Author Archives for Swerling Milton Winnick
About Swerling Milton Winnick
If you’ve had a fire, flood or other property loss resulting in an insurance claim, and need a public insurance adjuster in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New England or anywhere in the U.S. or Caribbean, call Swerling Milton Winnick. We are the oldest and largest public adjusting firm in New England, and our team of experts will give you personalized, 24/7 attention to successfully resolve your residential or business insurance claim.
Insurable Interest
June 28, 2022 12:59 pm Leave your thoughts An insurance policy is, at its core, a type of contract: it represents an agreement between two or more parties in which one party, the insured, pays a specific sum to the other, the insurer, in exchange for something of value. In the case of an insurance contract (or policy), that thing of value is… View More
Document Your Personal Property – It Will Help Your Insurance Claim
June 21, 2022 12:58 pm Leave your thoughts Here’s a scenario we see on a regular basis: A homeowner has a fire in their house. It spreads to several rooms, leaving only charred remains. Other rooms in the house are intact, but all of the personal property in those rooms is damaged – furniture, clothing, electronics, etc. – and needs to be replaced…. View More
Do You Know What a Cause & Origin Expert Does?
June 14, 2022 12:44 pm Leave your thoughts If you’re going through the insurance claims process after a property loss, you might encounter a “Cause and Origin” expert and wonder: “What role does this professional play in my claim?” Simply put, a Cause and Origin expert investigates the cause of a loss that has led to a policyholder filing an insurance claim. They… View More
Understanding Personal Property Holdback Claims
June 1, 2022 1:49 pm Leave your thoughts We get a lot of questions about Replacement Cost coverage and how the depreciation or “holdback” claims work, which can be a little hard to understand. So, we wanted to provide some explanation about this sometimes confusing area of insurance. Most insurance policies are typically written on a “Replacement Cost” basis. This means that for… View More
Protective Safeguards
May 24, 2022 12:48 pm Leave your thoughts We have an important insurance question for all business owners: does your commercial policy (CP) contain a “protective safeguards” provision? Please check carefully – or ask your local insurance agent. If the answer is yes, then we have one more question: are you complying with those protective safeguards? Protective safeguards are an area of insurance… View More
Think Your Replacement Cost Policy Will Actually Pay to Replace Your House? Think Again.
May 10, 2022 12:52 pm Leave your thoughts In Massachusetts, after a loss, the insurer first tries to determine the Actual Cash Value (“ACV”) of the damaged property. This generally allows the insurance company to apply depreciation in calculating what it initially owes. This ACV amount is due whether or not the policyholder actually repairs or rebuilds the property. But policies usually offer… View More
Homeowner Changes vs. Direct Damage
April 26, 2022 12:51 pm Leave your thoughts When settling insurance losses, public adjusters must often deal with homeowner changes. This is especially the case when the claim involves a significant loss. This is because insurance policies are contracts of “indemnity” – meaning you only get paid for the property you actually possessed, or items of “like kind and quality.” After suffering a… View More
Cyber Insurance: Part 2
April 19, 2022 12:47 pm Leave your thoughts What’s the single most talked about topic in the boardroom of most companies? Cyber security. Read part 2 of our conversation with Hub International Cyber & Tech Insurance Solutions expert, Michelle Lopilato, as well as the President and CEO of Hub International New England, Charles J. Brophy, III. SMW: What’s trending the most right now?… View More