The day of a loss is the day your policy stops being a promise and starts being a negotiation.
Why It Matters
A claim is the moment the entire insurance relationship is tested, and it is not a neutral one. The insurer's adjuster is skilled, well-resourced, and economically motivated to close the file for as little as the policy allows. An unrepresented policyholder — focused on running a business through the disruption of a loss — negotiates that position at a structural disadvantage. Worse, the way a claim is handled does not end with the payment: open and poorly-managed claims drive your experience mod and your future pricing for years. Advocacy is not about being adversarial. It is about making sure the coverage you paid for is the coverage you actually receive.
Claims Process Management
We manage each claim from first notice of loss through resolution. That means reporting the claim correctly and promptly, assembling and presenting the documentation that supports it, controlling the flow of communication with carriers and adjusters so nothing is said or conceded that shouldn't be, and holding everyone to the timelines the policy requires. A well-presented claim with complete documentation is paid faster and more fully than one the adjuster has to chase — and we build the file that way from day one.
Reserve & Leakage Oversight
On open claims — especially workers' compensation and liability files that stay open across policy periods — we review the reserves the carrier has set and challenge the ones that are overstated. This matters more than most owners realize: a reserve is the insurer's estimate of ultimate cost, and that estimate is counted against your loss experience as if it had already been paid. We also watch for claim leakage — payments and allocated expenses that drift beyond what the claim actually warrants — and push stale, effectively-closed files to formal closure.
Advocacy on Disputed & Complex Claims
When a carrier denies a claim, issues a reservation of rights, or takes a coverage position we believe is wrong, we press it — with the policy language, the facts, and where warranted, specialist support. On complex and high-severity losses we coordinate the forensic accountants, engineers, and coverage counsel the situation demands, and we keep the claim moving toward a fair, complete, and timely recovery with as little disruption to your operations as possible. This is the work that most justifies having an advocate rather than a form letter.
The Gotcha
A reserve is not a payment — but it is counted against you exactly like one. A carrier sets a reserve high early in a claim's life, the matter quietly resolves for a fraction of it, and the inflated figure sits on your loss run anyway, raising your experience mod and your premium for three years. Nobody at the insurer is incentivized to go back and correct it. Reserve discipline is one of the least-understood and highest-return pieces of claims work — and it is invisible unless someone is specifically looking for it on your behalf.
What We Deliver
- A first-notice-of-loss protocol so claims are reported correctly and fast
- Hands-on, claim-by-claim advocacy from reporting through resolution
- A quarterly open-claims and reserve review with carrier challenges where warranted
- Coordination of forensic, engineering, and coverage-counsel experts on complex losses
- A closure strategy that keeps stale claims from taxing your future renewals
The Rest of the Practice
Contractual Risk Transfer & Compliance
Put each risk on the balance sheet best able to carry it — through the indemnity, insurance, and hold-harmless language in your contracts — and prove compliance in both directions.
Explore →Loss Control & Workplace Safety
Prevent the claim rather than finance it — engineering losses out of your operations and building the documented safety culture underwriters actually reward.
Explore →Strategic Analytics & Business Planning
Treat the risk program as a data asset — making retention, limit, and structure decisions on evidence, and aligning the whole program to where the business is actually going.
Explore →All insurance descriptions on this website are provided by Cory Washington & Co. LLC strictly for general informational purposes. They are not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal, financial, or insurance advice. The information presented is general in nature and does not guarantee the availability, terms, conditions, or scope of any insurance coverage. Actual coverage is determined solely by the specific policy language issued by the insurer and remains subject to underwriting approval. Nothing on this website creates or implies an agent-client relationship, binds coverage, or alters any existing policy. Cory Washington & Co. LLC expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the content provided here. For advice regarding your particular situation, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional at Cory Washington & Co. LLC or another qualified insurance professional, and always review your policy documents in full.