Background
Barry Zalma writes on the insurance industry
claims practices for IRMI.com.
Mr. Zalma is a California attorney, insurance claims consultant, expert
witness, and author. Since October 1, 2012, Mr. Zalma limited his practice to
consultation, expert witness testimony, arbitration, mediation, and acting as
umpire in insurance policy appraisals. His insurance consulting practice, Zalma
Insurance Consultants, is available to insurers and insureds to assist in the
resolution of insurance disputes or to provide expert testimony or
consultation.
Mr. Zalma is a certified fraud examiner. He serves on the faculty of the
Virtual University of the Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, writes a
regular column for the National Underwriter Magazine, Insurance
Advocate Magazine, and Underwriters Insider and is a member of
the editorial board and frequent contributor to Claims Magazine. He
has written for more than 18 years the twice monthly Zalma's Insurance
Fraud Letter, a daily blog summarizing recent insurance cases at
Zalma on
Insurance, and a video blog providing painless insurance education
called Zalma’s Insurance 101.
Mr. Zalma has served as a director of the Los Angeles Chapter of the
Forensic Expert Witnesses
Association and the Southern California Fraud Investigators Association and
is a member of the California Conference of Arson Investigators, the
International Association of Arson Investigators, the Southern California Fraud
Investigators Association, the American Bar Association Tort Trial and
Insurance Practice Section and its Property and Coverage Committees, the
Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research
Institute. He holds the designation Fraud Claim Law Specialist, which was
awarded by the American Educational Institution.
Mr. Zalma has testified as an expert witness in the California Superior
Court, various US district courts, and the superior courts of Nebraska, Texas,
New Mexico, Nevada, and Oklahoma. He is an internationally recognized expert on
insurance claims handling, bad faith, insurance coverage, the commercial
general liability (CGL) policy, insurance fraud, jewelers block insurance, and
other inland marine coverages. Mr. Zalma is the author of, or has rewritten,
CGL, fire, auto, earthquake, jewelers block, and other insurance policies for
insurer clients.
In addition, Mr. Zalma is the author of the Zalma Insurance Claims
Library published by the National Underwriter Company, including
Insurance Claims: A Comprehensive Guide, Construction Defect
Coverage Guide, Insurance Law, and Mold Claims Coverage
Guide. The American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section,
has published Mr. Zalma's book The
Insurance Fraud Deskbook and Diminution if Value Damages: How To Determine the Proper Measure of
Damage to Real and Personal Property.
Mr. Zalma is the author of the e-books Zalma on California Claims
Regulations—2013; Zalma on California SIU Regulations; Zalma
on Rescission of Insurance in California—2013; Random Thoughts on
Insurance—A Collection of Posts from the Blog, Zalma on
Insurance; Zalma on Insurance Fraud—2012; Zalma on
Insurance—2011; Murder and Insurance Fraud Don't Mix;
Arson for Profit; and Heads I Win, Tails You Lose—2011.
Zalma's Insurance Fraud Letter is free and available from
ClaimSchool, Inc. Mr. Zalma received his A.B. in philosophy from Claremont
Men's College and his J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles, College
of Law.