Articles by Denise Johnson

Self-Insured Retention on Policy Allows Insurer to Deny Contractor’s Claim

A general contractor was unsuccessful in its bid to gain coverage as an additional insured, due to a self-insured retention (SIR) endorsement on a subcontractor’s commercial general liability (CGL) insurance policy. In a decision issued by an Indiana appeals court …

Tips on Handling the Latest Bad Faith Trends

Institutional attack, reptile theory and rules of the road are three recent bad faith trends, according to Douglas Wood, partner and Insurance Group Practice leader for Morris, Polich and Purdy. Purdy, sat down with Claims Journal during the most recent …

Texas High Court Establishes Clear Rules for Breach of Contract, Bad Faith Suits Against Insurers

In an effort to clear up confusion as a result of past decisions, the Texas Supreme Court announced five rules that “address the relationship between contract claims under an insurance policy and tort claims under the Insurance Code.” The clarification …

Status of 2017 Anti-Fraud Legislation Around the Nation

Workers’ compensation premium fraud, restricting crash reports and extending the time in which to investigate fraud rings are the focus of just a few of the anti-fraud legislation pending across the nation, according to Howard Goldblatt, director of Government Affairs …

Women Especially Benefit From Improving Communication Skills

Honing good communication skills can assist claims handling and aid women, in particular. Deborah Shames and David Booth, partners at Eloqui, a Los Angeles-based public speaking training provider, explained the value of communicating well during the Combined Claims Conference held …

Why Hoarding Impacts Claims

Adjusters who encounter hoarders on property claims can expect to have trouble in determining the cause of a covered loss as well as damages, said Jeff Taxier, education and training manager for American Technologies, Inc. Typically, a hoarder equals more …

Insurers Shouldn’t Neglect Good Business Writing Skills

Insurers focused on improving customer service through new technology shouldn’t forget that good writing skills can also impact a company’s bottom line. Offering business writing education to new hires and continuing education to current employees are just two ways that …

Why Avoiding a Jury Trial is the Best Defense

Because juries can be unpredictable, awarding large sums even in conservative jurisdictions, jury trials should be considered as a last resort, according to Nicole Whyte, founding partner at Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara. Whyte sat down with Claims Journal, during …

Coverage Dispute Handling Has Evolved in 25 Years

Changes in response time, the way research is conducted and the sources of bad faith have all impacted how coverage is evaluated, according to a panel discussion conducted by the American Bar Association’s Trial and Insurance Program Session. The program …

Texas Residents Face Rising Federal Flood Insurance Rates

The cost of federal flood insurance is expected to rise for thousands of Houston, Texas, homeowners as Congress looks to overhaul a program that’s billions of dollars in debt. The National Flood Insurance Program provides coverage to more than 300,000 …