Contesting Your Insurance Company's Appraisal

The insurance company, after a lengthy arson investigation, finally agreed that it could not prove arson by the insured, and agreed to pay the claim. But it low-balled the insured and refused to budge, asserting that the insured’s high-end computerized printing machines, which had been damaged by water, were repairable. It even found company willing to try and repair the machines, but offering no guarantees. We demanded appraisal, helped the insured select a competent appraiser, provided input in the selection of the umpire, and presented expert reports to the panel establishing that water permanently damages electronic equipment and that repairs would never be able to return the machines to their pre-loss condition. The insurer never budged in its position, but the panel disagreed and awarded the insured an additional $500,000.