108 - Winning Claims Practices: Plaintiff's Attorney Perspective
Release Date: 02/24/2022
125 - Identifying Claims Issues in Uncertain Times
The Defense Never Rests
At times, working as a defense attorney or as a claims professional can feel like trying to predict the future. And sometimes, that future is not necessarily certain. This is especially true in the world of construction claims. Claims professionals are having to looks years ahead to help their insureds navigate labor shortages, production delays and supply chain issues. Fortunately, William Lane joins us this week on The Defense Never Rests to discuss his methods of spotting the problems before they happen, and shares with us some tips of the trade. While times may be uncertain, we know that...
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124 - Claims in the Fast Lane: Taking the Wheel at the Outset
The Defense Never Rests
Sometimes when you are driving for a while on a straight, long road, you can fall into the trance-like state referred to as “Highway Hypnosis”. The road begins to blur. Your eyes feel heavy. Your brain is on auto pilot. You begin to feel like you are on the edge of sleep. It can be pretty scary. In the above scenario, the ticket to success is a large cup of coffee and a nap. But the same sort of phenomenon can also occur after working for decades in the same career, performing the same tasks, day in, day out, your eyes beginning to glaze over with each passing workday. Fortunately, this...
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123 - Cyber Insurance: Protection for a Digital World
The Defense Never Rests
What would happen if your company’s data was compromised? I know, like many things, we all think “oh well, that wont happen to us”. Until it does. And then what… Do you have insurance coverage for that? This week on the Defense Never Rests we are joined by Michael Cavanaugh, Chief Insurance Office of Fusion MGA who knows a thing or two about cyber security. Interestingly, Mike turned a background in computer science and has utilized it in claims with a specialty in start ups. So if there is anyone who understands the constraints of a smaller budget but also the importance of protection...
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122 - Mediation Without Conflict
The Defense Never Rests
Where do you think trust comes into play during litigation? “Trust?!” you say “this is litigation, there is no trust!” But hang on a second, think about your last successful mediation. Trust was probably a key component, even if it did not occur to you at the time. You trust your attorney to adequately assess the facts and damages and formulate a defense plan. Plaintiff’s counsel is putting trust in their clients to give an accurate representation of the facts. Everyone is putting their trust in the mediator to use his/her expertise to work toward resolution. You see, trust is...
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121 - Negotiating A Successful Career in Claims Even Amongst the Unexpected
The Defense Never Rests
What have you learned during your career in claims? I am not just talking the mechanics of handling and defending a claim. But practical real life lessons. Let’s face it – during our careers we learn a lot more than just how to do the job and do it well. There is so much more to it than that. This week on the Defense Never Rests we are joined by Derrick Mullen, AVP at Seneca Insurance Company who has over 30 years of life lessons in the claims industry. And he’s not stopping now! He shares that while he has years of experience behind him, he still recognizes there is more to know and to...
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59 (Replay) - Small Carriers, Big Challenges
The Defense Never Rests
In this episode replay of The Defense Never Rests podcast, hosts Meghan and Wendy are joined by Michael Siedlecki. Tune in to hear them discuss the challenges of a smaller carrier and how they are overcome.
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120 - Breaking Glass Ceilings in the World of Law
The Defense Never Rests
What obstacles have you had to conquer to pave the way upwards in your career? This week on The Defense Never Rests, we are joined by @Tina Newsome-Lee and @Nicole Suisse – two fantastic career driven lawyers who seemingly have parallel career progressions. Both these ladies came from humble beginnings without any “headstart” to get them where they are today. They had to utilize their own grit and determination to earn their achievements. But of course not without some help from mentors, colleagues and role models. And they are not blind to those who helped them get to where they...
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119 - Seizing Opportunities in Claims
The Defense Never Rests
Do you seize new opportunities when they are presented to you? Some of us can be skeptical when we are faced with an opportunity that may be too good to be true. Others jump on it. Story time… When I was looking for jobs during law school I was set on being a transactional attorney. I did not want to do litigation or anything like it. Why? Who knows, transactional work just seemed “cool”. But when the market was dry and there was not a transactional job to be found, I took a position as a litigation associate. Fast forward to today…I frankly could not imagine NOT being a...
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118 - Insuring Fido: Pets Need Coverage Too!
The Defense Never Rests
What do you think is an emerging area of claims? If we said pet insurance, would that surprise you? Probably! Most of us grew up in a time where pet insurance probably did not even exist! And let’s face, if the family dog fell ill and it was going to cost a lot of money, that treatment was probably not going to happen. But times have changed. Nowadays that does not need to be the case. This week on the Defense Never Rests we are joined by Dylan Whitehead Director of Claims at Pumpkin and discuss how pets are not just pets, they are part of our family. So why shouldn’t they have proper...
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117 - Hot Topics in Comp
The Defense Never Rests
What trends are you seeing in your workers’ compensation claims? Are you seeing a rise in certain types of claims… Or maybe you are seeing a shift in how claimants seek treatment… Or just a rise (or fall) in claims in general? This week on the Defense Never Rests we return to our worker’s compensation series and are joined by Andrea Emmett to dive into what is trending in WC right now. Spoiler – there are a lot of trends! And they keep evolving. We probably could make this a 5 part series. If you work in comp claims, this is a must listen. Even if you do not work in comp...
info_outlineHave you ever wondered what tactics have the most bang for your buck when trying to resolve a claim? Or….more importantly, what really puts a wedge in early negotiations. This week on the Defense Never Rests I am joined by my law school classmate David Kwalter. Like many of us, Dave had a bob and weave path to where he is now – in fact we even worked together after law school as document review attorneys. Which was a very interesting experience to say the least. But he quickly found his way and built up a successful personal injury practice with his best friend. He graciously agreed to share what adjusters do well, not so well, and what helps getting cases resolved. And some of it is so simple…like picking up a phone. In fact those simple phone calls over the years and cultivated friendships with adjusters. Which can certainly help resolve cases early. What tactics do you believe helps resolve and close your files?