In Memoriam: ‘Justin Adjuster’

Longtime Claims Magazine readers may remember columnist “Justin Adjuster” in our predecessor publication, Insurance Adjuster. That columnist was Bernard David Hinkle, J.D., a senior vice president of Crawford & Company and the creator of Crawford's Educational Services. He taught adjuster law in many of the classes before becoming head of the company's Human Resources department.

He was also the editor of the little green bi-weekly newsletter, Adjuster Digest, and his columns featured characters like LOLITS, his “little old lady in tennis shoes,” who represented the typical claimant. Dave would follow up on legal issues affecting claims, often titling a humorous news item as “Moron the … Issue,” if it involved some wrong-headed decision or some insurance fraud issue. He was often a speaker at various claims associations, and wrote articles for many publications in the claims adjusting field.

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

He loved to fish, and said he often went fishing in Mobile Bay before arriving at the office; after working with Crawford & Company for 36 years, in retirement he lived on Lake Jackson, north of Macon, Georgia, and used his bass boat for fishing. His eyesight began to fail, and he later moved north to be nearer his family, first in Pennsylvania and later in Chattanooga, but he continued to write novels and short stories, many with a religious theme. Thousands of adjusters who passed through Crawford & Company educational classes will remember Dave as the one who gave them a head start in their careers.