Gulf Coast Claims Service is a full service, multi-line insurance adjusting company operating throughout Texas. Following are our main services. Claims Management and Third Party Administration We offer “cradle to grave” claims administration for Cover Holders, Underwriters, and Domestic Insurance Carriers. Depending upon the design of the individual program, this might included initial claims intake, instruction to adjusters, claim file management, litigation management, reserve monitoring, bordereau and loss run maintenance, check issuance and full banking activities. Third Party Administration can be on a regional or national basis. We have extensive experience in both. Bordereaux Maintenance We are well versed in historical London bordereaux protocol. Our system is quite flexible and bordereaux can be adapted to specific data, as required. We have a dedicated bordereaux maintenance manager that assures accuracy and timeliness. Unless otherwise instructed, the bordereaux is faxed or e-mailed to the desired entities by the 5th of each month. Binding Authority Contract Claims It has been our good fortune to be named as the claims administrator on numerous binding authority contracts. We are happy to work independently as the claims administrator or work with the claims department of the cover holder and report to London via the cover holder. We fully understand the importance of working within the claims authority extended by the binding authority contract with respect to settlement/expense authority, Reservation of Rights Agreements, and disclaimers. Open Market Claims We fully understand the concept of “open market” versus binder claims and the potential difference in settlement authority, reporting criteria and protocol. While open market claims are typically reported to London via the cover holder, we remain flexible in this regard and will handle and report based on instructions at the time of assignment. Property Loss Investigation and Adjustment We accept any type of individual assignments, either on a specific task basis, or as a full adjustment to closure. Our property field adjusters provide investigation and adjustment of all property and physical damage losses to include homeowners, rental property, apartment housing, condominiums, commercial and retail property, cargo, heavy equipment, tractor/trailers, commercial autos, and private passenger vehicles. Casualty/Liability Loss Investigation and Adjustment Our casualty and liability field adjusters provide investigation and adjustment of a multitude of category losses including Personal and Commercial , Auto, Trucking Physical Damage, General Liability, Artisan Liability, Garage Keepers Legal Liability, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Premises Liability, Construction Defects and Dealers Open Lot. Occupational Accident Investigation and Adjustment Our Occupational Accident Claims Department handles claims on a nationwide basis for claims arising from occupational accidents for employers who have opted out of the worker’s compensation system (non-subscribers). Our claims team handles the accident investigation, payment of medial providers, pre-certification, payment of weekly wage benefits, case management, and medical bill re-pricing. Our clients and their employees benefit by our owning the largest medical Preferred Provider Organization in Texas. Litigation Management We actively manage litigated claims to insure client control of the claim file at all times. With the help of our clients, we have created a large panel well respected, well qualified attorneys (coverage and defense) who are familiar with both foreign and domestic insurers and Lloyd’s syndicates. Specialty Claims Investigation and Adjustment We consider “specialty claims” as (1) those that are not routine in nature and/or require special handling by experts due to requirements imposed by the States, or (2) those claims that have historically had higher litigation risks. Examples of “specialty claims” are claims involving mold, foundation damage, construction defects, computer hardware/software, environmental issues, and fidelity bonds. Mediation We attend numerous mediation sessions throughout the region and are well versed in mediation procedure. We have come to know various plaintiff attorneys, mediators and their tendencies over time, which has proved beneficial in getting cases settled. Mediation is a useful tool and certainly encouraged by our firm in all cases that warrant settlement. We fully understand our role at mediation and the importance of working within the authority granted as well as communicating with our client during the process. Trial Monitoring Perhaps one of the most important yet under-utilized activities in the litigated file is the process of trial monitoring. At times, it is important to have a third party attend trial to monitor the mood of the judge and jury and report a clear, unbiased opinion as to the direction of the trial. This has proven valuable in settlements made during trial, after the direction of the trial has turned unfavorable, or in taking a strong case and defense to verdict. Claim File Audits We routinely conduct claims file audits for insurers and syndicates. The audits are conducted to assure accurate reserves, thorough claims investigations, timely reporting, thorough adjuster activity logs, compliance with statutory requirements, proper settlement evaluation, proper direction of the file, and appropriate adjustment/legal expense. Claim file audits become particularly important with run-off programs and we are happy to conduct the audits at the cover holder’s office or at the office of the existing claims administrator, neither of which will influence the results. Any of our services can be customized to meet the needs of our customer.