Author Archives for Diane Swerling
About Diane Swerling
Diane Swerling is a Principal at Swerling Milton Winnick, and current Vice President of the Massachusetts Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. She has particular expertise in claims involving condominium associations and commercial policies.
How Does Your Insurance Policy’s “Assignment of Benefits” Clause Affect You?
March 9, 2021 2:00 pm Leave your thoughts When homeowners suffer a property loss, one of the first things they do – even before they know the amount of coverage they will receive from their insurer – is call a contractor. The contractor looks at the damage, and estimates the likely cost of repairing the property. Maybe that estimate is greater than the… View More
Prominent New England Condo Attorney Sees the Value of a Public Adjuster
December 1, 2020 2:14 pm Leave your thoughts Ellen Shapiro knows about condos. She’s a partner at Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks PC – New England’s pre-eminent law firm focusing exclusively on condominium law. In her vast experience helping condominium communities, she’s seen just about every legal issue imaginable. When it comes to managing the insurance claims process, Ellen steers her clients… View More
Condominium Documents
November 17, 2020 2:35 pm Leave your thoughts All condominiums in the state of Massachusetts must have a Declaration of Trust and Condominium Bylaws. In our profession, we read the bylaws – specifically the Insurance Section – related to every condominium loss that SMW handles. The wording in this section may tell us what items are and are not covered in each condo… View More
Piattini part II: How Covid-19 Has Affected One Boston Restaurant
November 10, 2020 2:02 pm Leave your thoughts Our last blog focused on the insurance claim experience of a local restaurant, Piattini. We asked owner Josephine Oliviero Megwa to tell us how the pandemic crisis has affected her business, and what she’s doing to make it work in these trying times. SMW: Tell us how COVID has affected your business. Josephine: We had… View More
Lessons Learned by the Owner of Piattini Restaurant After a Massive Fire
November 3, 2020 2:19 pm Leave your thoughts Josephine Oliviero Megwa is the proud owner of Piattini, a much-loved wine bar/restaurant located on Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay, famous for its small plates and Italian entrees. On the evening of Sunday, October 16, 2016, Josephine received news that any business owner would surely dread: her restaurant was on fire. The fire started… View More
Lessons from the Fire that Temporarily Closed Trident Booksellers and Cafe
October 5, 2020 4:35 pm Leave your thoughts Courtney Flynn is the manager of Trident Booksellers and Café, the legendary bookshop that has been a Newbury Street landmark since Courtney’s parents opened the shop in 1984. Late on the night of February 28, 2018, a fire blazed through Trident’s second floor, leading to extensive fire and water damage that forced Courtney to close… View More