" FEMA has revised its NFIP Adjuster Fee Schedule. The revised NFIP Adjuster Fee Schedule will be effective on October 1, 2023, and is applicable to claims with dates of loss on or after October 1, 2023. The 2022 Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Fee Schedule was not revised."

"Pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”)§ 431:9-201(b), Insurance Commissioner Gordon I. Ito is issuing this declaration authorizing temporary assistance of nonresident independent adjusters due to fires across the State. The Insurance Commissioner has decided to allow nonresident independent adjusters to operate in the State temporarily to help handle the amount of work due to the fires. The Insurance Commissioner wants to ensure that adjusters and insurance companies can and will timely respond to property owners’ needs."

The updated edition of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Claims Manual effective June 29, 2023, is now available at Flood Insurance Manuals and Handbooks | FEMA.gov. 

Information on some of the resources for adjusters that can be found on the NFIP site.

FEMA continues to monitor the COVID guidance provided by the CDC. The CDC is encouraging organizations to promote social distancing and to hold meetings via videoconferencing. In light of this situation, all 2023 NFIP Adjuster Claims Presentations will be held via webinar.

Renewing or Obtaining a Flood Control Number
In order to adjust flood losses for the NFIP, independent adjusters must (1) register with the NFIP and (2) possess an active Flood Control Number (FCN).  The Adjuster Registration
Application can be found here.

Note: The above is from a NFIP Training Bulletin Received 1/2/2023

This is a repost of the article. We are moving all articles from the old format to the new format.

As hail season approaches we want to remind everybody to think ladder safety each and ever time you grab that ladder. OSHA has reported that the most recent accident statistics suggest that the working men and women in America abuse and misuse ladders in the workplace as a rule rather than an exception.

 

Speaking of roofs, my driving around the south and central Texas area finds that the developers are building houses in the new subdivisions with roofs that are not meant to be climbed. Steep, cut-up, mostly two stories. The old days of the accessible 4/12 ranch style house roof have been gone since the mid-1980's.

Increasingly, I am of the opinion that a preferred way to investigate these roofs are with a truck mounted crane and lift bucket. Our safety is now, more than ever, being compromised by inherently dangerous roof designs.

The source of the information below is the Insurance Information Institute, iii.org

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have hurricane deductibles: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington DC. Listed below are reports for these states detailing hurricane deductibles.

Subject: Historical Hurricane Tracks
Description: The Historical Hurricane Tracks tool is an interactive mapping application that allows you to easily search and display Atlantic Basin and Eastern North Pacific Basin tropical cyclone data. 

Source: NOAA Climate.gov 
 

Description:  for Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
The following is a TOC to the information provided in this online handbook.

Article info Updated 10/15/2020

From the Article Archive 
Title: Cat Adjusting as a Profession (Is It For Me?)
First Posted: Friday, November 26, 2004
Author: Gary White

My son is now ready to go to college away from home and excluding approximately 21 months in an attempt to try something different in my life as a "financial planner", I have been adjusting, supervising or investigating claims for almost 27 years. By the way, I have worked my share of hail, wind, tornado and hurricane cats for other carriers so I know from whence I speak. Even during the time while I was trying to become a "financial planner", I supplemented my income with adjusting temp jobs and contract adjusting work.

....

In adjusting hurricane damage claims for homes within the 1968-1997 applicable residential code period, it is important that the inside of the walls be checked more carefully than
newer construction to ensure that moisture hasn’t seeped into the walls that will eventually result in mold and interior wall rot. If adjusters do not look for moisture build-up trapped inside the wall, then this damage could be missed, causing mold and rot to proliferate and resulting in bigger problems for homeowners in the future.

...

Existing law creates the Department of Insurance, headed by the Insurance Commissioner, and prescribes the department’s powers and duties. Existing law, the Insurance Adjuster Act, sets forth various requirements with respect to operation as an insurance adjuster in this state and prohibits a person from engaging in a business regulated by the act, or acting or assuming to act as, or representing themselves to be, an insurance adjuster unless the person is licensed under the act. Existing law also prohibits a person from falsely representing that the person is employed by a licensee. Existing law exempts a person from the requirements of the Insurance Adjuster Act if the person is employed exclusively and regularly by one employer, as specified, with which the person has an employer-employee relationship. If the commissioner declares an emergency situation, existing law authorizes a nonlicensed insurance adjuster to adjust claims if certain requirements are met, including that the nonlicensed insurance adjuster registers with the commissioner via a written letter naming the nonlicensed adjuster, identifying adjuster licenses held in other jurisdictions, and stating when the claims adjusting activity began in the emergency situation. Existing law requires an insurer to provide an insured with a written status report if the insurer assigns a 3rd or subsequent adjuster to be primarily responsible for a claim within a 6-month period.

Source: insurancebusinessmag.com 

"As the nation continues to recover from the damage caused by hurricanes, floods and fires from coast to coast, we are reminded yet again that unforeseen, life-changing disasters can strike at any time. After the initial chaos subsides, it’s only natural that those affected would want to move quickly to start rebuilding their lives.

For many, the first step is a call to the insurance company, who should be able to resolve claims promptly, offering timely financial assistance when it’s needed most. But unfortunately, a complicated patchwork of state laws governing claims adjusters provides exactly the opposite: an inefficient, time-consuming, and expensive process that fails to serve the needs of consumers in the wake of a disaster."

" FEMA is pleased to announce the release of its SFIP Commentary. The SFIP Commentary complements the NFIP Claims Manual (June 2023) by helping claims professionals quickly find current NFIP guidance relevant to key provisions and concepts contained within the Standard Flood Insurance Policy. The Commentary primarily refers to the Dwelling Form but highlights points of difference with the General Property and Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (RCBAP) as applicable."

9/29/2023 Update:  "FEMA has revised its NFIP Adjuster Fee Schedule. The revised NFIP Adjuster Fee Schedule will be effective on October 1, 2023, and is applicable to claims with dates of loss on or after October 1, 2023. The 2022 Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Fee Schedule was not revised."

This manual improves clarity of flood insurance claims guidance to NFIP Write Your Own (WYO) companies, flood vendors, flood adjusters and examiners, so that policyholders experience consistency and reliability of service. 

Source: FEMA Website

The purpose of the NFIP Claims Manual is to improve clarity of claims guidance to WYOs, vendors, adjusters, and examiners so that policyholders experience consistency and reliability of service. The manual provides processes for handling claims from the notice of loss to final payment.

All NFIP bulletins, other than those announcing Flood Insurance Claims Office numbers, Flood Response Office locations, claims adjuster briefings, and current/future program changes, are superseded by this manual and of no further effect. 

Source: NFIP

Crawford CATastrophe Services is constantly searching for qualified catastrophe adjusters to provide the additional claims expertise in the wake of natural or man-made disasters. Temporary property, auto, or casualty assignments opportunities are available through our U.S. Catastrophe Services Division.