For far too long, insurance carriers have viewed publicadjusters as opponents rather than as potential allies. I believethe time has come to end this "cold war" and recognize thatinsurers, independent adjusters, and public adjusters all share asimilar goal--fast, efficient, and accurate claims resolution. Bytaking a team approach, we can collectively do a better job ofservicing policyholders who have suffered a serious loss to theirhomes, businesses, or commercial properties.

Taking a unified approach would be an important step towardbringing the insurance industry more fully into the 21st century,by both improving transparency for the public, and reducing costlyinefficiencies for the insurer. Today, many carriers are seeking tocontrol as much of the claim process as possible, often delaying orminimizing settlement offers. I strongly believe that such behavioris shortsighted and ultimately harms our industry.

First of all, these types of claim practices create adversarialrelationships with consumers, and can ruin years of hard-earnedgoodwill on the part of the independent agent. They also havelong-term negative consequences, such as creating a feeling of distrust and resentment among the Americanpublic.