| Author |
Message |
Cecelia Sharpe (Cecelia)
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2001 - 10:17 pm: | |
I have nothing to hide, but when someone begins to videotape me while I am doing my job (and he/she might not be doing theirs if he/she is concentrating on what I am doing and not on our mutually agreeing on the measurements, scope, etc.) I will become suspicious as to the reason the taping is taking place. I am a professional. If someone is video taping me and it is not a common practice then I would feel someone is trying to set me up. For what, I don't know. And for that reason I would keep my mouth shut also. Except, perhaps, for stating that this taping is being done without my consent.
Who knows what the final production piece would show after editing? If I utter not a word then all the final piece would show is me while I measure and write and look around and take photos. |
alan jackson (Ajackson)
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2001 - 1:50 pm: | |
During my first week working as a adjuster trainee my boss made the following statement. Do not say, write or do anything that you can not set in front of a jury and explain. If the adjuster is doing his job, then why should he or she object to the inspection being recorded. I would make it a point to ask the PA as many questions on this tape as I could. Document how many I don't knows or I'll have to get back to you on that's as I could. Unless the PA is working directly for an attorney, (and is making the tape as a work product for the attorney), the tape will be discoverable. Thus the insurance company can use it to make the PA look bad with their I dont knows etc..
If you are taped use it as a venue to show off your skills and talents. As catastrophe adjusters we are suppose to be the cream of the crop. I am confused as to why the other posters to this thread do not want to be taped. As a industry we should have nothing to hide. As for holding up cards that say yes or know, I believe that would only make the jury feel sorry for the insured.
I believe that everything that we should be proud of everything that we do and not be afraid to stand behind. What do we have to hide? |
Jim Lakes
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2001 - 10:39 am: | |
Roy,
Good question. Is it illegal? I do not think so. Like Tom though, I do feel it to be on the unethical side, although I do not really object to it because we are supposed to know what we are doing and should have nothing to hide.
Like Tom, I to have had this happen on many occasions and was not happy about it, however I was not as ingenious as Tom. I did watch what I said and said as little as possible. It has also happened while doing an inspection and expert work on the appraisal process to.
I got a PA one time because we met at a site and I had my recorder in my pocket. While climbing on to a countertop, it fell out of my pocket and he asked if I was recording our conversation and I said yes, I hope you don’t mind. The PA came unglued. I told him it was no different than him videoing our inspection. He never videoed any more.
Jim Lakes
RAC Adjustments, Inc. |
Tom Toll (Tom)
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2001 - 8:37 pm: | |
Roy, this was done to me during Hurricane Andrew. The majority of PA's, I find to be professional in character, but a sleeze ball will fall through the crack on occassion. The loss I was handling was in excess of 7 million dollars. The PA set an appointment to meet at the complex and proceeded to pull out and utilize his video camera. From the moment he started the video, I spoke not one word, and I mean that literally. I had prepared two index cards, one said "YES", the other said "NO". I an ambiguous question was asked, I said nothing, absolutly nothing. When he asked me a question, I held up either the yes or the no card without uttering a word. This went on for about 45 minutes before the PA had some foul utterances to make. He took his video camera back to his car and we proceeded toward concluding our initial goal, to help the insured. Using a video camera to capture an adjuster and asking vital and pertinent questions, to me, is an invasion into the right of inspection, as stipulated in the policy. No video interference of that nature should be allowed. That, in my opinion, is an intimidation methodology. I will not allow, nor should any other adjuster performing a service for the insurance company involved and the insured, allow his investigation to be video taped. It is legal for the PA to do that, but not ethical. It is also legal for us to keep our mouths shut. Shall we say "the first one who speaks, LOSES". I do believe in video taping a large loss and have done so for years. This is for record purposes only to validate and substantiate the loss. |
Roy Cupps (Roy)
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2001 - 8:07 pm: | |
If you showed up at the insured's dwelling and the PA attempted to videotape your inspection and record your conversations what would you do? Do we have the right to refuse? Could this be considered a delaying tactic under the state DOI code? Do you feel the insured has the right to document their claim in this matter? |
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