David E. Moore is a Principal and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Jansen/Adjusters International.

He manages multi-million-dollar losses annually on behalf of residential and commercial policyholder clients.

He has spent over 30 years helping policyholders obtain a fair and full settlement of property damage insurance claims for all types of properties, including homes, multi-family apartment units, condominiums, hotels, etc.

Since the work of a COO is vital to an organization’s growth and longevity, we interviewed David, who is also a Partner of the company.

What is the best way to describe your organization?

We are property damage claim professionals, who act on behalf of policyholders who have experienced property damage to their home or business due to an insured catastrophe such as a fire, wind, hail, flood. We do not represent insurance companies.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day involves making sure all new clients are assigned to a Jansen loss consultant, who will begin to provide services to them immediately. I oversee the operational functions related to our handling of the claims. That could mean following up on issues concerning customer relations or managing internal affairs. I also am responsible for managing our marketing, and sales staff.

How many residential and commercials catastrophes does your team respond to in a day?

When it is not hurricane season, each loss consultant will make contact with an average of three property owners in a day. This includes inspecting their home or place of business to determine if our services can be of benefit to them. If not, we will often offer general advice on how to begin to navigate their insurance claim.

When it is hurricane season, we may review up to 10 potential claims a day.

In your 30 years of representing home and building owners, what is the most devastating thing that you come across with those experiencing a catastrophe?

Putting personal injury and the emotional impact aside, it would be not having enough insurance coverage or the right coverage to be able to recover fully. Many people who have experienced a catastrophe find out too late that they do not have adequate coverage.

How Can That Be Avoided?

The first thing to do is to check your property insurance policy. If one does not have a copy of their policy, they can ask their insurance broker or agent for a copy.

What should the insured look for in their policy?

They should review the declarations page, which outlines the coverage limits for their building and their personal property.

The building structure limit should be an adequate amount to rebuild their home from the ground up. That means taking into account the skyrocketing costs of construction, and the increased value of any renovations or additions which were made to the home since the policy was issued.

Their broker or agent can then use a tool such as CoreLogic, an insurance industry software program designed to help determine the value of a property.

Limits for personal property coverage are usually 50 – 60% of the policyholder’s building coverage, but the insured should also estimate the current replacement cost of the contents in their home, accounting for newly purchased items, to obtain coverage for replacement cost value (RCV) as opposed to (ACV) (depreciated value).

Some personal property is not covered or has limitations on the amount of coverage, so they should insure valuable items such as furs, watches, or paintings, by adding endorsements.

The declarations page will also show the limit for one’s Additional Living Expense (ALE). Once the insured is unable to stay in their home due to a catastrophe, ALE coverage will fund the additional costs incurred over and above their normal expense to live at a temporary location, for a reasonable period of restoration.

There may also be limits for other structures on the premises separated from the dwelling such as detached garages, storage buildings, pools, and similar structures near the house. It is also important that homeowners review their declarations page to determine the adequacy of coverage for this property before a catastrophe hits.

What should the insured do if they fear not having adequate coverage?

Call their agent or broker and tell them that they would like to consider extending coverage. Or they can contact me if they have any questions regarding these matters. Either someone from my team or I will be more than happy to review their policy from a claims perspective. It will also provide the opportunity to establish a relationship should they have a future need for our services.

Our loss consultants are available in metropolitan areas such as Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Lake Charles, and New Orleans.

Jansen/Adjusters International is a firm of licensed public insurance adjusters representing only the insured in property loss claims.

We are one of the largest loss consulting firms in the United States. We offer public insurance claim adjusting and consultative recovery services to commercial businesses and homeowners throughout the United States and abroad.