Insurance Expert Available to Lecture Your Claims Personnel
ClaimSchool, Inc. Presents Insurance Topics Taught by Barry Zalma
Barry Zalma’s Insurance Claims Training
When I left my three year enlistment in the U.S. Army as a Special Agent of the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, in 1967 I returned home to California and found a job as a trainee insurance adjuster with the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company now absorbed into a major insurance conglomerate. Fireman’s Fund expected its claims staff to be well trained, educated and experienced in claims handling. My training took a full year before they would let me deal with insureds and claimants without close supervision. The training consisted of:
Read a text on insurance and claims handling with the assistance of my claims supervisor.
Ride along with experienced claims adjuster dealing with every line of business written by the Fireman’s Fund where I was instructed to observe only.
I was asked to conduct interviews over the telephone (something I had experience from my time in the Army.).
I was sent to the Fireman’s Fund’s Home Office in San Francisco where I attended a full month of classroom training about:
insurance,
claims handling,
reconstruction elements,
medicine relating to injuries,
auto repair,
tort law,
contract law,
how to read an insurance policy,
the conditions of most policies, and
negotiation techniques.
After I was trained I was made a desk adjuster – something very new at the time – and negotiated small bodily injury and property claims by telephone under close supervision.
Eventually, I proved my ability and became a fully independent insurance adjuster with the assistance of my supervisors.
Modern American Claims Training
My experience as a claims consultant and testifying insurance expert witness indicates that most modern insurers have eliminated the training programs available to their claims staff, have eliminated by attrition their experienced claims staff and have, as a result, lost control of the claims operation. As a result of the lack of training, insurance education and experienced claims adjusters many insurance claims result in unhappy, often angry, insureds who have increased litigation against insurers exponentially resulting in the insolvency of many insurers. In the year 2022 at least six insurers doing business in Florida have failed.
In my experience claims dealt with by well educated, trained and experienced claims people resolve almost every claim quickly, fairly and to the satisfaction of the insured in first party claims and to the insured and the claimant in third party liability claims.
After 55 years actively dealing with insurance claims, insurance coverage, insurance fraud and bad faith issues as a claims handler, lawyer, coverage lawyer, consultant and expert witness I have concluded that the insurance industry, if it is to survive as a profitable business, must return to requiring a claims staff of well educated, trained, experienced and professional claims handlers.
Making Your Claims Staff Professional
Since the insurance claims industry faces a dearth of training, knowledge, and experience in its claims operations. Since the claims personnel are who keep the promises made by an insurance company’s policies claims personnel are the key to a successful insurer.
The best way of avoiding the tort of bad faith every insurer to require all members of its claims staff are professional and are thoroughly trained, knowledgeable and experienced who are compelled to treat every insured and claimant fairly and with utmost good faith.
In my desire to help the insurance industry return to professional claims staff I will start with the new decade on January 2, 2023, I will be available, for a small fee, to share the knowledge I gained over the last 55 years to the claims staff of any insurer that asks.
I will present, by a live presentation via ZOOM or other electronic basis available to you, or with a license to use fully recorded webinars, any of the following topics:
Insurance is a contract that has existed in antiquity – the history of insurance.
How to read and understand an insurance policy.
The reason for the existence of the adjuster and the first party adjuster’s duties.
The reason for the existence of the adjuster and the third party adjuster’s duties.
The basic first party claims investigation.
The basic third party claims investigation.
Negotiation of a first party claim.
Negotiation of a third party claim.
The equitable remedy of rescission of an insurance contract as a weapon to defeat fraud
The ability to investigate and defeat insurance fraud.
Ethics and the Claims Person
How to Avoid the Tort of Bad Faith
Ethics and the Business Person
The history of the tort of bad faith.
I can also provide longer seminars on any insurance topic
Rescission as a Defense to Fraud
How to Avoid The Tort of Bad Faith
Insurance Fraud and Tools to Reduce It
Ethics for the Insurance professional.
The law of torts for the Insurance Claims Person.
Diminution in Value and insurance claims.
Insurance Policy Interpretation for the Claims Person.
Insurance Agents & Brokers & Insurance Fraud
Disaster Insurance Fraud
Is the Fight Against Insurance Fraud Being Lost?
The Ethical Dilemma Caused by Fighting Fraud.
Why it is Important for SIUs To Share Information and Strategies for Sharing.
Any subject needed by your staff.
Keynotes
If you are providing educational conferences for members of any insurance, claims, investigative, or legal community conferences, my speaking preference is for keynoting conferences and conventions or their general sessions on important insurance industry issues.
I have addressed groups as small as 4 people and as large as 7,000.
The topics that currently interest me and might interest insurance professionals, include:
Insurance is a contract.
What is a Contract?
What is insurance?
How to read and understand an insurance policy.
The equitable remedy of rescission of an insurance contract as a weapon to defeat fraud
The ability to investigate and defeat insurance fraud.
Ethics and the Claims Person
How to Avoid the Tort of Bad Faith
Ethics and the Business Person
What is Insurance?
Keynotes are typically 60-90 minute presentations.
Seminars
I can do longer seminars on any insurance topics. Here is a sample of seminar and webinar topics I’ve presented or co-presented:
Certified Expert in Commercial Liability Insurance
Certified Expert in Commercial Property Insurance
Rescission as a Defense to Fraud
How to Avoid The Tort of Bad Faith
Insurance Fraud
Insurance Fraud and Tools a Claims Person Can Use to Reduce It
Insurance Lawyering
Ethics for the Insurance Professional
Diminution in Value
Insurance Policy Interpretation for the Claims Professiona.
Claims Report Writing
Insurance Agents & Brokers & Insurance Fraud
The Creation of Tort of Bad Faith
Defenses Available to Insurers Charged with the Tort of Bad Faith
Disaster Insurance Fraud
The Ethical Dilemma Caused by Fighting Fraud
Why it is Important for SIUs To Share Information and Strategies for Sharing
Criminals Who Were Too Smart To Succeed at Insurance Fraud
Catastrophe Claims Fraud
The Insurance Litigation Quagmire: Are the Risks Greater than the Rewards?
Webinars
Webinars are typically 1-2 hour presentations.
Webcasts
I can do brief webcasts on condensed versions of seminars and webinars or single issue or limited topic presentations. Webcasts are typically 30-60 minute presentations.
Fees
Fees are negotiable based upon the time required to prepare and present the topic, whether use of a recorded webinar or by live presentation with questions or in person in Southern California.
Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Go to the Insurance Claims Library; Subscribe to Barry Zalma on Substack.com, Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/zalma Videos from “Barry Zalma on YouTube; Go to the Insurance Claims Library; Listen to the Podcast: Zalma on Insurance
Contact
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE
4441 Sepulveda Blvd.
CULVER CITY CA 90230
T: 310-390-4455
E: zalma@zalma.com
U: http://www.zalma.com
The author and publisher disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this web site. The information provided is not a substitute for the advice of a competent insurance, legal, or other professional. The Information provided at this site should not be relied on as legal advice. Legal advice cannot be given without full consideration of all relevant information relating to an individual situation. If you desire consultation you may retain the services of Mr. Zalma after signing an engagement letter.
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About Barry Zalma
An insurance coverage and claims handling author, consultant and expert witness with more than 48 years of practical and court room experience.
