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.

Condominium Documents

November 17, 2020 2:35 pm Published by Diane Swerling 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 Published by Diane Swerling 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 Published by Diane Swerling 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 Published by Diane Swerling 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

Think your National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy has you fully covered? Think again.

September 12, 2018 4:11 pm Published by Diane Swerling Leave your thoughts In my early days as a public adjuster, I worked with a grizzled old pro who was a leading flood adjuster.  He once concisely explained to me the basic purpose of NFIP flood insurance:  “The point is to get homeowners some relief – it’s not supposed to make you whole.”  I’ve been thinking about that… View More