Steve Churchill, of Koning & Associates, among the crowd at the February luncheon.

Mark Ginter, of Alliance Environmental; Michael Moniz, of LaborMax Staffing; a Servpro rep, and Natalie Barancic, of FRSTeam.

Sam Belknap, of Settlement Professionals, Inc., and Dale Rayzor & Lynda Shain, of SRI Environmental.

The use of experts in claims litigation is nothing new. Proven effective long ago, both sides now often employ experts to attest to their perspective.

What may not be as common-place is the use of consultants and experts long before a case might go to trial. Knowing how to best secure the right expert for the particular claim at hand can be a great tool for any claims professional. Such was the gist of Paul Christoferson's presentation on The Five Things You Need to Know About Experts at the Feburary 18, 2010 Central Coast Claims Association luncheon in San Jose.

"All our claims tend to settle," Mr. Christoferson said early-on in his talk. "Only twice have we gone to court," he added.

Understanding was the underlying theme in Paul's presentation. From understanding your industry, and who does what, to understanding what type of project you might be facing, all serve to bring about clarity in choosing experts with the right qualifications.

The February CCCA crowd consisted of representation from a wide array of areas of expertise within the industry, from adjusters and attorneys, engineers and contractors, and consultants on various levels. So, Mr. Christoferson's presentation effectively brought home the principle factor at work in today's industry - that being that we're all in this together.

CCCA Vice President, Kim MacFarlane, of PW Stephens Environmental, ran the meeting in President Shelly Lefore's absence. Kim also was the lucky winner of the 50/50 Raffle drawing.

The March meeting will feature Ms. Amy Bach, of the non-profit organization United Policy Holders. CCCA Speakers Committee CoChair Bill Weber stated that Ms. Bach's presentation, though potentially controversial in nature, should be enlightening and interesting to the claims community. Make your reservations now.

February CCCA guest speaker Paul Christoferson, of Madsen Kneppers & Associates, inc.

Bob Tucknott, of Tucknott Electric, smiles for the camera, as Tom Shefchick, of Shefchick Engineering, and Brian Davis, of Restoration Clean-Up Company look-on.