By SPJ Adjusting Services | Insurance Appraisals
Policyholders and Attorneys Communication: The Core of Successful Insurance Litigation
“As insurance disputes make their way to the courtroom, the flow of information can literally make the difference in the settlement,” Connor says. “Expert opinion from appraisers, adjusters, and other professionals certainly has its place, but there simply isn’t anything quite so valuable to the insured as the opportunity to speak in person with the attorney.” As the year 2025 opens, more complex contracts and electronic filing systems alter the landscape, but the key remains the same: negotiation, the human element.
Direct Dialogue as a Competitive Advantage
Certain benefits can be obtained only through direct contact between policyholders and attorneys, which cannot be achieved even with the aid of computerized reports and summaries provided by third parties:
- A more detailed concept of the claim: “Being able to hear the story directly allows the attorney to gain a three-dimensional perspective of the loss. In addition to spreadsheets, an attorney understands the timing, the effects, and the difficulties experienced by the policyholder,” explains attorney at law Lindy Kurzmann of Kucker & Bruh.”
- Minimizing errors in documents: Use of documents and outside reports can result in “telephone game” errors when filing documents. Discussions about the facts can help eliminate discrepancies before they become trial turbochargers for the insurance company.
- Establishing Trust and Engagement: The fact is, lawsuits are time-consuming and stressful. By allowing direct interaction, you inform and include your clients. By understanding how a plan for a lawsuit is strategized, your clients tend to offer you helpful information.
- Sharpening strategic advocacy: Each case relies on a theory of outcome. Open communication enables counsel to adjust their approach in order to better reflect the true pressures on the policyholder, and this improves their negotiation and settlement demands.
The Perils of Communication Breakdowns
It may happen that, when the insured and the lawyer fail to communicate with one another, a number of pitfalls may develop, which could otherwise
- Missed Evidence: Lawyers who confer with claims adjusters or other experts, or confer on their own with little input from others, may overlook soft evidence or damage not apparent to claim inspectors.
- The knowledge trap: There may be an assumption that lawyers know everything. Absent effective communication, important information about loss or mitigation efforts may never reach an attorney.
- Frustration: There are no updates to the claims and this leads to the feeling of being overlooked by the insurance company. This makes the relationship between the parties strained and, as a result, the settlement may not accurately indicate the position of the policyholder.
Arlington, TX: Case Study in Policyholders and Attorneys Communication
Texas is home to several
High-value claims in the Arlington, Texas, area involve much technical expertise, especially because of the hail, wind, and flood damages, and a lack of understanding of a coordinated undertaking by the insured, their attorneys, and technical experts can impact the loss process. Weather claims in the region are common, resulting in uncertainty regarding the loss date and the storm trajectory, and a direct talk will make sure that the case scenario in a law case corresponds with the actual on-site conditions.
SPJ Adjusting Services: A Viewpoint
In SPJ Adjusting Services, a balance between policyholders, attorneys, and experts is necessary in order to achieve optimal outcomes. We aim to deliver objective information – “what happened in the claim.” The “how” is obtained from attorneys, while the “why” is obtained from the clients. By keeping all three pieces together, no insurer can ever disregard the claim.
We help facilitate this in our evaluations and umpiring reports, which are made available to our clients and in accordance with the plans of the attorneys.
Bottom Line:
People First, Paperwork Second Claims disputes are more than just figures and paperwork. Claims disputes involve people and money. “The most effective claims come from improved Policyholders and Attorneys Communication.” If you are having any kind of claims dispute, make sure your claim is put across. If you require professional assistance in fighting your claim, contact SPJ Adjusting Services.
At SPJ Adjusting Services, we are honored to service the whole United States through the implementation of our “Insurance Appraisal/Umpire Services.”
Policyholders and Attorneys Communication
Call to Action
Besides the Serving the entire United States with Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Services
