The Policyholder's Edge Blog · analysis & opinionThe Policyholder's Edge Blog
Original blog posts, analysis, and opinion by Joshua Friedman, licensed public adjuster. Complete judicial opinions, statutes, rules, and source documents remain separate in the Reading Room.
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These are Friedman-authored explanations, not primary law. Every cited opinion, statute, and regulation opens as a separate source record in the Reading Room.
Analysis, opinion, and practical guides.
01Why Your Insurer's First Offer is a Starting Point, Not a Final DestinationAfter weeks of waiting, the email from your insurance adjuster finally arrives. You open the attachment, and your heart sinks.Read the column →02The Depreciation Fallacy: Why the "Actual Cash Value" of Your Roof is a Legal FictionWhen a storm, fire, or other disaster damages your home or commercial building, your insurance policy is supposed to make you whole. Yet, for countless property owners, the first check that arrives from the insurer—the Actual Cash Value (ACV) payment—is shockingly insufficient to begin, let alone complete, the necessary repairs.Read the column →03How to Invoke Appraisal in GeorgiaHow to invoke appraisal in Georgia: read the exact clause, identify admitted damage, make a written demand, and protect every deadline.Read the column →04How to Invoke Appraisal in South CarolinaHow to invoke appraisal in South Carolina: read your policy, make a written demand, name an impartial appraiser, and protect every deadline.Read the column →05The Appraisal Clause Is Invoked: Why Silence Is Not GoldenWhen a dispute over the value of a property damage claim reaches an impasse, the insurance policy’s appraisal clause is often invoked. This contractual provision is designed as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism to determine the "amount of loss" more efficiently and cost-effectively than formal litigation.Read the column →06When an Insurer Calls an Appraisal Dispute Coverage: What Georgia Cases SayGeorgia appraisal law separates disputed value from liability. McGowan, Lam, Clary, and Bell show why the policy language and claim record control.Read the column →07How To: Write a Shingle Roof Claim Dispute LetterReceiving a lowball offer or an outright denial for your shingle roof claim can be infuriating. Your insurance adjuster may offer to pay for a small patch, claiming the rest of the roof is undamaged, even when you know a full replacement is required.Read the column →08Like Kind and Quality, Functional Equivalence, and "Matching": The Three-State Map for Discontinued MaterialsMost homeowners arrive at the discontinued-materials fight using a word that is not in their policy, and it costs them the first exchange. The three terms, the case law, and where Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina actually stand.Read the column →09The Complexity Paradox: Why Your High-Value Home Insurance Claim Demands a Specialist, Not a GeneralistWhen a catastrophic event—a fire, a hurricane, a major water loss—strikes a high-value home, the owner’s first instinct is often one of reassurance. They have diligently paid premiums for a top-tier insurance policy from a reputable carrier, precisely for this moment.Read the column →10The First 48 Hours: A Step-by-Step Guide for Businesses After a FireA fire at your commercial property is a chaotic and disorienting event. But the actions you take in the first 48 hours are absolutely critical to ensuring the safety of your team, mitigating further damage, and laying the groundwork for a successful insurance claim.Read the column →11DisgRACEd: How Hidden Bias in Insurance Can Affect Your ClaimAt Friedman & Associates, we fight for fair settlements on individual claims. But we are also committed to fighting for a fairer insurance system for everyone.Read the column →
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