The Art of Adjusting® Podcast

Send us Fan Mail People hear “recorded statement” and assume it’s a trap. We don’t see it that way, and if you work in claims adjusting, you shouldn’t either. Bill Auten (Auten Claims Management) and Chantal Roberts (CMR Consulting) lay out what a recorded statement is really for: a clear, professional record of what happened that helps you investigate the claim, preserve evidence, and make the ri...

Send us Fan Mail A “quick” injury claim can turn into a compliance puzzle the moment Medicare or Medicaid enters the picture and if you miss it, the consequences can be expensive. We get practical about CMS, Medicare Secondary Payer rules, and what adjusters actually need to do on day one so a settlement does not blow up later. We walk through the Big Five identifiers we ask claimants for, why peo...

Send us Fan Mail Bad faith doesn’t usually arrive as one dramatic blow-up. It shows up as a slow drip of little things: the voicemail that never gets returned, the approval that sits in someone’s queue, the vague diary note that makes sense only to the person who wrote it, and the template letter that accidentally says more than it should. We talk through the practical warning signs we see when a...

Send us Fan Mail Memorial Day weekend has a way of turning “just one quick favor” into a full-blown claim file. We start with a simple scenario: you borrow a friend’s car to grab ice and something goes wrong. From there, we unpack permissive use, when auto insurance follows the car versus the person, and why household access to keys can quietly expand who counts as an insured under the policy defi...

Send us Fan Mail A lawn mower throws a rock through a car window. A kid hops a fence to grab a baseball near a backyard pool. A trampoline turns one “fun afternoon” into a catastrophic injury demand. Summer liability claims love to masquerade as simple, and that’s exactly when adjusters get burned by policy language. We dig into the fundamentals we rely on when analyzing homeowners liability and s...

Send us Fan Mail Spring doesn’t just bring warmer weather, it brings a whole new wave of claims problems: roofers canvassing neighborhoods, frozen-pipe losses getting repaired, and construction crews breaking ground. We sit down and get specific about what adjusters and policyholders need to watch for when repairs start, because the repair work itself can create brand-new damage. When that happens...

Send us Fan Mail Spring storms don’t just damage property, they scramble the story of what happened. One day it’s hail. The next it’s wind-driven rain. Then a ceiling stain shows up weeks later and everyone argues whether it’s a new loss, wear and tear, or “damage creep.” We walk through how we actually sort these files out in the field, especially when the insured sees one big problem but the evi...

Send us Fan Mail Frozen pipe losses are one of those claims that look simple on the surface, right up until the policy language and the facts start fighting each other. Today we walk through the biggest freeze-claim mistake we see: treating a burst-from-freezing pipe like a routine accidental discharge loss and automatically excluding the pipe repair, even when freezing is the covered cause of los...

Send us Fan Mail A slip on ice can look like a small accident until you see what it turns into on a claim file: multiple defendants, competing contracts, fading memories, and a fight over what the weather actually did at one exact address. We get into why snow removal contractors are often treated like the default villain, and how a solid liability analysis starts with the boring stuff that saves...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt your file work turn into a courtroom minefield? We sit down with a clinical neuropsychologist who coaches witnesses to break down why depositions are adversarial even when they sound friendly, and how adjusters can protect credibility without oversharing. From honey and vinegar to the Columbo “play dumb” tactic, we map the playbook plaintiffs use to trigger fight-or-flig...

Send us Fan Mail Winter brings more than snow and high heating bills. It brings puffback claims, chimney fires, frozen pipes, temporary heating setups, and a steady stream of liability questions. In this episode, William and Chantal break down common winter-related losses and what adjusters should be looking for from day one. They discuss oil furnace puffbacks, improper fireplace and wood stove in...

Send us Fan Mail Storm clouds don’t just darken the sky, they raise the duty of care. We dig into how snow, ice, fog, and heavy rain change what “reasonable” looks like behind the wheel and at the claim desk. From multi-car pileups to slow-speed parking lot crashes, we break down how to evaluate negligence when the surface and sight lines won’t play fair, why “I was going the speed limit” can stil...

Send us Fan Mail A slick floor, a hard fall, and suddenly everyone asks the same question: who pays? We open the claims toolbox and walk through slip and fall cases step by step, showing how quick evidence work, clear liability analysis, and smart communication shape the outcome. From icy sidewalks to grocery spills, we explain the differences that matter and the proof that sticks. First, we dig i...

Send us Fan Mail Want a practical blueprint to avoid bad faith and close cleaner files? We dig into the real-world habits that separate defensible claims work from patterns that draw regulator heat and lawsuits. Starting with a crisp definition—negligence is a mistake; bad faith is a repeated choice—we map how state rules, NAIC Model Acts, and administrative codes shape your everyday decisions on...

Send us Fan Mail Holiday cheer meets claim chaos, and we’re here to make sense of it. From overloaded outlets and dry Christmas trees to frozen pipes and black ice, we walk through the winter risks that drive property, auto, and liability claims—and how smart adjusting turns messy losses into clean resolutions. We share practical tools adjusters can use right now: when to call a cause-and-origin e...

Send us Fan Mail We rethink “rules of the road” from an adjuster’s view, showing why left-hand turns aren’t always at fault, how point of impact changes everything, and when last clear chance controls the outcome. Practical field tips help you collect better evidence, weigh foreseeability, and assign fair liability. • left-hand turns, control of the intersection, point of impact • duty to yield, d...

Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Spotify Episode Description  Episode 82: Giving Thanks — Bill’s Back! This Thanksgiving episode is all about gratitude. Bill returns to the podcast, and we share what we’re thankful for — from the people who make our work meaningful to the everyday wins that keep us going in the P&C claims world. Whether you're driving to a loss site, reviewing files, or heading home f...

Send us Fan Mail When the wind picks up, claims become a pressure cooker. 🌪️ In this episode, Chantal and Heather tackle five real-world conflicts adjusters face during catastrophes — from underinsurance and staffing shortages to pressure, compassion fatigue, and post-storm chaos. They unpack what happens when good intentions collide with policy language, time limits, and too many claims on the de...

Send us Fan Mail This one’s for the adjusters who keep learning even when nobody’s paying for training anymore. Heather and Chantal talk about what real professional development looks like today — from learning policy language on your own to staying sharp as tech, AI, and consumer expectations change faster than your claim count. They dig into why mold and low-impact claims are making a comeback,...

Send us Fan Mail 🏈 Adjusters can’t do it all — sometimes you need to call in the experts. Heather and Chantal dig into the world of experts in claims. From engineers and origin-and-cause investigators to claims handling experts, we explore: When adjusters should bring in specialized help (and when not to). Why “being an expert” takes more than Google or self-proclamation. How early expert involve...

Send us Fan Mail Independent adjusting—explained by the people shaping it. Chantal and co-host Heather sit down with Chris Stanley (IA Path) and Calvin Newman (MOCAT) to discuss the realities of an IA career: the challenges, opportunities, and how to thrive long-term. 💡 Topics covered: Independent adjusters as entrepreneurs The gap in training and follow-up support for new adjusters Tech + AI: sp...

Send us Fan Mail Not every denied claim is bad faith. Not every mistake is a lawsuit waiting to happen. So why does it sometimes feel like “bad faith” is lurking around every corner? In this episode, Chantal and Heather Blevins ( The Insurance Rebel ) tackle the myths and realities of bad faith in insurance claims. They break down what bad faith really means, why the definition changes depending o...

Send us Fan Mail ✏️ School’s back in session—and so is claims compliance. In this episode, Chantal and Heather Blevins break down the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act and what it really means for adjusters in today’s high-pressure environment. From documentation do’s and don’ts to why clear, proactive communication can keep you out of hot water, this conversation is all about building good f...

Send us Fan Mail Certificates of Insurance (COIs) look simple—but behind that one page is a world of fine print, pitfalls, and potential fraud. In this episode, Chantal and Sandy talk with Scott Margraves, a 33-year insurance veteran and founder of COI’s R Us, about what COIs actually do (and don’t) prove. You’ll hear: Why 9 out of 10 COIs are issued incorrectly How small clerical errors can lead...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Art of Adjusting® Podcast , Chantal and Sandy break down the often-confused differences between bankruptcy, insolvency, and reserves —and why every adjuster should understand how their decisions impact a carrier’s financial stability. From SpongeBob memes to real-life cautionary tales, they show how financial instability can start with a single misstep in re...