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 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 definitive treatise on insurance appraisal. Nearly 1,400 pages, 1,200+ citations, national coverage with state-by-state comparison. Covers scope of the appraisal provision, coverage vs. amount disputes, umpire qualifications, waiver, and form awards. Wilkofsky is General Counsel to the New York Public Adjusters Association. Updated annually.

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 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 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.

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.