BCMG Catastrophe Claims Conference 2014

Last week BCMG hosted its first annual Catastrophe Claims Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.   CAT adjusters from all over the country gathered in the Crescent City for two days of training, certification, and networking.  Marvin Aikens, with Donan Engineering, put on a 1 hour CE presentation specifically tailored to wind and hail damage.  Also, Dan Dyce with California Earthquake Authority and Bill Creeder with Rimkus Consulting, offered an earthquake certification course for those in attendance.  We were also pleased to have some of our clients come in to go over specific expectations and procedural details.  Each day concluded with a social hour that allowed for mingling, networking, and discussing the latest industry news and trends.  Overall, it was a great chance for our CAT adjusters to get to know our company, each other, and a few of our clients.  We appreciate everyone who attended, presented, and gave their time for this event.  We are looking forward to an even bigger and better conference next year!  The date for next year’s conference has tentatively been set for March 24^th-26^th, 2015.  We hope to see you all there!

Marvin Aikens, with Donan Engineering, presents 1 Hr CE credit on Wind and Hail Damage.

BCMG Owner/President, Steve Brown, conducts presentation on Ethics and Professionalism in the insurance industry

Dan Dyce, with California Earthquake Authority,  during his presenation at the earthquake certifcation program.

 Bill Creeder, with Rimkus Consulting, explores past earthquakes and the damages they cause.

Update on Use of Drones by Claims Adjusters

The emerging technology of camera-equipped drones has the potential to have tremendous implications on how property claims adjusters do their jobs and has been a frequent topic recently among leaders in the insurance claims industry.  

One hesitation by some in the claims industry and elsewhere to embrace this technology relates to the uncertainty of how the federal government will regulate the use of even small drones for such commercial purposes, including threats of prosecution.  However, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal by Mr. L. Gordon Crovitz on March 16, 2014 entitled “Drones Cleared for Takeoff” explains that “a federal administrative judge held that the FAA has no legal authority to meddle in the market and dismissed a fine levied against an operator who defied regulators by getting paid to use a drone to film the University of Virginia campus. Judge Patrick Geraghty of the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the agency had only issued internal guidance on drones and hadn't followed any process to apply restrictions to the public.”  The article states that the FAA has appealed the decision, but Mr. Crovitz makes the argument that the Federal government may be overreaching in trying to so tightly regulate these small drones for commercial purposes, which one would have to conclude is likely to include claims adjusting.

The article can be found in the Wall Street Journal, or its online edition at: http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304914904579441052310129582-lMyQjAxMTA0MDIwNTEyNDUyWj  and it is interesting that it also includes a Reuters photo of a small drone (DJI Phantom 2 Vision) in flight with the caption, “A camera drone flies near the scene where two buildings collapsed in East Harlem in New York City on March 12” (…no doubt piloted by a claims adjuster, engineer, inspector, or other industry professional looking to get a unique perspective of the damage to these properties in order to better do their job.)

CAT Season Opportunity in Louisiana!

BCMG Adjusters will have a unique opportunity to be involved in the handling of one of the largest insurance companies in the state of Louisiana for CAT Season 2013.  

As part of that agreement, BCMG will be one of only two companies handling claims for this carrier in the event of a hurricane.  You MUST be certified to work for this carrier and we currently have open spots for July 18th, August 3rd, and later dates in Louisiana to get you certified.  Please register on the Adjuster Registration tab at our website www.browncatastrophe.com to be added to our roster.

If your application is approved, you will receive an email advising you of the carrier and the time and location of the certification classes.  We require a minimum of 3 years' experience and to be proficient in Xactimate.

BCMG Deployed to Handle Hail Damaged Autos in OKC

Inch and a half hail rained down on areas in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Friday, April 26th.  BCMG was asked to assist with appraising hail damage to more than 1,200 new Cadillac, Audi, Nissan and Kia, etc. automobiles at the Bob Moore Auto Group.

For more information on the recent hail events in the area check out the article here.

Exciting News at BCMG!

Brown Catastrophe Management Group (BCMG) has some exciting things to report for this 2013 Hurricane Season.  Our vigorous marketing efforts the past few months have paid off and resulted in BCMC landing agreements with several of the top regional HO insurance carriers in the State of Louisiana, and other coastal states.  In one case, we will be the “primary” CAT company for that carrier in not only Louisiana, but also states like Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, New York, etc.  Through a developing strategic partnership with another national CAT company, we hope to announce soon our possible involvement with yet another major HO carrier.  Stay tuned for more information and details to come.

PLRB in Boston, MA

For those of you attending the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) Claims Conference in Boston, MA this weekend and next week, stop by BCMG's booth #1336 in the expo hall.

It looks to be a great conference with exciting industry information and many networking opportunities.  We look forward to meeting all of those at the conference and hope you stop by booth #1336!

BCMG in London

In late January, BCMG Owner/President, Stephen Brown had an opportunity to accompany a colleague to London, England for a week of meetings with representatives of the London insurance market, including several at the historic Lloyd’s of London.  During that week, we had a chance to get a firsthand look at Lloyd’s underwriting process, and visit with numerous Lloyd’s underwriters, brokers, and claims managers.  As an insurance professional, it is impossible to go away from your first visit to Lloyd’s without being overwhelmed at the history, the tradition, and the formality of Lloyd’s.  And yet, in this day of complex analytical and actuarial software and analytics by insurance carriers, perhaps the most impressive of all was to see that unique risks from all over the world are still underwritten (and claims oftentimes also discussed) face to face in the “boxes” on the floor and at the coffee shops in and around Lloyd’s.  Many new friends and contacts were made on the trip to the Lloyd’s market and BCMG will no doubt benefit from the experience.       

(L to R) Lloyd's of London, The Gherkin, Willis Building

The Floor of Lloyd's