Commercial Auto/Garage Claims Specialist
About the role
Universal Shield Insurance Group (and its member companies - Universal Fire & Casualty Insurance Company and Shield Indemnity, Inc.) is seeking an experienced Commercial Auto/Garage Specialist to join their team. This is a hybrid position, requiring the successful candidate to work in the office three days per week.
Responsibilities
Efficiently handle assigned auto or casualty claims.
Maintain claim load of litigated and non-litigated claims.
Investigate and verify coverage; investigate losses by gathering all pertinent information; issue coverage determinations; and consult with in-house coverage counsel as appropriate.
Investigate, evaluate, and adjust assigned claims in accordance with all company policies and procedures, with all applicable laws and regulations, and within assigned authority.
May use independent adjusters to assist in claim investigations as appropriate.
Exercises independent decision-making with minimal to moderate supervision and direction on assigned claims, using knowledge of applicable codes, laws, standards, and regulations.
For litigated claims, assigns defense counsel and ensures cases are handled effectively and efficiently until final resolution through settlement or judgment.
Collaborates with panel counsel on claims strategy and ensures counsel is complying with the company’s outside counsel guidelines.
Prepares and presents claim recommendations to upper management.
Investigates and identifies all sources of recovery and subrogation for assigned claims.
When necessary and appropriate, attends mediations, arbitrations, or trials on assigned claims.
Works with SIU to protect the company from false or inflated claims.
Qualifications and Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree required.
Required insurance certifications and licenses. If not licensed, must complete licensure within 60 days of employment.
Minimum 5-10 years of related professional experience handling auto and casualty claims.
Prior litigation management experience preferred.
Understanding of general legal concepts is required.
Comprehensive knowledge of insurance policies and the ability to understand complex documents is required.
Skills and Abilities
Strong interpersonal and public relations skills.
Effective communication skills.
Solid analytical skills.
Ability to identify and understand coverage issues with good knowledge of exclusions and endorsements.
Good organizational, problem-solving, and prioritization skills.
Ability to use related office and computer equipment and administrative claims systems with training.
Benefits
Universal Shield Insurance Group offers an industry-competitive benefits package, including health insurance with a company-contributed HSA, dental insurance, vision coverage, short term disability insurance, long term disability insurance, AD&D insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and other lifestyle and family-friendly and work/life balance benefits. The company also offers a company-matched 401K, unlimited PTO for exempt employees, and other ancillary workforce benefits.
About Universal Shield Insurance Group
USIG targets property and casualty insurance for small and medium businesses that are managed in such a way that they deserve to qualify for, and enjoy, the additional advantages in security and coverage offered by an admitted product. We also offer an E&S product for those accounts that may qualify for our admitted market product after a few years of successful operation. We work exclusively with our appointed wholesale General Agents that demonstrate a commitment to professional underwriting practices and have multi-decade relationships with our underwriting teams. USIG incorporates a state-of-the-art risk acceptance process, employing expert underwriting rules, advanced analytics, machine learning, and external data sources to supplement standard risk information. USIG and its insurance entities (Universal Fire & Casualty Insurance Company “UFCIC” and Shield Indemnity Incorporated “Shield”) maintain an AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “a-“. UFCIC also maintains a Demotech Financial Stability rating of A (Exceptional) and is Treasury Listed for surety bonds up to $5.9M. USIG also underwrites the Surety line of business through our admitted company, providing bonds for the Commercial, Contract and Specialty Surety markets. Through our proprietary, cutting-edge portal Bondramp.com, we provide agents at all levels access to a large library of competitively priced commercial and transactional bonds, immediately delivering many bonds upon the Principal’s payment. Conveniently, BondRamp.com and is available 24x7x365 and accessible by computer, tablet, or mobile device. We have corporate offices in Waterford and Grandville, Michigan as well as Dublin, Ohio.