Premier Claim Consultants offers the following services to consumers, to insurance companies, and to attorneys who may represent either party:

Appraisals
Claim Adjustments
Expert Witness Services
Litigation Support
Property Adjustment Report (“PAR”)


Appraisals

Premier will serve as an appraiser for either consumers or insurance companies who have a residential or commercial property claim dispute. Premier’s appraisal policy is simple: Evaluate and value the damages in order to fairly calculate the Actual Cash and Replacement Cost Values for each item in dispute. If Premier is unable to reach an agreement with the other party’s appraiser on these values, then the items still in dispute will be submitted to an umpire chosen by the appraisers, in accordance with section 2071(a) of the California Insurance Code.

Premier is experienced not only in informal but also in formal appraisals, as also defined in section 2071(a) of the Code. Further, Premier is experienced in appraisal hearings as conducted in accordance with the California Code of Civil Procedure, section 1280ff.

Premier can also serve as an umpire for an appraisal, to fairly and impartially resolve disputes between the appraisers for each party.
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Claim Adjustments

Premier Claim Consultants is one of the few public adjusting companies with experience settling claims both for insurance companies and for consumers. It’s safe to say we know both sides of the industry! We also know how to best represent your claim interests. Claims expert and author Greg Stafford oversees or adjusts each claim, making sure that all of your policy “duties” are complied with and that your settlement is as equitable as possible. We invite you to compare our services, our contract, and our rates with any of our competitors. We are confident that no one else can offer you as much experience, expertise, and professionalism as Premier Claim Consultants. Click here and tell us about your claim. We will gladly give you a free consultation that will allow you to make the best decision possible about how to proceed with your claim.
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Expert Witness Services

Greg Stafford has worked in the insurance industry since 1994. For ten of those years he worked for some of the largest property and casualty insurers in the nation as a homeowners and commercial lines supervisor and property claims adjuster at the highest levels. Since 2004 he has represented consumers as a licensed public insurance adjuster, and he has provided expert reports and testimony for claim adjustments, appraisals, and claims in litigation.

Mr. Stafford is author of the book, Property Claims Adjusting: A Complete Guidebook for the Consumer, California Homeowners Edition (Murrieta, CA: Premier Claim Consulting, 2007), and the companion California Commercial Edition to be released in 2008.

In addition to his vocational experience, Mr. Stafford is also a Senior Claims Law Associate (SCLA) with the American Educational Institute. He has completed the Advanced Property Estimating training course (now called Senior-Level Residential Estimating) through Vale National. Mr. Stafford has also completed the Claims Environment (now called Claims Handling Principles and Practices) and Property Loss Adjusting courses (AIC 33 and AIC 35, respectively) through the American Institute for CPCU and Insurance Institute of America. He has also completed undergraduate work on the subjects of the impact of earthquakes on structures and construction estimating.
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Litigation Support

In the course of property claim adjustments, there are times when disputes arise that are not resolvable through the course of a normal claim adjustment or by appraisal, but rather through litigation. Premier Claim Consultants can provide expert analysis and evaluation of claim adjustments in order to provide insight and support for plaintiffs or defendants involved in litigation over a property claim dispute. The primary means of doing so is through our Property Adjustment Report.

Premier Claim Consultants can provide professional assistance with any necessary research, case law review, and preliminary and ongoing evaluation of a property claim adjustment in preparation for depositions, mediations, or for trial.
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Property Adjustment Report (“PAR”)

In golf “par” is used for what is the accepted standard for a given hole. In general, something is said to be “on par” if it meets someone’s expectations. If a property claim adjustment between an insured and an insurance company does not meet the “minimum standards” (section 2695.1[a][1]) of the California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, an insurance company could be found guilty of not ‘promoting good faith,’ which is part of the intent of the Regulations (California Fair Claims Regulations, section 2695.1[a][2]), or even of committing “bad faith.”

Bad faith in the insurance industry involves a breach of the implied covenant of “good faith” and fair dealing that should be expected by parties to a contract, such as an insurance policy contract. It is expected that an insurance company will deal “fairly” with its insureds, but there are times when this is not the case. There are still other times when an insured thinks an insurance company has acted in bad faith, when in fact the insurance company may have fulfilled all of its obligations toward its insured.

Premier Claim Consultants can provide either party, or their attorneys, with a comprehensive evaluation and report of the claim adjustment performed. Premier will provide a complete, written review of all claim adjustment activities and documents issued as part of the claim, and then offer a written analysis and opinion as to whether or not the insurance company’s adjustment of the claim was compliant or non-compliant with the standards of the California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations.

Premier’s Property Adjustment Report will review the claim adjustment in relation to the following four categories:

1. Representation of Policy Provisions and Benefits.

2. Duties upon Receipt of Communications.

3. Standards for Prompt, Fair and Equitable Settlements.

4. Additional Standards Applicable to Fire and Extended Coverage Type Policies with Replacement Cost Coverage.

Premier’s Property Adjustment Report is an excellent place for insureds and insurance companies to start if they want to know, from the perspective of a licensed property claims expert with experience on both the carrier and on the public side of adjusting, if the carrier’s claim adjustment was “on par.”

To discuss terms of service, see a sample report, or to get a list of references from prior clients, click here.
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