Business People: Provencher, Goetz Law Firm, CRDN, DropIn and ATF Medical

Provencher Appoints Examiner

Provencher & Co. LLC, a nationwide independent adjusting firm based in Hammond, La., has appointed Charles Wojciechowski as a supervising examiner on its general liability team.

Wojciechowski, who goes by “Chuck,” has more than 25 years experience in adjusting, litigation management and claims experience, Provencher said in a press release. He works in an office in Yorkville, Ill., according to his Linkedin page.

Wojciechowski previously worked as a senior remote adjuster for Alternative Service Concepts, a third-party administrator. Before then, he was a remote casualty adjuster for North American Risk Services and casualty claims manager for the Auto Club Group, according to his Linkedin profile.

Wojciechowski has handled claims for self-insured risks, school districts, municipalities, trucking companies, and non-profit entities, the company said. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Illinois State University.

Goetz Law Firm Adds Named Partner

The Goetz Schenker Blee insurance defense law firm has brought attorney Steven J. Widerhorn on as a senior partner and added his name to the company’s shingle.

The New York City law firm is now known as Goetz, Schenker, Blee & Wiederhorn. He joins founders Marisa Goetz, Robert C. Schenker and David I. Lee.

“Steven has been a firm partner since 2006, and brings many years of commitment to our clients and senior leadership team,” Schenker, who serves as managing partner, said in a press release.

Wiederhorn will act as co-managing partner of the firm’s New Jersey office. He is responsible for the account management of several leading insurance carriers across the United States and defends some of the firm’s more complex cases in the areas of general negligence, product liability, consumer fraud, catastrophic fires, construction defects, civil rights litigation, employment law and representation of public entities, the law firm said.

Wiederhorn also has extensive experience in the area of premises liability, with work conducted on behalf of statewide commercial and residential properties and regional recreational facilities. Additionally, he has been on the leading edge of coverage and development of litigation strategies in the emerging rideshare sector, the firm said.

Wiederhorn received his Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis and his Bachelor of Arts from Duke University.

CRDN Appoints National Sales Manager

CRDN, an international franchisor for textile and electronics restoration specialists based in Berkley, Mich., has added Rami Benayad-Cherif as national sales manager.

Prior to joining CRDN, Benayad-Cherif served as a global business intelligence analyst for The Juice Plus Co., working with over 20 countries across four continents, the company said.

Benayad-Cherif also served as manager of ServiceMaster’s claims capture unit and digital sales, implementing process improvements and enhancing customer service through technology and automation. He received a Bachelor of Science in Resource Economics from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, CRDN said.

Benayad-Cherif will work directly with CRDN franchisees and sales staff in the Atlantic Northeast

Launched in 2001, CRDN has created a model of restoration specialists by aggregating under one brand with standardized systems, a service that previously didn’t exist, CRDN said.

DropIn Names New CEO

DropIn Inc., which provides an on-demand live video platform for the insurance industry, has appointed Joseph Shemesh as its new chief executive officer.

The Los Angeles-based tech company said founder and former CEO Louis Ziskin “is stepping down amicably to focus his time primarily on developing a new business called SuperCall Inc., a celebrity video chat application.

Ziskin will keep an advisory role to DropIn, as well as keep his seat on the board of directors, the company said.

Shemesh was previously executive vice president for technology and innovation and Bridgeline Digital, according to his LinkedIn page. Before that, he was CEO of Celebros and CEO of SeeVolution.

“DropIn’s Mobile Claim Settlement platform is a unique and advanced tool designed to allow insurance companies to increase their efficiency while providing superior customer service to their insured,” Shemesh said in a press release. “Our partnership with Lyft together with the proven DJI’s Drone Integration system allows us to provide a comprehensive solution to insurance adjustors with an enormous workforce at the tip of their fingers.”

ATF Medical Appoints Coordinator

ATF Medical has appointed Karissa Peffer as senior coordinator of adaptive housing solutions.

ATF Medical, based in Woodbridge, Va., provides comprehensive medical equipment and adaptive housing solutions to the workers’ compensation industry. The company matches therapists with a contractor to assess the injured worker’s home from both clinical and construction perspectives to develop complex care solutions that combines medical equipment and home renovations.

Peffer helps select the contractors, coordinates assessments, provides estimates to adjusters, oversees projects, and serves as a liaison between the contractors and payers, keeping adjusters apprised of the progress, ATF said.

“There are people who understand construction and others who understand workers’ comp,” said ATF Medical Executive Director of Rehab Technology Erin Zablocki. “Karissa has experience in both along with outstanding customer service skills.”

Most recently Peffer served as senior project manager for National Seating & Mobility. Previously, she held customer service and human relations positions with companies in the home services sector, ATF said.