Expert Witness Blog
In Property & Casualty Insurance Procurement & Litigation (Ten Recurring Themes Every Lawyer Should Know) property insurance expert witness David L. Stegall, CPCU, ARM, ARe, RPA, of Risk Consulting & Expert Services writes on ten recurring themes that often lead to litigation. Attorneys either dealing in insurance procurement litigation issues or with clients who purchase insurance may want to consider these ten themes:
Theme 4 of 10 All insurance buyers are not created equal. A large business or wealthy individual/family have much different insurance needs than a small to medium-sized business or a low to middle-income individual/family. One size does not fit all and insurance companies are no longer all things to all insurance buyers. Insurance companies have become very specific in their target markets. Insurance should be purchased from an agent experienced in providing coverage for the size and type business or household of the buyer’s size or situation. Agents who do not have the requisite knowledge of the industry and the client should not sell the coverage. The agents cannot be the sole decision-makers on these matters; their legal ability to write a policy does not necessarily mean they are qualified to write it from the buyers’ perspective.
Lesson #4: Your client (the insurance buyer) should make sure the agent is experienced in writing policies of the size and scope of the policy being purchased from them.
Reoccurring Conclusion: Just like poor legal advice, poor understanding of insurance procurement issues can be very expensive for your client!
David Stegall is the Principal Consultant at Risk Consulting & Expert. Mr. Stegall holds a B.A. in Communication from Auburn University and is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter, an Associate in Risk Management and an Associate in Reinsurance, all awarded by The Institutes in Malvern. PA. He is also a Director of the Society of Risk Management Consultants.