Consumer guides & claim strategy.
Learn how the claims game is really played — from someone who plays it for policyholders every day.
HB 1183 and TAPIA: Why Your Roofer Can't Legally Adjust Your Claim in Texas
Texas House Bill 1183 made it illegal for roofing contractors to act as public adjusters on jobs they hope to build. Here's what the law says, why TAPIA and the industry pushed for it, and what it means when you're picking someone to handle your claim.
Tippett v. Safeco: What the Court Said About Appraisal, Causation & Scope
Tippett is one of the most cited modern decisions on how far an appraisal panel can go when deciding what damage is (and isn't) part of the loss. Here's what policyholders need to know.
What Does a Public Adjuster Actually Do?
Public adjusters work exclusively for policyholders — not the insurance company. Here's how we level the playing field on your claim.
How to Document Storm Damage in the First 48 Hours
The steps you take right after a loss determine what you can prove later. Follow this checklist before you call anyone.
Your Claim Was Denied or Underpaid — What Now?
A denial isn't the end of the road. Here are the four options you have and how to decide between them.
5 Mistakes That Shrink Your Hurricane Claim
Well-meaning homeowners make the same handful of mistakes after every named storm. Here's how to avoid them.
Fire and Smoke Damage: The Full Claim Checklist
Fire claims involve structure, contents, additional living expense, and code upgrades. Missing any category leaves money on the table.
The Insurance Appraisal Process: How the Appraisal Clause Resolves Claim Disputes
When you and the carrier disagree on the price of repairs, the appraisal clause in your policy offers a faster, cheaper alternative to litigation. Here's how it works.
USAA v. Menchaca: What Texas Policyholders Need to Know
The Texas Supreme Court's Menchaca decision reshaped how extra-contractual bad-faith claims interact with the underlying policy claim. Here's the plain-English version.
Barbara Technologies and the Texas Prompt Payment of Claims Act
The Prompt Payment of Claims Act adds real teeth to Texas claim deadlines. Barbara Technologies clarified when interest and attorney's fees actually kick in.
Ortiz v. State Farm: When an Appraisal Award Ends the Fight
Ortiz clarified that a timely-paid appraisal award can defeat certain breach-of-contract and bad-faith claims. Timing and payment matter.
Concurrent Causation in Texas Property Claims
When covered and non-covered perils combine to cause a single loss, Texas puts the burden on the policyholder to separate what is covered. Here's how that plays out.
HB 1774 (Chapter 542A): Pre-Suit Notice on Weather Claims
Since 2017, Texas policyholders on weather-related first-party claims must send a specific pre-suit notice or risk losing attorney's fees. Here's what the letter has to say.
The Largest Appraisal Award in History: Rebuilding the World Trade Center
How an appraisal-style valuation fight over the destroyed World Trade Center towers produced one of the largest first-party insurance recoveries ever — and what it teaches ordinary policyholders.
Lain v. Allstate and the Line Between Scope and Coverage in Appraisal
Appraisal decides the amount of loss — not whether the loss is covered. Lain v. Allstate is the classic reminder of where that line sits.
Concurrent Causation and Efficient Proximate Cause: Why the Same Damage Can Be Both Covered and Excluded
When a covered peril and an excluded peril combine to cause one loss, the answer depends on which state's causation rule applies — and how well the damage is segregated.
NFIP Flood Policies: Why the Appraisal Clause Does Not Save You
Standard Flood Insurance Policies issued under the National Flood Insurance Program have their own rules — and 'appraisal' does not work the way it does on your homeowner's policy.
State Farm Lloyds v. Johnson: Appraisal Can Reach Causation, Too
The 2009 Texas Supreme Court case that broadened the scope of appraisal to include causation questions tied to the extent of damage.
Tippett v. Safeco and the Binding Effect of an Appraisal Award
Once an appraisal award is issued and timely paid, what claims survive? Tippett — and the Texas cases that follow it — draw the line.
All Saints Catholic Church v. United National: The Segregation Rule in Practice
A Texas Supreme Court decision that reinforced how strictly courts apply the burden to segregate covered from excluded damage.
Reading List: Level the Playing Field, Good Hands to Boxing Gloves, and the Fight to Open Insurer Files
Two books every policyholder should know about — and the trial attorneys who have forced insurance companies to disclose internal claims-handling documents to the public.
The Texas Appraisal Clause: A Homeowner's Guide to Invoking It
The appraisal clause is the single most powerful tool a Texas policyholder has when the carrier's number is too low. Here's how it actually works.
How to Invoke Appraisal: A Step-by-Step Playbook
The exact sequence — from written demand to signed award — for invoking the appraisal clause on a Texas property claim.
How to Choose a Competent, Disinterested Appraiser
Not every 'appraiser' qualifies under the policy. Here's what 'competent and disinterested' actually means — and why it matters.
Notice of Loss and Texas Insurance Code §542A — Deadlines You Cannot Miss
The Texas Insurance Code puts hard deadlines on both sides. Miss one and your leverage evaporates.
Hail Damage Claim in Texas: What Carriers Are Denying in 2026
Partial-roof denials, 'cosmetic damage' exclusions, and depreciation math — what the carriers are doing this year on Texas hail claims.