What's the Scenario? with PLRB

Dana is a property adjuster who gets handed three new AI tools in one week: a coverage-letter drafter, a photo-based contents scorer, and quiet permission to use ChatGPT for file summaries. Her supervisor's only guidance: "Don't screw it up." Dana has no idea which AI shortcuts are safe, which need a second set of eyes, and which could become Exhibit A in a personal injury case. Notable Timestamps...

An insured purchased brick, mortar, and other masonry materials from a local building supply company, then used its own employees to build the brick veneer and masonry of a home, install the windows, and finish the exterior deck. After the work was completed, cracks formed in the masonry that let water infiltrate and damage other parts of the home - and the question became whether the building sup...

A contractor hired to build a detached garage was fired after completing only the framing and roof sheathing, and the homeowner immediately brought in a second contractor to finish the job. Weeks later, after the replacement contractor had resumed work, rain got in through improperly installed flashing the first contractor had put up, damaging the framing and newly installed insulation. The origin...

We're taking a break this week after our first-ever Knowledge Exchange. This collaborative learning event took place at PLRB headquarters and featured building codes topics, so this week we'll share a classic episode from the PLRB Building Codes team. Surveillance video shows a woman wearing a salon cape exiting through the front door of a hair salon. She spends a few moments in front of the salon...

A kitchen fire damaged some cabinets and the microwave above the stove, and the insured hired a contractor to make the repairs. When the contractor needed to temporarily kill power to the outlet above the stove, they asked the insured where the breaker box was - only to be led to a basement bathroom, where opening the medicine cabinet mirror revealed the home's electrical panel mounted behind it....

The insured enjoyed having a lakeside home in the summer, where they could take a cruise on their boat in the evenings. But one winter, the frozen lake shoved ashore massive ice slabs, crushing a metal boat lift that had been stored on the shoreline for the winter. The lateral ice pressure then smashed into a permanent boathouse, buckling the vinyl siding, breaking through windows, and splitting t...

Welcome to "What's the Scenario? with PLRB", where we explore claims & coverage scenarios relevant to insurance professionals. I'm Brennan McLoughlin, and we're taking a break this week after another successful PLRB Regional Innovation Summit. This week we'll share a follow-up episode from the PLRB Weather team. A small grocery store specializes in farm-to-table meat and fish, locally sourced and...

Welcome to "What's the Scenario? with PLRB", where we explore claims & coverage scenarios relevant to insurance professionals. I'm Brennan McLoughlin, and for this holiday week we'll be sharing a classic episode from the PLRB Weather team.   A CAT Manager is making preparations for her CAT team in advance of Hurricane Francine, which approached the Louisiana coast in the second week of September,...

A contractor was hired to renovate a kitchen. The homeowner was thrilled with the results, but asked for a few final punch-list items: adjusting the cabinet doors and replacing a damaged drawer pull. To reach the cabinets, the contractor moved the refrigerator, but failed to securely reconnect the ice maker supply line before leaving. Two days later, the homeowner discovered water throughout the k...

A homeowner reports that the central air conditioning system stopped working during a summer heat wave. They sent their contractor's invoice to their insurance company. The adjuster has to review the invoice, the Declarations Page, and policy excerpts to handle the claim. But this isn't a real claims file; this are mock claims documents as used in the PACE Designation Exam. Today we'll explore how...

An adjuster has decided to level up their career by earning their PACE-P Designation. They've completed the comprehensive educational program, prepared with the study guide, and are now sitting down to take the remotely proctored exam. Are they ready for it? Are you? Notable Timestamps [ 00:00:34 ] - The podcast explores the scenario of an adjuster who has completed an educational program and a st...

An adjuster has decided to level up their career by earning their PACE-P Designation. They've completed the comprehensive educational program, but don't feel quite ready to sit down and take the PACE Designation Exam. So they download the PACE Study Guide and get started. Notable Timestamps [ 04:23 ] - The PACE Designation Program provides a comprehensive foundation of knowledge and practical skil...

A plumber was hired to perform work on a pipe on an insured home. In the course of that work, the plumber accidentally smashed his wrench into the pipe, damaging it. The water damaged nearby drywall and carpet. Notable Timestamps [ 00:44 ] - The j(5) exclusion specifically applies to property damage on that particular part of real property where operations are directly being performed. [ 01:14 ] -...

A general contractor installs a commercial storefront window system. Because the flashing is installed incorrectly, rainwater enters the building during the first storm. The building owner sues the contractor, seeking the cost to remove and replace the defective window system and repair the water-damaged drywall and flooring inside. The contractor tenders the suit to its CGL insurer. Notable Times...

Emma's cousin Mark moved to the big city and left his horse at Emma's ranch. For five years, she took care of the horse like it was one of her own. One day Mark took offense at one of Emma's social media posts, and quietly removed the horse without her knowledge, believing he was the rightful owner. Emma was devastated and sued Mark, alleging emotional distress, mental pain and suffering, and loss...

The insured has spent months in an escalating dispute with his neighbor over the neighbor's alleged violation of HOA rules and garish lawn decorations. Finally, the insured takes things too far by aiming his sprinkler at the neighbor's newly painted shed, ruining an expensive paint job. The insured has been sued, and wants their insurance company to defend them in the lawsuit. Notable Timestamps [...

During a recreational adult hockey league practice, the goalie skated backward into the crease after a drill and grabbed the top crossbar of the net while stretching and joking with other players. The ice had recently been resurfaced, and the net had not yet been properly secured to the ice. As the goalie leaned his body weight onto the frame, the goal tipped backward and struck him. In a negligen...

As we hit our next holiday week and listen to the sounds of fireworks, we'd like to share a classic episode featuring the insurance implications of fireworks. So fire up the grill, and put this episode on the speakers.   Is there an exclusion for stupid? Join Alissha, Mike, and Tim to discuss bad decisions, wedding rings stuck on fingers, dumpster fires, and whether the choice to set off a firewor...

As a claims executive leader, Awais Farooq built and oversaw coverage frameworks, liability investigations, reserve governance, and total loss protocols. He believed that institutional fluency would make his own claim predictable. Then he struck a deer on his motorcycle and suffered a significant leg injury. His claim was segmented across bodily injury, property damage, and total loss. Each functi...

Right now we're traveling back from this week's successful Eastern Regional Conference. So this week, as we head into summer, we're sharing an episode on how to take advantage of all the services that the PLRB Weather/CATs department has to offer.   A supervisor leads a team of very needy CAT adjusters! Over the course of the year, the supervisor fields many questions as it comes up in their claim...

We're calling "foul ball!" A spectator at a local minor league baseball game was injured when a foul ball zipped through a tear in the safety net and broke his arm. The spectator claims that the stadium owed him a safe environment, that it knew about the tear and didn't fix it, and that the mascot wasn't even that funny. To score, our litigant is going to have to run all four bases of the core ele...

A cat jumps on the stove to get leftovers, accidentally turns a burner, and starts a kitchen fire. The homeowner has heard of an exclusion that applies to damage caused by animals owned or kept by an insured, and is concerned that the fire will not be covered. Exactly how mad should the homeowner be with their cat? (And how long can they stay mad at that face?) Notable Timestamps [ 00:00 ] - A kit...

Wildfire claims are emotional, public, and inconsistent across carriers, so adjusters often become the face of "no." Using a real fire example, we'll explore empathy, advance payments, uneven guidance, social media comparisons, and follow-through as tools to protect our reputation. Notable Timestamps [ 00:09 ] - Wildfire claims can be highly emotional and public, and adjusters often become the vis...

[REPLAY] This week, check out a podcast featured in PLRB's new PACE Program: "The new PLRB Advanced Coverage Education (PACE) designation is more than a credential. It's a powerful way to strengthen your claims expertise. PACE begins with a Core Curriculum that builds a foundation in insurance basics and the claims process. From there, professionals can grow through Business LineTracks that suppor...

The roof of a 100-year-old farmhouse suddenly collapses under the weight of water. The building was insured under a farm policy that, in this case, only provided coverage for personal property and not the dwelling or real property. The insured claims that the carpet, water heater, and even ceiling tiles are all personal property, and therefore covered! What is a fixture? Notable Timestamps [ 00:00...