Claims Involving Trees were at Record Levels During 2011
Cary, N.C. - HMI announced that it is now offering insurance adjusters continuing education (CE) credits for its courses on how to adjust tree damage and landscape losses. CE credits are currently available for Connecticut, Louisiana and Texas, and additional state certification can be procured upon request. Courses are offered in person or via webinars and are free of charge. "The severe storms of 2011 created a tremendous amount of damage to, and from, trees. Adjusters were dealing with everything from trees on homes to large commercial properties with extensive damage to their trees and landscaping." said Doug Malawsky, HMI's chief operating officer. "The recent inclusion of tree coverage on commercial policies, particularly for golf courses, requires adjusters to evaluate trees like never before. For example: Was the reported damage truly storm related? Are the trees salvageable? What is a reasonable cost to repair, remove or replace a tree of a certain type or size? HMI recognizes that there are no effective resources available to adjusters for handling tree claims, and in response, created a curriculum to fill this void."
HMI's courses provide adjusters with tools on how to adjust: (i) property claims involving tree removals from covered structures and property, which have fallen as a result of a covered peril e.g., wind, weight of snow and ice (removal of tree debris from the premises is a subset of this scenario), and (ii) claims that include the replacement of (or payout for) dead or damaged trees.
HMI has been selected to provide CE courses at the PLRB Claims Conference in Orlando this April and at the Worley Claims Expo in Houston this February. |