Recommended Books & Films

by Jay M. Feinman

The foundational consumer exposé of systematic insurer bad faith. Cites State Farm and Allstate's McKinsey-driven tactics by name, with chapters on property, auto, health, and disability claims. Essential context for understanding why insurers behave the way they do.

by David J. Berardinelli

The consumer edition of Berardinelli's exposé of Allstate's McKinsey-driven Claims Core Process Redesign (CCPR). Covers the internal documents Berardinelli was the first to obtain unprotected. Read alongside Delay, Deny, Defend for the complete picture.

by David J. Berardinelli & Michael D. Freeman

The full legal practitioner edition — 746 pages. Adds Dr. Freeman's chapters demolishing Allstate's Minor Impact Soft Tissue (MIST) defense. The authoritative source cited on Allstate's Wikipedia page for underpayment tactics. For attorneys and serious practitioners.

by Chip Merlin

Written by the founder of Merlin Law Group and president of the Insurance Bad Faith Litigation Group (AAJ). Covers bad faith tactics across all lines, with nine practical steps for policyholders. An excellent client education tool.

by William M. Shernoff & Thelma O'Brien

The father of bad faith insurance law tells his own story. Shernoff pioneered the tort of bad faith, won the landmark Egan v. Mutual of Omaha verdict, and co-founded the National Insurance Consumer Organization with Ralph Nader. This book exposes how insurers systematically deny legitimate claims and warns about the tort reform movement's threat to policyholder rights. Also available free from shernoff.com.

by Stephanie Mencimer

Exposes the corporate-funded tort reform movement — the dubious research, fudged numbers, and propaganda campaigns (including the McDonald's coffee case) used to restrict Americans' access to civil courts. Shows how insurers and manufacturers spent hundreds of millions to cap damages and limit accountability.

by Chip Merlin & Lynette Young

Co-authored by Merlin and Lynette Young, co-founder of Claim Wizard. Addresses the business and regulatory side of public adjusting practice — operations, CRM, and scaling. Useful for newer PAs building their practice.

by Barry Zalma, Esq.

A practitioner primer by a 50-year veteran of insurance law and claims. Covers proof-of-loss requirements, policy conditions, and first-party claim mechanics with California case citations. One of several titles in Zalma's prolific library.

by Danny L. Lee

A street-level field guide praised for its practical, no-filler approach. Useful for training staff or newer adjusters on investigation, file-building, and customer management.

by Paul Turk

Focused specifically on property insurance estimating culture and habits, not just software mechanics. A useful complement to Xactimate training for understanding how to build and defend a scope of loss.

by Ina DeLong

A former insurance adjuster explains how claims work from the inside. Practical advice on documenting losses, understanding the adjuster's perspective, and maximizing your settlement.

by Russell D. Longcore

A straightforward guide to the property and casualty claims process. Covers how adjusters think, how to document your claim, and negotiation strategies. Good for homeowners handling their first claim.

by Jonathan J. Wilkofsky

The single most important book for anyone involved in insurance appraisal — there is no substitute. Nearly 1,400 pages with over 1,200 citations covering every jurisdiction in the United States. Provides state-by-state comparison of appraisal law, scope limitations (coverage vs. amount), umpire selection and qualifications, waiver and estoppel, form awards, and the intersection of appraisal with litigation. Wilkofsky is General Counsel to the New York Public Adjusters Association and has litigated appraisal disputes for decades. Updated annually with new case law. If you participate in appraisal panels — as appraiser, umpire, or counsel — this is your primary authority. Every argument you make and every objection you raise should be supportable by citation to this treatise.

by John A. Voelpel III

Written by a practitioner who has taught the Windstorm Insurance Network's appraisal courses for over 20 years. More practice-oriented than Wilkofsky, with detailed notes on deliberation confidentiality and panel dynamics. Highly recommended by Chip Merlin.

by Scott M. Seaman & Jason R. Schulze

A comprehensive legal reference covering first-party property insurance disputes, coverage analysis, bad faith, and appraisal. For attorneys and advanced practitioners.

by Harvey Levine

The standard reference for California insurance law. Covers policy interpretation, claims handling regulations, bad faith, and the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Act.

by Dennis J. Wall

The leading practitioner treatise on insurance bad faith litigation. Two volumes, continuously updated since 1985. Covers constructing claims, expert defenses, and all features of bad faith law from both plaintiff and defense perspectives. A working reference for any attorney handling first-party bad faith.

by John K. DiMugno, Steven Plitt & Dennis J. Wall

The leading reference on insurance coverage for catastrophe events — wildfire, flood, earthquake, hurricane. Updated semi-annually to reflect major decisions. Directly relevant to California wildfire claims, demand surge, code upgrade disputes, and ALE exhaustion issues.

by David Ball & Don Keenan

The trial methodology used by plaintiff attorneys in bad faith insurance cases across the country. Teaches how to frame insurer misconduct as a community safety issue that triggers juror survival instincts. Widely cited in insurance bad faith CLE programs.

by David Ball

America's top-selling guide on proving damages at trial. Integrates Reptile methodology with new voir dire techniques. Essential for attorneys proving extracontractual damages, emotional distress, and punitive damages in bad faith cases.

by Rick Friedman & Patrick Malone

Trial Guides' number-one bestseller. Provides the standards-of-care framework that plaintiff attorneys use to establish duty violations in bad faith cases. Originally developed from the very training manuals used to certify insurance adjusters — now turned back against insurers who violate those standards.

by Richard Pray (Craftsman Book Company)

The benchmark national estimating reference used by contractors and adjusters to challenge or supplement Xactimate pricing. Updated yearly with regional labor and material costs. Essential for anyone disputing an insurer's estimate.

by Gordian Group

The industry-standard institutional cost database. Frequently cited in appraisal proceedings and litigation to establish market rates independent of Xactimate. Organized by CSI MasterFormat division.

by Frank R. Walker Company

A classic comprehensive estimating reference covering all construction trades. Useful for scoping complex custom or historic structures that Xactimate handles poorly.

by Ernie Daingerfield

If you want to understand how Xactimate estimates are built — and how to challenge them — this workbook walks through the software from beginner to advanced. Essential for anyone disputing an estimate.

by Chris Smith

Written for contractors and adjusters working property claims. Covers estimating, supplements, and getting paid fairly for restoration work.

by IICRC

The industry standard governing how water damage restoration is performed, categorized, and priced. Carriers and public adjusters reference S500 categories and classes in every water claim. Understanding this standard is critical for challenging insurer scope reductions and category downgrades.

by IICRC

The governing standard for professional mold remediation procedures and scope. Essential when carriers dispute remediation protocols or deny mold claims. Deviations from S520 by a carrier's preferred vendor can constitute bad faith when the insurer directs inadequate remediation.

by Jeff Bishop & Steve S. Bishop

The professional reference for fire restoration of residential and light commercial structures. Covers cleaning agents, deodorizing, equipment, and safety compliance. Written by an IICRC Certified Master Cleaner who developed IICRC restoration examinations. Essential for PAs handling fire claims.

by David Icove & Gerald Haynes

The preeminent textbook on fire origin and cause determination. Critical for PAs working fire claims where cause is disputed or when challenging an insurer's arson allegation. Understanding fire behavior science strengthens claim advocacy and exposes flawed investigations.

by Kurt & Lee Ann Billings

A deep dive into mold contamination — health effects, remediation, and the insurance claim implications. Useful background for anyone dealing with a mold loss.

by Sun Tzu (trans. Samuel B. Griffith)

The Griffith translation is the recommended edition for practitioners. Griffith was a U.S. Marine general who studied the text with military rigor. The strategic principles apply directly to adversarial negotiations — including appraisal panels, bad faith demands, and carrier dispute tactics. This is not decorative — it is a working manual.

Hot Coffee (2011)

Dir. Susan Saladoff

The definitive documentary on how tort reform campaigns — funded by insurers and corporations — used the McDonald's coffee case to erode Americans' right to sue. Premiered at Sundance, aired on HBO. Shows how the Liebeck verdict was deliberately distorted to build public support for damage caps and mandatory arbitration. Essential viewing for understanding why policyholders face an uphill battle in bad faith litigation.

Business of Disaster (2016)

Dir. Marcela Gaviria (PBS FRONTLINE)

FRONTLINE investigates how private insurance companies working for the government made hundreds of millions while thousands of Superstorm Sandy homeowners were systematically underpaid. Exposes how Write-Your-Own carriers under the National Flood Insurance Program manipulated engineering reports and denied legitimate claims. A case study in institutional bad faith at scale.

Low and Behold (2007)

Dir. Zack Godshall

A young, inexperienced adjuster arrives in post-Katrina New Orleans to work catastrophe claims under his seasoned uncle. Combines scripted drama with documentary footage of actual Katrina victims. The lead actor reportedly worked as an adjuster in Florida before filming. IMDb 8.2/10.

Double Indemnity (1944)

Dir. Billy Wilder

The definitive insurance film. Fred MacMurray plays an insurance salesman drawn into a murder plot. Edward G. Robinson is brilliant as the obsessive claims investigator who refuses to accept the staged accident scenario. An accurate portrait of insurance claims culture and the use of actuarial reasoning in claims investigation. Seven Oscar nominations.

The Rainmaker (1997)

Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

Adapted from John Grisham's novel. A young attorney (Matt Damon) takes on a major insurer in a bad faith case involving denial of a bone marrow transplant claim. While the claim type is health insurance, the litigation strategy — building a bad faith record, documenting systematic denial practices — maps directly to property bad faith methodology.

The Adjuster (1991)

Dir. Atom Egoyan

A property claims adjuster becomes deeply enmeshed in his clients' lives after house fires. Egoyan based the concept on his own family's experience losing their home to fire. An art-house film — but the power dynamic between adjuster and displaced policyholder is rendered with unusual accuracy.

The Incredibles (2004)

Dir. Brad Bird

Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) works at Insuricare, a fictional insurance company, where he covertly helps policyholders exploit policy loopholes. The opening act is arguably the most accurate cinematic depiction of what it feels like to be trapped on the wrong side of an adjusting desk — the institutional pressure to deny or minimize claims. Won Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing.

Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

Dir. Christine Jeffs

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt start a biohazard and crime scene cleanup business. Relevant because biohazard cleanup is a frequently disputed line item in property claims — particularly fire and trauma losses — and this film gives texture to what that remediation actually involves.

Cleaner (2007)

Dir. Renny Harlin

Samuel L. Jackson plays a retired cop who runs a professional crime scene cleaning service and unknowingly becomes party to a cover-up. Ed Harris and Eva Mendes co-star. Covers the professional and forensic dimensions of the cleanup business more explicitly than Sunshine Cleaning. Available on streaming platforms.