What's the Scenario? with PLRB

The insured felt like she did everything right. She insured the ring when she bought it, kept it scheduled on her policy, kept up with maintenance, and filed a claim right away when it was stolen. She even submitted the original appraisal for $22,000 so the insurance company would know how much to write on the check. So she was shocked when the insurance payout was only $14,000. Apparently diamond...

Swine & Dine Farms underwent a devastating loss when a ventilation system shut off, resulting in the deaths of 2,400 hogs. Swine & Dine didn't own the hogs: they were contract growers raising the hogs for an "integrator," the contract owner of the animals who is not suing for the value of the lost hogs. What liability coverage is available for these folks?   Notable Timestamps [ 00:41 ] - A ventil...

As you prepare your new year's resolutions, take a moment to ask, "What's your elevator pitch?" This holiday week, we're sharing a classic episode featuring an inspirational and thought-provoking scenario that you can bring into your personal and professional life. A claims adjuster is out at a party when they are asked: "So, what do you do for a living?" Our adjuster responds with just: "I'm in i...

During this time of year as many people are exchanging presents, I'm sure you're all wondering exactly how those various gadgets would be classified under the HO3 policy. So for this holiday week, we're sharing a classic episode featuring an excellent coverage scenario. The insured, a father of 4, was out buying Christmas gifts for his children. This year he decided to splurge and buy each of them...

Sod's Country Farms was raising 65,000 chickens when a fire burned down the poultry house. After a detailed investigation, the cause of the fire was undetermined. To further complicate matters, Sod's Country Farms didn't even own the chickens themselves, but raised them for a vendor. They want to know if the property loss of the  animals is covered-- and what policy would be most appropriate.   No...

Alex is a team leader working with a mix of experienced adjusters and brand-new claims professionals, some assigned to the field and others working behind a desk. Alex has to make sure his team has the training they need to approach their work with confidence. Luckily PLRB.org's Education Hub has everything they need to succeed.   Notable Timestamps [ 00:10 ] - The PLRB Education Hub supports team...

Jamie has been a property adjuster for some time now and is ready to graduate to larger and more complex losses involving hurricanes, construction defects, historic buildings, massive commercial structures, and more. Chris is a seasoned large loss adjuster looking to hone their practice in the casualty arena and network with others in their area. To address these questions, we'll take them to the...

This holiday week, we're sharing a classic episode about the PLRB Building Codes department. The adjuster on a hail claim receives a long list of line items that are "required by code." Once the old shingles are torn off, they find rot and gaps in the sheathing, and the contractor says a thicker sheathing is now required by code.    Notable Timestamps [ 00:10 ] - Ice barriers, drip edges, a double...

Benny's Liquor, Fireworks & Gunpowder Emporium went up in flames last night. Motion-detector alarms caught the fire and automatically notified the police, who found the fire and called the local fire chief, but by the time they arrived it was too late. Now his insurer claims he violated his Protective Safeguards Endorsement by installing burglary alarms instead of actual fire alarms. Benny doesn't...

Sam is a huge Bears fan. He sets up his brand new smoker in the backyard and put a perfectly seasoned pork shoulder on to cook all day -- just in time for the Sunday Night Bears v. Packers game.  The smoker was near the side of the house, but not directly next to it. After 8 hours, the shoulder was tender and ready to eat… but the insured's siding had melted. Sam seeks coverage for the replacement...

Curd Appeal sells the best-looking cheeses on the block, but over the long weekend their refrigerator broke down, and now their limburger isn't the only thing that smells. The owner argues they are covered under the BP 00 03, but the adjuster spots some holes in their argument. The owner hits back with a supplemental endorsement they purchased, hoping to find coverage any way they can.   Notable T...

"Simply the Vest" is a dry cleaning service with a basement full of supplies, tools, clothing, and… water. After a heavy rain, the owners discovered that their sump pump had failed, causing water to back up into the basement, resulting in damage to their property. Under their BP 00 03 form, coverage for this cause is firmly excluded. However, they paid for a supplemental endorsement with some inte...

We are experiencing some technical difficulties with today's episode, so instead I thought I would share two clips that were previously cut for time. In these clips, Dana Grodin and Alison McLaney, both of Gemcor and Digipraise, answer our burning questions about diamonds, lab-grown and natural. I'll re-insert their introduction before we hop into the clips, but the rest of the material has never...

This is a holiday week for the podcast, so we're replaying a classic episode. This episode has been lightly edited to remain accurate to the upcoming 2025 Large Loss Conference taking place at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, TX on Wednesday November 12 through Friday November 14. We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled episode.   Today our adjuster is leveli...

Today's insured looked out the window and saw that a windstorm with strong 50 MPH sustained winds had kicked up soil from their neighbor's farm fields. The soil accumulated in layers over their home, garage, pool, hot tub, and all their beautiful landscaping. The garage door was open, so their home carpentry workshop and storage was covered in dirt. Even their koi pond was buried in the soil. None...

Beatriz is a city dweller who never learned how to drive a car. However, recently she got tired of the train and decided to get an E-bike. She bought an old E-bike off a friend, purchased a battery from AftermarketBatteries.biz, and soon was zipping through the streets. Her friends even got her a "bumper sticker" that reads "Beatriz's Car" for the side. But one night, it caught fire while charging...

A few months ago, today's insured decided to jump into the latest trend for a lot of suburban dwellers, and he got some chickens! He built a chicken coop and a caged in area for the chickens to be safe from predators. The coop itself looks like a very large shed with a fenced-in area extending from the coop. The insured calls up their agent to ask if there's coverage for the coop under their HO 00...

Mia is a mid-level claims specialist with about five years' experience in the job. One afternoon, she gets a call from a customer named James. He's frustrated—bordering on furious. He's been waiting for an update about his property claim, and from his perspective, no one communicated anything. He feels ignored. He's escalating. Mia can tell this is going to be a difficult conversation. But instead...

Messy Masonry, Inc. was hired as a subcontractor on a new home construction. Their job was to install two giant bay windows overlooking a lake, but they ended up splashing mortar on one of them. When they attempted to scrub it off, the window was scratched. As for the other window... another subcontractor, Outside the Lines Painting, was hired to paint the window frames, but accidentally sanded pa...

An insured filed a claim for a lost diamond earring. The stud and its match were scheduled as 1.00 Carat each, "I" color and SI clarity, for $8,000. Her insurer asked Gemcor create a match. When we received the mate, we ran our standard test and found something unexpected: the diamond wasn't natural. It was lab-grown. In the years since its purchase, the replacement cost for lab-grown diamonds has...

An insured brought her diamond ring to a local jeweler for a routine cleaning. The jeweler found damage and recommended filing a claim. Our team checked the original appraisal on file, which raised questions about the identified break. However, close analysis confirmed a different break in the girdle. The insured was entitled her to a like-kind replacement or cash if she surrendered the chipped st...

Warning, this scenario mentions suicide. The insured's 21-year-old son lives with them and suffers from depression. While the insured parents are away, their son goes through a breakup and decides to kill himself. He gets very drunk and douses the entire first floor in the gasoline they use for their lawnmower. He turns over a candle and goes upstairs to pass out. A neighbor called the police in t...

The adjuster on a hail claim receives a long list of line items that are "required by code." Once the old shingles are torn off, they find rot and gaps in the sheathing, and the contractor says a thicker sheathing is now required by code.    Notable Timestamps [ 00:10 ] - Ice barriers, drip edges, a double felt underlayment... Searching the internet only leads the adjuster spiralling down a rabbit...

The 100-year-old named insured died of natural causes. His daughter, the executor, inherited and moved into the home, continuing to pay the same bills—including insurance premiums. Four years later, a fire occurred, but the policy still listed her late father. Can it pay out?   Notable Timestamps [ 00:10 ] - The daughter continued to pay the premiums, but did not contact the insurance company to a...

A concrete foundation is crumbling due to a truck's sugar-contaminated sand delivery. Now, a court case hinges on whether the CGL auto exclusion applies: Did the damage occur in the truck or on the job site? Notable Timestamps [ 00:30 ] - At the outset, it seems the question (of whether the CGL or the BAC policy applies) turns on whether the damage occurred on the job site, at the concrete plant,...