Business Income Claims Expert Witnesses Part 2

Business income claims expert witnesses may advise on issues involving loss of revenue, insurance fraud, and related issues. Here Bruce D. Smith, CPA and certified fraud examiner explains:
What is a Forensic Accounting?

To quantify a Business Income loss, an analysis of pre- and post-loss revenue, costs and operating expenses is required. A competent forensic accountant will provide an adjuster, policyholder, or legal counsel with his/her knowledge and experience in matters, including, but not limited to: technical aspects of accounting rules and procedures and other related data, familiarity with policy terms and conditions, and establishment of accounting and document control procedures to ensure inclusion of all relevant data into the claim calculation.

The above-mentioned services will result in an expeditious compilation of a Business Income claim that properly indemnifies the policyholder for its Business Income loss in accordance with its coverage(s). Some specific examples of how the forensic accountant can assist:

* Requesting the relevant books and records needed to support a Business Income claim.
* Using his/her general knowledge of coverage to properly analyze, indentify and segregate revenues, costs and expenses to coincide with coverage and facilitate the expeditious preparation of the claim. Please note, a forensic accountant does not provide coverage interpretation, as this is the responsibility of an adjuster and or legal counsel.
* Providing an avenue for communication between the “two sides” on technical accounting and related matters that may be beyond the understanding of the adjuster and or legal counsel.
* Preparing a Business Income analysis, which coincides with the language of the policy coverage and that indemnifies the policyholder for its covered loss in an expeditious manner.

Conclusion
A forensic accountant serves as a resource of technical knowledge in accounting related matters that an adjuster or legal counsel may not feel comfortable with. The early inclusion of a forensic accountant into the team of claim professionals will go a long way in assuring that the policyholder is being properly indemnified for its covered loss under the terms of the policy coverage.