Author Archives for Bryan Holtzman
About Bryan Holtzman
Bryan Holtzman is Vice President of Swerling Milton Winnick, with more than 15 years of experience helping businesses and homeowners navigate complex insurance claims. He specializes in building estimates and policy interpretation.
Absolute Asbestos Exclusion
January 4, 2022 1:53 pm Leave your thoughts This week, we have a “Buyer Beware” reminder for those shopping for an insurance policy. SMW was recently retained on a major fire loss suffered by the owner of a 20,000 sq. ft. commercial property. We immediately got to work, completing a comprehensive policy review, followed by a walk-through of the loss site with the… View More
Adventures in ITEL: When Independent Analysis Contradicts Your Insurance Claim
July 13, 2021 1:01 pm Leave your thoughts When you suffer a property loss at your business or home, your insurance company sends one of its adjusters to evaluate the damage. This insurance adjuster makes a preliminary determination of the cause of the loss and what your payout will be. When the property damage claim involves items such as hardwood flooring, carpeting, siding… View More
Understanding the Local Economy & Why It’s Important for Claims Settlements: Part I
May 18, 2021 1:05 pm Leave your thoughts Business owners and consumers understand the ebbs and flows of their local economy better than anyone else. The local economy is also a crucial part of understanding and appropriately adjusting property claims. Someone might assume that the cost to replace a building is easily determined. You measure it out, you just apply some factor and… View More
Ice Dams
March 2, 2021 2:04 pm Leave your thoughts With so much recent snowfall, homeowners in the Northeast are watching – with concern and even alarm – as snow and ice builds up on their roofs. It might melt a bit during the day, and then freeze up again at night. This is a lethal process. All that melting-and-freezing can result in a breach… View More
Understanding Building Holdback Claims
September 15, 2020 1:05 pm Leave your thoughts In a recent post, we explained the elements of a “holdback” claim, including terms such as “Replacement Cost,” “Depreciation,” and “Actual Cash Value” (ACV). This explanation focused on personal property items such as furniture, clothing, electronics, etc. To round out the discussion, we wanted to give an example of how the Replacement Cost issue plays… View More
SMW Spotlight: Bryan Holtzman
May 26, 2020 6:16 pm Leave your thoughts 1. What did you learn from your dad about being a PA? My dad, Jerry, actually discouraged me from getting into the business. I watched him when I was young, and he was working all the time. I have to say, he always made it a priority to come to every baseball game that I… View More
It’s All About (Builder’s) Risk
April 7, 2020 6:19 pm Leave your thoughts Builders, developers and businesspeople who “flip properties” are accustomed to taking chances. After all, the very nature of the real estate renovation business is speculative. So, they’re comfortable carrying some risk. That doesn’t mean these risk takers should take unnecessary risk, especially when their investments are on the line. And yet, when it comes to… View More
Read The Full Policy!
February 18, 2020 1:22 pm Leave your thoughts RTFP – Read The Full Policy! This is sage advice. We were recently reminded of the importance of reading the full policy on a recent claim. Leading insurance consultant Bill Wilson spoke at the 2019 NAPIA mid-year convention in December, and it was instructive. Bill’s take was a tad more colorful – “Read the F#@*%ing… View More