember to include all of the little things you own.

A fun way to do accomplish this, and probably the easiest and quickest - is to use a video camera or camcorder to make a video record of your property. As you record the video, describe to the viewer what you are looking at.

• Go room by room. Start in the master bedroom: open your closets and make a slow pan across your hanging clothes, shoes and other items you store there. While panning the closet contents you can elaborate with details like: "Here are five businesses suits, 12 pairs of pants and 12 blouses - worth about two thousand five hundred dollars". If you have any expensive or hard to replace items be sure to draw attention to them and record a clear image.
• Open your drawers and lay smaller items like jewelry, watches, and personal items on your bed and photograph those. It is helpful to have your completed inventory list on hand with the detailed information about the items and prices. Ideally, one person should operate the camera while the other reads from the list.
• Don't forget the garage or the kitchen. Make sure you pull out those treasured tools, pots and pans, holiday decorations, etc., and document them as well.
• If you have outbuildings or have invested in landscaping, make sure it all is on video. Open up the shed and film or photograph anything inside of it.
• There are several technical issues to consider: 1) Make sure there is enough light in the room so all of the items can be seen adequately and you are close enough to the video camera so your voice can be heard, 2) Make sure there is a tape, flash disk or other storage device in the camera, and 3) Remember to start with a fully-charged battery so you won’t have to stop mid way to recharge it.
• Make it fun. Get the kids involved. Turn it into a family project. Make sure they help out when you are in their room shooting video of their furniture, toys, computers, cameras and other possessions. You might say "Santa got this computer last Christmas for Mary. It would probably cost us about $350 to replace it.”
• When you are all done, watch the video yourself to make sure you have not missed anything, that the images are clear, and then MAKE COPIES. Burn a few copies to DVDs or onto removable flash or hard drives, and store them away in your safe deposit box, in a secure drawer at work, and maybe send a copy to a relative. You can also post it to an online data storage site. If you have filled out a written spreadsheet, keep copies offsite along with the video.

Some people are uncomfortable speaking on camera. Keep in mind - you are not trying to earn an award for film making. You are just making a documentary record of your possessions. If you make a mistake you can always re-record it. Hopefully, no one will ever have to watch this video again.

Here are a few more tips to make the process easier and more effective.

1. To research how much items cost to replace on your inventory list, you can “shop on line” to see what it would cost to purchase a similar item now.

2. Confirm that your homeowner’s insurance policy contains a replacement cost endorsement for your contents. It only costs a few extra dollars per year and is well worth it.

3. If you received a real estate appraisal when you bought your home, make a copy and keep it with your contents inventory information. An appraisal should contain a floor plan as well as descriptions of flooring, roofing, walls, countertops and other items attached to your home. This is critical information the adjuster will need.

4. Finally, if you have a loss, keep in mind that the insurance company will apply depreciation to each item based on the age of the item. The depreciation will reduce the amount of money they will pay you until those items are actually replaced. Once replaced, you will need to provide receipts proving you spent the replacement cost amount for the items in order to be reimbursed for the difference.

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Ron Reitz is president of San Diego-based http://www.qualityclaims.com/ Quality Claims Management , a nationally licensed public insurance adjuster, providing hazard claim recovery services to investors, mortgage servicers, homeowners and businesses. Earlier, he pioneered the national hazard insurance claims business of GMAC-RFC (now GMAC-ResCap). A CPPA (Certified Professional Public Adjuster), Mr. Reitz is Past President of the California Association of Public Insurance Adjusters as well as an Officer of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (He will be President in 2012). Contact Quality Claims Management at (866) 450-1183 or www.qualityclaims.com

Free downloadable inventory forms are at http://www.qualityclaims.com/homeowner.aspx?sect=_services

Quality Claims participates in the 2010 California ShakeOut!

On October 21 at 10:21 a.m. millions of people practiced Drop, Cover and Hold On in the 2010 California ShakeOut! Quality Claims successfully participated in this event and even staged a mock head injury to practice our emergency skills. See Below: