Overview
According to the National Park Service, “as many as 90% of wildfires in the U.S. are caused by humans, resulting from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10% are started by natural phenomena, such as lightning or lava.” Regardless of the actual cause, wildfires can be devastating.
The Insurance Information Institute reports that “the 2015 fire season set a new record for the number of acres burned in the U.S. Between January 1st and December 30th there were 68,151 wildfires, which burned 10,125,149 acres according to the National Interagency Fire Center.” Over the 20-year period 1995-2014, fires, including wildfires, accounted for 1.5% of insured catastrophe losses totaling $6 billion dollars, according to the Property Claims Services Unit of ISO.
During today’s discussion, we will explore the important areas of risk management and property insurance that must be addressed, to be prepared for the destruction that can be caused by future wildfires.
Panelists
Bruce Tibert is a professional public insurance adjuster with Adjusters International and brings with him a wealth of experience in the public adjusting and insurance fields. Bruce was a claims manager for ten years and owned his own independent adjusting company for 28 years. In those positions, he gained the knowledge and background to stand as a strong advocate for his clients. Bruce ensures that every claims package is complete and accurate before it is submitted to the insurance company.
Bruce majored in architecture while in college and has designed and built custom multimillion-dollar homes. This, along with his experience working in construction during college, gives him a specialized perspective and unique skills to apply to each loss. He is able to identify damage and determine what is necessary to rebuild so that his clients receive all they need in order to regain what was lost.
Bruce is licensed as a public adjuster in five states and has represented many clients. He has represented victims of catastrophic losses, including the victims of the Angora fire near Tahoe, California; the Boles Fire in Weed, California; as well as high profile clients such as Aunt Cynthia Bed & Biscuit Inn (Loomis, CA); Chateau Inn & Suites (South Lake Tahoe, CA); Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (Indio, CA); Datum Precision (Grass Valley, CA); Dos Palos High School (Dos Palos, CA); Harris Farms / Harris Fresh (Coalinga, CA); Izzy’s Pizza (Newport, OR); Jarvis Nichols Building (Mendocino, CA); Koffler Electrical Mechanical Apparatus Repair (San Leandro, CA); Metropolitan Bank (Oakland, CA); Prime Time Sports Bar & Restaurant (Forest Grove, OR); United Methodist Church Of Sheridan (Sheridan, OR); and Windsor Fashions (Roseville, CA & Locations Nationwide).
For ten years — while owning his own company — Bruce provided expert witness testimonies. In addition, he has spoken at conferences and has published articles in Adjusters Magazine on topics of construction defect and insurance losses.
Bruce has been featured as an expert panelist on Adjusters International’s Property Insurance Roundtable podcast in the episode titled, “Wildfires: Filing Property Insurance Claims for One of Nature’s Most Fearsome Foes.”
As Director of Inventory Services at Adjusters International, Jody DuVall assists clients helping with to evaluate contents and create an inventory of all damaged and destroyed property. She is responsible for the pricing, aging and conditioning, and depreciation of every item on her client’s inventory — which often contain as many as 3,000 to 5,000 items. Jody is proficient in both residential and business personal property claims. Prior to joining the team in 2011, she worked as a project manager in the restoration field, which provided her with valuable experience and knowledge that she applies in her current position.
Jody has helped many clients through their recovery in the aftermath of catastrophic events, including victims of the Boles Wildfire and San Bruno PG&E Pipeline Explosion. One particular client she assisted in the San Bruno explosion lost family as well as personal property. Understanding that this was an extremely difficult time, Jody remained patient, compassionate, and empathetic as she and her client worked together to remember all of her family’s lost property.
“As far as I know, Adjusters International is the only public insurance adjusting company in the West with an in-house inventory team. As a senior member of that team, I know firsthand, based on the results we achieve every day, what an added value we bring to our clients lives and businesses,” says Jody.
Jody has been featured as an expert panelist on Adjusters International’s Property Insurance Roundtable podcast in the episode titled, “Wildfires: Filing Property Insurance Claims for One of Nature’s Most Fearsome Foes.”
Kyle Hensiek joined Adjusters International in 2010 as a loss consultant. He advocates for and represents individuals and businesses that have been affected by disaster, acting as the intermediary between policyholders and insurance companies. As a public adjuster, his primary responsibilities include serving as the first point-of-contact with potential clients, determining client-specific recovery goals and assembling and overseeing the team appropriate for each insurance claim, including adjusters, accountants, damage estimators, inventory specialists, agers and conditioners, and forensic accountants.
Kyle is licensed as a public adjuster in nine states across the United States.
Kyle has been featured as an expert panelist on Adjusters International’s Property Insurance Roundtable podcast in the episode titled, “Wildfires: Filing Property Insurance Claims for One of Nature’s Most Fearsome Foes.”
Moderator
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