Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Professional Liability Claims Adjuster Happy

1. Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Professional Liability Claims Adjuster Happy Christopher B. Block, Esquire 425 Eagle Rock Avenue. Suite 302. Roseland, NJ 07068 P:973.618.4176 • F:973.618.4100 • E:cbblock@mdwcg.com Jennifer Edmonds, Esquire Great American Insurance Company 301 E. Fourth Street. 20N. Cincinnati, OH 45202 P:513.579.6310• F:513.412.8435 • E:jmedmonds@gaig.com

2. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Whenever possible, keep it simple. A 14 page report is not necessary to explain to me that plaintiff has no report expert and cannot establish a breach of duty.

3. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Give us your opinion and the support for the opinion. Please don’t ask me what I think you should do on a discovery motion. Provide me your opinion. I will let you know if I vehemently disagree.

4. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Unless there is an emergency, please give me several days lead time with requests for permission. I may be away or have more pressing matters.

5. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • If I give you my cell phone number because your arbitration is running late, please do not text me pictures of your poodle or call me on the weekend to catch up.

6. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Don’t be Eeyore: We want to see you fight for the insured, that’s why we hired you. Spend enough time during initial intake to understand the case and the client’s defenses. Take a position and run with it. Keep evaluating and keep us apprised.

8. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Don’t be Indiana Jones either: If it is a terrible cases, it’s ok to state your reasons and tell us we should settle. We HATE it when you call us during the mediation and tell us you changed your mind and now we need $600,000 more to settle.

10. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Communicate with insured please. We hate it when the insured says they have no idea what’s going on and you settled the case three months ago. Keep everyone in the loop, even if little is going on.

11. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Please don’t ask for new assignments every time you talk to us. We understand you like to work with us, and chances are, we like to work with you. But it can’t be a sales pitch every day.

12. Top Ten Things Said by a PL Claims Professional • Know the law in your state: If its comparative negligence state, tell us how it effects our case. What damages can be black boarded? Is there pre-judgment interest? Is the Plaintiff entitled to costs/fees?

13. And lastly….. • Follow our guidelines, ESPECIALLY when it comes to reporting. If my boss comes looking for a report and it’s not there, guess who is responsible.

15. Do YOU Know What Upsets Your Claims Professional? • Defense counsel wears bright colored shirts.

16. Do YOU Know What Upsets Your Claims Professional? • Defense counsel doesn’t put the claim number on the email or communication. The Smith or The Home Inspector case in Florida is not a good designation. • Defense counsel calls from the courthouse and says they are picking a jury and the last email I had was “we just answered”. • Defense counsel refuses to render an opinion on the value of a claim.