America is the most litigious nation on earth. American jurisprudence is patterned on British common law and follows much the same rules as in our colonial days. Concepts such as innocent until proven guilty, right to a jury trial of one's peers, right of appeal, and the difference between civil...

Every profession has some motto and a few secrets hidden in a special place. For physicians, the essence of the Hippocratic Oath is Do no harm. Their black box is likely a black bag with a stethoscope and other tools. For attorneys, the motto may be Litigate the issue! and...

Every profession has a few secrets hidden in a special place. Where do adjusters keep theirs?

What makes us happy and can adjusters find real happiness?

Many states that require continuing education units (CEUs) for adjusters, whether or not adjusters are required to obtain a license or pass an initial licensing examination, mandate that a certain number of CEUs be on the subject of ethics. In those states, there are usually a number of ways of...

Training teaches how, education teaches why, but neither teach common sense or wisdom.

As discussed last month, there is little standardization among the states regarding adjuster licensing. Twenty-nine states require an exam administered by the insurance department to obtain an adjuster's license, and most states that license either staff or independent adjusters require continuing education (CE), usually 12 to 24 credit hours every...

Editor's Note: This is the first of a three-part series. Future installments will appear in the September and October issues of Claims.