Longtime Claims Magazine readersmay remember columnist “Justin Adjuster” in our predecessorpublication, Insurance Adjuster. Thatcolumnist was Bernard David Hinkle, J.D., a senior vicepresident of Crawford & Company and the creator of Crawford'sEducational Services. He taught adjuster law in many of the classesbefore becoming head of the company's Human Resourcesdepartment.

He was also the editor of the little green bi-weeklynewsletter, AdjusterDigest, and his columns featuredcharacters like LOLITS, his “little old lady in tennis shoes,” whorepresented the typical claimant. Dave would follow up on legalissues affecting claims, often titling a humorous news item as“Moron the … Issue,” if it involved some wrong-headed decision orsome insurance fraud issue. He was often a speaker at variousclaims associations, and wrote articles for many publications inthe claims adjusting field.

Although born in Denver, Colorado, Dave spent much of his youthin Missouri, writing about his experiences of growing up there inone of his novels or short stories. He was an Eagle Scout andserved in the Philippines in World War II, helping to rescueAmericans who had been on the Bataan Death March, includingregistering deaths. Born April 17, 1920, he joined Crawford &Company soon after the War, and married Allene Wilkes, theirmarriage lasting 61 years until her untimely death. Dave served asan adjuster and manager in several locations including Zanesville,Ohio, and Mobile, Alabama.

He loved to fish, and said he often went fishing in Mobile Baybefore arriving at the office; after workingwith Crawford & Company for 36years, in retirement he lived on Lake Jackson, north of Macon,Georgia, and used his bass boat for fishing. His eyesight began tofail, and he later moved north to be nearer his family, first inPennsylvania and later in Chattanooga, but he continued to writenovels and short stories, many with a religious theme. Thousands ofadjusters who passed through Crawford & Company educationalclasses will remember Dave as the one who gave them a head start intheir careers.