Claims Summit

Tuesday,  April 12 - Wednesday,  April 13, 2022
Wyndham Gettysburg, 95 Presidential Circle, Gettysburg, PA 

8 CE Credits

Each year PAMIC hosts the annual Claims Summit, which draws over 300 attendees and over 40 exhibitors including law firms, restoration companies, and other related businesses. Topics include litigation updates and popular claims trends, making this Conference the most significant claims focused program in the mid-Atlantic region. CE & CLE Credits are offered to those in attendance. 

Register  View our Virtual Exhibit Hall

Sponsor Exhibit

Please note, this is a live event with a virtual option. If you opt to register as a virtual attendee, you will receive the link after you register. 

View 2019 Attendees  View our 2022 Agenda

Agenda:

Tuesday, April 12th

7:45 - 8:30am: Registration / Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 8:45am: Welcome / Opening Remarks

Sarah Zulauf, CPCU, VP, Manager, Regulation & Compliance, Allegany Insurance Group, Claims Committee Co-Chair

Scott Rybny, Chair Insurance Coverage & Extra-Contractual Liability Group, Morgan & Akins, PLLC, Claims Committee Co-Chair

8:45 - 9:45am:  Litigation Update

Mike McKenna, Esq., Margolis Edelstein

He’s back! Join Mike McKenna as he highlights "The Year That Was" in the often unpredictable world of litigation. What have the Courts been up to and how does that impact you?

9:45 - 10:45am:  When Honey Works Better Than Vinegar: A Primer for Claims Professionals on Handling Difficult Conversations, Diffusing Tensions, and Building Rapport  

Matthew Holden, Vice President, The Farmers Fire Insurance Company
Heather Arnold, Claims Manager, Penn National Insurance
Joshua Bovender, Partner, Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP

This panel discussion will address the “soft skills” required for effective claims handling.  It will include carriers’ and counsels’ perspectives on the value of positive social dealings with insureds.  The presentation will focus on specific tips, practices, and approaches that claims handlers can apply to difficult situations that frequently arise in handling a claim.

10:45 - 11:00am: Break

11:00 - 12:00pm: Wait, Not So Fast!  A Refresher and Update on Various Policy Limitations, Endorsements and Exclusions

Dale Forsythe, Partner, Wayman, Irvin & McAuley, LLC

Many claims, both first-party and third-party liability, may not be subject to coverage from the outset.  This presentation will look at common policy language that may offer an “escape clause” for coverage and a defense.  From a punitive damages endorsement, to a “your work” exclusion, to the need for an “occurrence,” all policies provide limitations on the type of claims that are covered - it is important to review each claim presented to ensure that it is something that is indeed covered, or potentially covered, by the carrier.  We will look at the more common of these policy provisions, their application, challenges to them, and decisions impacting their utility, while keeping in mind the need to avoid any bad faith scenarios. 

12:00 - 1:15pm: Lunch

1:15 - 2:15pm: When Crimes Overlap Claims

Glenn Ricketti, Partner, Margolis Edelstein

The discussion will include the affect of various criminal activities on both first and third party claims including , but not limited to: Intentional Criminal Activities, Arson, Gun Discharges, Drug Dealing, Drug Manufacturing on Insured  premises (think, Meth Lab in rental property), Employee Dishonesty, Stolen Cars crashing and causing injury or Property Damage , Sex Abuse, Negligence vs. Intentional Acts, Insureds tangentially involved in the crime, evidence of underlying crime being admitted into evidence at civil trial, coverage exclusions in First Party Property  and in liability policies.

2:15 - 3:15pm: After the Storm - Why Some Claims End Up In Litigation

Scott Rybny, Chair Insurance Coverage & Extra-Contractual Liability Group, Morgan & Akins, PLLC, Claims Committee Co-Chair

Anthony DiUlio, Partner, Wheeler, DiUlio, & Barnabei

When the storms end, both property insurers and public adjusters head out in the hopes of assisting homeowners and business owners. While both share a mutual goal - returning the policyholders to their pre-loss condition, the path to that goal is not smooth. Why are some claims harder to resolve than others? In this presentation, two property insurance attorneys will square off about the role of public adjusters in the claim process, dealing with personality conflicts, the pros and cons of .esx file, appraisal, coverage denials and more.

3:15 - 3:30pm: Break

3:30pm - 4:30pm:  Subrogation Awareness

Kathleen Smith, Managing Director, Spartan Recoveries

Unlike whiskey, fine wine and blue jeans, the subrogation process does not improve with age, in fact, it deteriorates.  At one time, subrogation was seen as the final function of the claims process.  However, for a subrogation program to be successful, the recovery process must begin early in the claim lifecycle as the loss facts are being developed, and even before the loss payments have been finalized. Subrogation Awareness is crucial to increasing your recoveries.  Early recognition, investigation and the preservation of evidence will make a significant improvement to your recovery results.

4:30pm - 6:30pm: Networking Reception

Wednesday, April 13th

7:45 - 8:30am: Registration / Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 8:45am: Welcome / Opening Remarks

Sarah Zulauf, CPCU, VP, Manager, Regulation & Compliance, Allegany Insurance Group, Co-Claims Committee Chair

Scott Rybny, Chair Insurance Coverage & Extra-Contractual Liability Group, Morgan & Akins, PLLC, Claims Committee Co-Chair

8:45 - 9:45am: Sex Trafficking Litigation in the Hospitality Industry 

Hugh O’Neill, Esq, Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP
John Lucy, Esq, Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP
Rick Santoro, Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP

This discussion will familiarize the audience with this new and developing area of litigation.  It will include an overview of the common law theories of liability and defenses, as well as state and federal statutory causes of action. The presentation will highlight theories of liability, defenses, and areas for focused discovery. The presentation will also outline the coverage issues associated with this burgeoning area of the law as well as highlight recent decisions.

8:45 - 9:45am: Claims Rep Toolbox

Tom Kolesa, PLS, Survey Department Head, Barry Isett & Associates
Louie Adams, President, United Claims Service

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening my ax.” – Abraham Lincoln. 

Learn how you can sharpen your tools with these technological advancements in drone inspection and virtual/mobile claim management. In this presentation, the use of drone inspection to assess various damage including natural disasters, fires, floods, and more are discussed as well as the confidence/accuracy behind drone technology. After the evaluation, we dive into the cost savings and cycle time reduction of virtual/mobile claims management and adjustment tools. Don’t miss learning about these tools to take your toolbox to the next level!

9:45 - 10:00am: Break

10:00 - 11:00am: Live Vehicle Accident Overview  

Michelle Price, Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc.
Kevin Shook, Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc.

A course designed to evaluate and discuss various auto-related claims exposures involving low-speed and high-speed collisions, black box downloads, and vehicle infotainment systems.  In addition, several live crashes are observed to illustrate when certain claims are valid and when possible additional investigation is needed.

11:00 - 12:00pm: Damage Analysis for Consistency and Detection of Fraud 

Michelle Price, Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc.
Kevin Shook, Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc.

A course designed to assist participants with the determination of consistency between claimed damage and accident scenarios.  This course covers phantom vehicle claims, comparison between wall impact damage and vehicle impact damage, determining if the damage between two vehicles is consistent, and identifying pole or tree impacts versus vehicle impacts.  This course also provides information on the evaluation of engine damage as well as multi-vehicle in-line collisions.

12:00 - 1:00pm: Lunch / Departure

Room Block Information:

Available Dates: Monday,  April 11th & Tuesday,  April 12th

Rate: $139.00 (plus applicable taxes)

Reservation Deadline: Friday, April 1st, 2022. Rate will not be available after this date. 

How to reserve: Call (717) 339-0020 and ask for the PAMIC Claims Summit Group Room Block or reserve online by clicking here.

Program Sponsors

2022 Exhibitors

View our Virtual Exhibit Hall

Questions?

Contact our Director of Events and Education, Becky Ferris at rferris@pamic.org or call 717-303-0197.

Cancellation Policy

A refund minus a $50 administrative fee will be given if a written cancellation notice is received on or before Thursday April 7th, 2022. After this date, no refunds will be issued. Contact Becky Ferris at rferris@pamic.org for more information. 

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