
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE
Insurance Coverage, Claims and Insurance Fraud Consultant and Expert Witness
Barry Zalma acting solely as an insurance claims handling consultant and expert witness will assist his clients to resolve any insurance problem faced by lawyers representing insurers, lawyers representing policyholders, insurance claims management, insurance claims personnel, and those they seek to serve. The more than 53 years experience and skill of Mr. Zalma as a consultant and expert witness can make the difference before a jury, other trier of fact, or mediator.
Barry Zalma founded Barry Zalma, Inc. in 1979 to help resolve every insurance claim problem faced by you or your clients. His experience and skill as a consultant or expert can make the difference before a jury or other trier of fact.
Mr. Zalma has served the insurance industry and policyholders for more than 53 years as a claims person and insurance coverage attorney. He has represented insurers, advised insurers on claims handling, interpreted coverages and testified as an insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, insurance claims handling and insurance fraud expert on behalf of insurers and policyholders. He is retired from the practice of law and his license to practice law is now inactive. Mr. Zalma, since 2015 limited his practice to consultation and acting as an expert witness.
Mr. Zalma is an internationally recognized expert on insurance, insurance claims handling, insurance coverage, insurance fraud, and insurance bad faith. He is the author of several books on insurance including the Insurance Claims Library and multiple publications available at Amazon.com.
Barry Zalma makes it a practice to promptly review your file materials and advise you about the viability of your decision to sue or your defenses. He can help you narrow the scope of discovery as he consults with a client.
Consultation with Mr. Zalma can save you or your client thousands of dollars in the defense or prosecution of an insurance dispute. Mr. Zalma will assist you in the effort to find a solution to an insurance claims dispute that is fair, intelligent, beneficial and economical.
Consultation from Barry Zalma can save you, your counsel or client hundreds of hours of investigative and legal work.
With comprehensive knowledge of insurance and insurance claims handling Mr. Zalma understands, and can help his clients explain in language a lay jury understands, how and why insurance claims should be resolved.
Mr. Zalma’s rates are all inclusive. Mr. Zalma’s hourly rate of $600 per hour includes all incidentals from telephone calls and postage to computer time and word processing. As for third-party costs, Barry Zalma, Inc. passes along all discounts and vendor savings. The client pays what Mr. Zalma pays. Not a penny more. When you retain him only Mr. Zalma works on your case.
Arbitrator or Mediator
Mr. Zalma understands that litigation is expensive and does not always resolve a dispute. He is also available, therefore, to serve as an arbitrator or mediator for any insurance dispute. Because Mr. Zalma limits his services to insurance disputes and does not operate through a mediation or arbitration service the cost of his services are much less than the cost of an arbitrator or mediator from such a service. On request he will quote a flat fee or perform on his hourly rate.
What is Insurance?
Most people cannot define, let alone understand, insurance. Mr. Zalma, a native Californian, accepts the California definition of “insurance” which was codified as follows: “Insurance is a contract whereby one undertakes to indemnify another against loss, damage, or liability arising from a contingent or unknown event.” [California Insurance Code Section 22]
Illumeo Courses
Certified Expert in Corporate Property Insurance
A comprehensive program enabling insurance professionals to become Certified Experts in Corporate Property Insurance
A complete course of study providing education and training to allow insurance professionals, after completing the individual classes, to become a Certified Expert in Corporate Property Insurance. The program covers everything an employee, an officer, or a director of a corporation needs to know about the need to get the proper insurance and to resolve any claim presented by the corporation to the insurer.
Major topics of study include, but are not limited to: the importance of insurance; how to acquire insurance and understand an insurance policy; the methods used by insurers to investigate claims, including first-party property claims; the various types of insurance that corporations need; the duties and obligations of a public adjuster; and how to present a claim that will be paid.
Certified Expert in Corporate Liability Insurance
A comprehensive program enabling insurance professionals to become Certified Experts in Corporate Property Insurance
A complete course of study providing education and training to allow insurance professionals, after completing the individual classes, to become a Certified Expert in Corporate Property Insurance. The program covers everything an employee, an officer, or a director of a corporation needs to know about the need to get the proper insurance and to resolve any claim presented by the corporation to the insurer
Access Details at http://www.illumeo.com and insert “zalma” in the search bar.
If you sign up for a subscription with Illumeo you may receive a 10% discount if you insert the coupon code Zalma10.
Excellence in Claims Handling Courses From ClaimSchool.com
The Excellence in Claims Handling program provides everything a person or entity presenting a claim needs to effectively present the claim and provides the insurance claims person with everything he or she needs to properly represent the insurer.
The insured, risk manager, or corporate counsel will be able to present a first party property claim – whether a fire, theft, or windstorm or some other insured against cause – with little difficulty and professionalism and present a sworn proof of loss acceptable to an insurer.
The insurance claims person completing the course will be able to conduct a thorough investigation of the policy and claim. The insurance claims person will also be able to assist an insured to fulfill all of the promises made by the insured to the insurer and the insurer to provide the indemnity promised by the insurance policy.
The series of courses was designed so that the student can obtain the needed information easily while he or she sits down in the morning for a first cup of coffee or any other time in the day in short, easy to consume lessons. For instance, “Insurance and Claims” is made up of three modules and 27 lectures while “Investigating the Property Claim” is made up of four modules and 65 lectures. You can review each course, each module and each lecture at the links below.
Each person completing the course will be able to claim that he or she is a professional first party property claims person ready to provide excellence in claims handling and be ready to resolve any claims problem that arises for the benefit of the insurer and the policy holder.
A key to every insurance claim is the thorough investigation required by law where the insurer’s adjuster or claims person works with the insured or his, her or its representative, to gather sufficient facts to determine the cause and origin of the claimed loss, whether the loss was due to a cause, the risk of loss of which was insured, and if so to determine the extent of the loss and the indemnity owed by the insurer to the insured.
What will students need to know or do before starting this course?
That they want to know how to understand insurance and how the law applies to insurance contracts.
The courses are capable of providing information needed without the assistance of material or software. However, it can be supplemented by books written by the author and available at
Who should take these courses? Who should not?
The course should be taken by risk managers, corporate counsel, insurance claims management, insurance claims executives, insurance claims adjusters, insurance claims representatives, insurance special investigation unit investigators, public insurance adjusters, insurance coverage lawyers, insurance paralegals, and claims personnel of insurance agencies or insurance brokerages.
The courses are available for license as MP4 videos by making contact with Barry Zalma at zalma@claimschool.com and at https://wwww.claimschool.com.
Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Go to Zalma Books – E-Books and Articles by Barry Zalma at the Insurance Claims Library where ClaimSchool publishes the ZIFL, several books and e-books written by Barry Zalma and sponsors Mr. Zalma’s speaking engagements.
Barry Zalma and
ClaimSchool, Inc.
4441 Sepulveda Boulevard, Inc.
CULVER CITY CA 90230-4844
310-390-4455; https://claimschool.com; zalma@claimshool.com
Follow Barry Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma
Read Mr. Zalma’s blog “Zalma on Insurance”
Go to “Zalma’s Insurance 101” Video Training
Go to the Insurance Claims Library; Subscribe to Barry Zalma on Substack.com, Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/zalma Videos from “Barry Zalma on YouTube; Go to the Insurance Claims Library; Listen to the Podcast: Zalma on Insurance
The author and publisher disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this web site. The information provided is not a substitute for the advice of a competent insurance, legal, or other professional. The Information provided at this site should not be relied on as legal advice. Legal advice cannot be given without full consideration of all relevant information relating to an individual situation. If you desire consultation you may retain the services of Mr. Zalma after signing an engagement letter. |
© 2022, Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.