A Video Explaining the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE
Insurance claims expert, consultant at Barry Zalma, Inc. and author/Publisher at ClaimSchool, Inc.
Posted on July 10, 2020 by Barry Zalma
The Reasons Behind the California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations
See the full video here https://youtu.be/7ELoCEAIldA
In 1993 the state of California determined that the insurance industry needed to be regulated to stop insurers from treating the people insured badly and without good faith. It created a set of Regulations called the “California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations” (the “Regulations) to enforce the mandate created by the California Fair Claims Settlement Practices statute, California Insurance Code Section 790.03 (h) in response to the direction of the California Supreme Court. [Moradi-Shalal v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Companies, 46 Cal. 3d 287 (1988)]
In so doing the California Department of Insurance (CDOI) attempted to micro manage the business of insurance claims and create a method to punish those insurers who failed to comply with the Regulations. Some of the Regulations asserted what had always been recognized by the insurance industry and good faith and proper claims handling. Others imposed draconian mandates on what and when to do everything in the claims process.
The Regulations also provided a guide to insureds, public insurance adjusters and policyholders’ lawyers to assert any violation of the Regulations to be evidence of an insurer’s breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
The Regulations impose on all insurance claims personnel the requirement that they read and understand the Regulations or attend an annual training program no later than September 1 of each year. Insurers are compelled to ascertain that every employee involved in any way in the claims process is trained about the Regulations or has submitted a sworn statement that he or she has read and understands the Regulations. The Regulations even require that the insurance claims managing executive attest, under oath, that each employee has been trained with regard to and/or understands the Regulations. This requirement must be complied with in order to avoid the possibility of administrative penalties upon the insurer or prosecution of the officer for perjury.
? 2020 – Barry Zalma
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders. He also serves as an arbitrator or mediator for insurance related disputes. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 52 years in the insurance business. He is available at https://www.zalma.com and [email protected].
Mr. Zalma is the first recipient of the first annual Claims Magazine/ACE Legend Award.
Over the last 52 years Barry Zalma has dedicated his life to insurance, insurance claims and the need to defeat insurance fraud. He has created the following library of books and other materials to make it possible for insurers and their claims staff to become insurance claims professionals.
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