First Party Coverage

McClellan Bernstiel attorneys handle first party property damage and business interruption claims throughout the country and have a deep understanding and knowledge of first party property claims. We assist our insurance industry clients in evaluating first party issues from the moment a claim is made all the way through to the litigation or appeal of a disputed claim. The services we routinely provide include:

  • Assisting examiners, adjusters, and senior management in navigating the claim investigation and litigation.
  • Conducting examinations under oath in first party property cases where additional information is needed or cooperation concerns exist, often resulting in substantial cost savings to our clients.
  • Counseling clients on coverage questions, analyzing coverage issues and drafting practical coverage opinions and reservation of rights letters.
  • Participating in appraisals, arbitrations, mediations, negotiations, and other alternative dispute resolution procedures that may offer a pragmatic and cost-effective approach to pre-suit resolution.
  • Providing responsible and cost-effective claims and litigation solutions that meet our clients’ objectives.
  • Litigating and defending first party property cases in state and federal courts nationwide.

Our attorneys successfully served as national coordinating counsel for a major domestic insurer in connection with claims arising from a natural disaster. We understand the unique pitfalls that can arise in these and other types of natural disaster claims. In each case we handle, no matter how big or how small, our overarching goal is always the same — to understand our clients’ business goals and work as a team to achieve them in the most effective and efficient way possible.