Insurance Claims and Claims Investigation Expert Witnesses: 25

MCS Associates is a nationally recognized consulting group that has provided financial, operations and regulatory/compliance consulting services nationwide to financial institutions, insurance companies and regulatory agencies as well as real estate and financial services organizations for over 40 years. Expert Witness and Litigation Consulting are a primary focus of our services. We undertake expert witness assignments throughout the United States and our clients include several hundred leading law firms around the country, working on behalf of both plaintiff and defendant financial institutions, borrowers, depositors, investors, developers, insurance companies and their insured, securities/insurance/real estate brokers/agents, regulators and government agencies, and individuals. 

Together with MCS Associates’ specialized resources in banking, financial services and real estate, we also draw on key strategic alliances in insurance, economics, academia and the securities industry to meet a wide range of expert witness needs. Our litigation experts include experienced bankers, lenders, consultants, regulators, managers, brokers & agents in insurance, real estate, and securities; insurance claims and underwriting managers; economists, accountants, appraisers, real estate analysts, and academics. 

Areas of Expertise Include:

• Banking Operations/Administration
• Check Fraud
• Lending Policies, Custom and Practice
• Loan Underwriting & Credit Administration
• Loan Securitizations & Servicing
• Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and Workouts
• Trust & Fiduciary Issues / Operations
• Securities Brokerage & Investments
• Valuations & Damages Analysis
• Forensic Accounting
• Employment / Compensation
• Real Estate Brokerage & Management
• Title Insurance & Escrow
• Real Estate Appraisal & Transactions
• Insurance Industry Custom & Practice
• Insurance Coverages / Claims Handling
• Insurance Bad Faith

 Allan Windt specializes in the areas of Insurance Coverage, Duty to Settle and Bad Faith. In over 30 years in the insurance business, he has handled more than 10,000 claims for more than 70 insurance companies and hundreds of insureds in all 50 states. Mr. Windt has served as an expert witness in dozens of states. He is the author of Insurance Claims & Disputes, Representation of Insurers and Insureds, West, 1982 first edition, 1988 second edition, 1996 third edition, 2001 fourth edition, and 2007 fifth edition. Mr. Windt's books have been cited as authoritative by more than 300 courts throughout the country.

Paul F. Amoruso, CPCU, has more than 45 years of experience working for several major insurance carriers as a Senior Vice President of Claims and Operations. As a licensed insurance agent in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, an New Jersey and licensed public adjuster, he is uniquely qualified to assist either plaintiff or defense attorneys on insurance related issues on local or national issues.

If you are an insurance company, insured, or law firm and need an independent review of an insurance issue regarding litigation, agency or company operations, practices or procedures, he is available to assist.

Mr. Amoruso has served as an Expert Witness in many states in both State and Federal court . Having worked in all operation areas of the insurance industry he is able to testify to the generally observed and accepted industry practices.

Areas of Expertise:

• Insurance Customs and Practices
• Company Policies
• Management Involvement
• Proper Staffing
• Coverage Denial
• Agency and Insurance Company Relationships
• Case Evaluation
• Reserve Policies
• Workers Compensation
• Liability Personal or Commercial
• Commercial and Personal Property Losses
• Authority Level
• Industry Ethics and Norms
• Bad Faith
• Claims Handling Practices
• Insurance Company Operations

Archuleta & Associates Investigative Services, a Division of Archuleta & Associates, Inc., has been providing investigative services within various industries since 1982. They are the overwhelming leaders within the CA Central Valley. The clientele of Archuleta & Associates, Inc. consists of every level of business, from both the private and public sector. Due to the wide range of services provided and their 25 years within the industry, they have worked with an extremely diverse and vast clientele base, from the largest of litigation firms to the smallest of personal clients. 

Robert A. Archuleta launched his career as a Private Investigator in 1983, after five years as an officer, investigator and sergeant for the Lodi Police Department, followed by stints as an engineering contractor and a deputy U.S. Marshal. Among his other clientele, Mr. Archuleta has been as an Expert Witness for the Department of Consumer Affairs for the State of California. 

Services Include:

Dean A. Beers, CLI, CFDI-Expert, has been a legal investigator since October 1987 and a Medicolegal Death Investigator since 2002. His extensive experience in these areas is rare in the profession. Dean's clients benefit from a thorough methodology of reviewing official investigations conducted by law enforcement and coroner/medical examiner offices. This approach includes analyzing reports, records, and photographs to form detailed findings and opinions. 

As a deputy coroner investigator, Dean has personally investigated over 150 death scenes, assisted in over 400 autopsies, and participated in investigating nearly 600 non-autopsied cases.

Primary Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - From late 2002 to mid-2008, Dean worked as a deputy coroner and autopsy assistant in Colorado medical examiner offices, following an internship and training period. Since 2008, he has partnered with his wife, Karen, specializing in expert medicolegal consultations and legal investigations across the United States. Their focus is on personal injury, negligence, and death cases in civil, criminal, and probate litigation. Over the years, he has provided favorable expert consultations to public defenders and alternate defense attorneys, helping secure positive life insurance benefit appeals. His expert testimony has been recognized in multiple courts covering fatal and non-fatal events.

Death and Serious Bodily Injury Investigations

Dean's work has also included handling more than 1,100 cases that were not taken for jurisdiction, as well as cases requiring the collaboration of multiple investigators. Additionally, Dean's expertise covers forensic investigations, such as bridging crime scene evidence with autopsy findings.

Dean's background includes over 5,000 hours of full-time experience specific to death investigations, injuries, and negligence, not counting internships or part-time work

Mr. Beringer is the Principal of Beringer & Associates (B&A) and Liability Program Management (LPM). He is an approved consultant by the A.M. Best organization, since 2006, for claims, liability, and insurance program management, including matters involving construction, OCIP, TPA, JPA, Captives, Memorandum of Coverage, and insurance coverage analysis. The Cayman Island Monetary Authority approved Mr. Beringer as a licensed captive owner in 2002 for Segregated Portfolio Company Creative Solutions, SPC.

Mr. Beringer holds an LPCS, RPA; is a founding member of CLM, a published author in various publications, and presenter at the CIMA, CPA, A.M. Best, and other conferences.

Mr. Beringer, as B&A, has provided expert services for risk analysis and management services to the insurance, reinsurance, construction, and transportation industry since 2000. Previous to the formation of B&A, he worked in the insurance industry for 30 plus years as a region Litigation Manager with Automobile Club, Industrial Indemnity, Great American, and The Hartford's Speciality Risk Service. Since B&A’s formation, Mr. Beringer assisted Reliance, AIG, Swiss Reinsurance, and Sterling Insurance for review of their insurance programs, analysis, and performance of claims systems and operations.

Mr. Beringer has participated in over 300 mediations, managed handling of over 30,000 cases in federal, state, and local venues on behalf of clients, and provided expert services to plaintiff and defense counsel.

Wayne Citron has 45 years of experience as an expert in Forensic Reconstruction of Insurance Transactions. He is an insurance expert and consultant. Litigation Support - Wayne Citron specializes in policy interpretation of the rules, laws, and regulations governing insurance and financial matters. His services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include effective reports, affidavits, depositions, and testimony as needed. Areas of Expertise:

Mr. Citron established the Citron Agency and CMC Advisors Inc. in 1972, where his duties included executive and managerial responsibilities, sales, service, compliance with all insurance matters as well as securities laws and regulations. Both firms are leaders in life, health, disability and property and casualty insurance. Mr. Citron is an expert in all forms of insurance, including:

Mr. Citron has served as an instructor for Prudential Insurance Company Brooklyn Agency (1973) educating personnel in general insurance matters, underwriting, and insurance law. He has worked with companies including Prudential Insurance Company, United States Life Insurance Company, North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, American General Life Insurance Company, William Penn Life Insurance Company, American Life Insurance Company, Chubb Insurance Company, Travelers Insurance Company, Mass Mutual Insurance Company, John Hancock Insurance Company, and American International Group (AIG), among other. View CMC Advisors' Consulting Profile.

Vera Dolan is an epidemiologist with over 30 years of experience in the life and health insurance industries. She is one of the leading mortality experts in the life insurance industry. She writes underwriting manuals and policy and procedure manuals for life and health insurance companies.

Vera has testified in both state and federal court, and has been retained in over 200 cases since 2006 for plaintiffs and defense on an equal basis. She is very credible testifying in deposition and on the stand.

* Life expectancies that are personalized and accurate to the standards of the life insurance and life settlement industries. Addresses the cases when life expectancies that are simply taken from a life table or estimated by a doctor, actuary or biostatistician are too long, too short, insufficient or not credible. Addresses the cases when a complete insight into the individual's medical conditions and/or personal history of high-risk behaviors is needed to assist the judge or jury in their decision. This information often decides the case, see article for details.

* Expert in bad faith/wrongful denial of life/health insurance claims.

* Expert in life/health insurance underwriting material misrepresentation.

* Expert in medical risk assessment and underwriting issues.

* Expert in life insurance underwriting policies and procedures.

* Expert in epidemiology. Previous cases include infectious diseases, occupational and environmental exposures, pesticides and tobacco.

* Approved life expectancy expert with the U.S. Department of Justice.

* Active consultant to the life insurance industry conducting cohort mortality studies, and writing underwriting and policy and procedure manuals.

* Over 100 articles published on mortality research and underwriting.

* Friendly, clear, concise, objective and quantitative.

* There is no charge for the initial phone consultation.

* There is no charge for travel time.

Dave Bano has 40 years of hands-on experience across all aspects of Property Casualty Insurance Operations. He is a cross-functional and seasoned senior executive who has led Sales, Claims and Underwriting operations. Mr. Bano possesses a deep understanding of P & C customs, practices, standards and the duty of care. As a retired Chief Claims Officer, a Business Unit President/COO, as well as a Regional/State Executive at Nationwide, he has very broad multi-discipline knowledge and experience.

Litigation Support - Mr. Bano managed all aspects, and coverage lines, within Nationwide Claims including their bad faith/extra-contractual litigation. He also testifies relative to Sales and Agency operations, as well as Underwriting practices. He is a true general manager and expert across the P&C spectrum. 

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Mr. Bano began his career as an adjuster trainee and worked through every operating level within Claims, eventually becoming Nationwide's first company-wide Chief Claims Officer. As a hands-on leader with strong experience in P/C general management (sales, agency operations, underwriting) as well as claims, he offers current expertise across any aspect of Property & Casualty insurance. 

As Chief Claims Officer, he was responsible for 8000 employees, all claims operations, across all lines of coverage. He partnered closely with his legal teams and held decision-making authority over all claims-related litigation, including extracontractual and bad faith situations. He led Automobile, Homeowners, Commercial, Agribusiness, Excess & Surplus [Scottsdale Insurance], Environmental, Pet & Veterinary, as well as the National Catastrophe group and the Special Investigations anti-fraud teams.  

As a general manager, Mr. Bano led the hundreds of agents, underwriters and claims staff within the State of Michigan and earlier, within the five-county Philadelphia, PA market. 

Frederick J. Fisher, JD, is the President of Fisher Consulting Group, Inc., a Professional Liability firm. Since his career began, Mr. Fisher focused on one vision: providing financial security to the client. The result was a successful 40 year career in Specialty Lines Insurance.

Mr. Fisher provides Expert Witness services and Litigation Strategies to attorneys representing Plaintiff and Defense. He testifies regularly as an expert witness in cases dealing with:

• Insurance Broker Standards of Care
• Real Estate Broker Standards of Care
• Third Party Administrator Standards (TPA)
• Claims Handling and Bad Faith
• Wholesale Broker Policies with "gotchya's"

Background Experience:

• For almost 20 years, Mr. Fisher was the Founder of E.L.M. Insurance Brokers, a Wholesale & MGA facility specializing in Professional Liability and Specialty Line Risks. In 1995, he formed what is now known as ELM insurance Brokers, a firm that has acted as an MGA and Wholesale Broker of Professional Liability Insurance and Specialty Lines. From nothing, the firm grew rapidly to a $30 Million dollar facility when sold in 2008
• Mr. Fisher began his career on the service side, as an Independent E&O claims adjuster. In 1982, he bought the Company. In only 4 years, the annual billings increased by 400%
• In 1989, Mr. Fisher became a Founding Member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), and was elected to the PLUS Board of Trustees in 1993. After serving in all Officer capacities, he was elected President in 1997. He remains a Special Materials Expert for several RPLU courses and is the Senior Technical Advisor for The Professional Liability Manual, first published by the International Risk Management Institute in 1990

For more information on his Litigation Support Services, Email Frederick Fisher at: fjfisher@fishercg.com

View Frederick Fisher's Consulting Profile.

Scott S. Margraves, CIC, has over 32 years of Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance experience. He is the Principal Consultant and Founder of Gulf Coast Risk Management, LLC (GCRM). GCRM provides research, analysis and advice to commerce, industry, government and individuals. 

GCRM operates COIs R Us, a certificate of insurance (COI) compliance and tracking company. COIs R Us compares the contractual obligations of a lease agreement with the COI. COIs R Us processes thousands of COIs for landlords and general contractors for compliance annually.

Litigation Support - Mr. Margraves has been designated as an expert witness in 19 case assignments: 16 State cases and 3 Federal cases. Case assignments are divided between 10 for Defense and 9 for Plaintiff, including Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas. Services include standard of care review, deposition question preparation, document review, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - GCRM provides consulting services to attorneys, property managers, and general contractors regarding insurance placement, interpretation, and recommended contractual insurance requirements while explaining the relationship and alignment with indemnity and insurance provisions.

Mr. Margraves is well-versed in the placement of insurance policies from an insured's perspective. As a front-line producer, he weathered forty three (five major) hurricanes, three “five-hundred-year" floods and multiple catastrophic fire claims. Agency roles include insurance broker, claims supervisor, agency partner, and risk manager. He is Past President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston, Past Vice chairman of IIAT IMPACT Region 10, Member of Insurance Academy, and Lifetime Committeemen for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Mr. Margraves started his second career as a full-time consultant in 2020. He is an insurance industry expert that brings extensive experience in all aspects of property casualty insurance interpretation, policy forms, claims, safety programs, HR coordination and contract integration.

View GCRM's Consulting Profile.

Ivan E. Cohen, RF, ARM, CRM, CIC, AIC, AAI, MLIS, CRIS, is a nationally recognized Insurance Industry Expert with over 44 years of years of Insurance and Risk Management experience. 

In 1979, Mr. Cohen opened his own agency where he still serves as president. He is a member of the Global Risk Management Institute, an associate member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, and holds the distinction of being a RIMS Fellow and has been a contributing columnist for Risk Management Magazine. 

Mr. Cohen has also been an Insurance Educator for 41 years. A Senior Andjunct Professor of Insurance, he has taught for the Risk and Insurance Management Society, The National Alliance, Professional Insurance Agents of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York, and provides training and continuing education courses for agencies and companies.

Litigation Support - Mr. Cohen is a trial-experienced Insurance Litigation consultant who provides expert witness services on insurance related matters, He currently serves as a subject matter expert for the New York State Department of Financial Services on the Insurance Exam Review Committee. Mr. Cohen has worked on matters in State, Federal, and Canadian Courts. His services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense. 

A. M. Best Client Recommended Expert Service Provider 2018, 2019, 2020.

Areas of Expertise:

View Ivan Cohen's Consulting Profile.

Mary LaPorte has over 40 years in the Insurance Industry. Her experience extends to the areas of Agency Principal, Personal Lines Management, Claims Management, and E&O Management. She has served on insurance company agency advisory councils and on the Commissioner of Insurance's Licensing advisory council. She has been a self-employed consultant for over 20 years, working with insurance agencies with workflows, standard of care, E&O loss avoidance and education. Ms. LaPorte holds several designations including CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter), CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), LIC (Licensed Insurance Counselor), and CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agent). She has received the coveted Aschom Education Award for dedication to education in the insurance industry, and in 2020 was inducted into the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame. Ms. LaPorte is very familiar with E&O litigation and is a valuable Expert Witness in areas of:

• Insurance Practices & Standards
• Insurance Agency Standards of Care and Operations
• Agent Errors & Omissions - Loss Control, Audits
• Coverage & Claims Analysis and Resolution
• House / Co-op / Condo Insurance

View Consulting Profile.

Mitchell L. Lathrop, has over 50 years of experience in the practice of law, and specialized knowledge in Insurance, Reinsurance, and Lawyers' Professional Responsibility. For the past 30 years, Mr. Lathrop has served as a Mediator, Arbitrator and Expert Witness in his fields of expertise. A seasoned trial lawyer, he brings his many years of practice to alternative dispute resolution. 

Mr. Lathrop is admitted to practice in California, New York and the District of Columbia, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Ninth, Tenth, District of Columbia and Federal Circuits. Mr. Lathrop is a former Presiding Referee of the California State Bar Court. He serves on the National Panel of the American Arbitration Association and is a Distinguished Neutral of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), as well as a member of the London Court of International Arbitration. He is the author of "Insurance Coverage for Environmental Claims," published by Lexis-Nexis Matthew Bender. He has qualified as an expert in insurance and legal malpractice in both state and federal courts. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Insurance bad faith and standard of care and conduct
• Reinsurance Law - Property and Casualty insurance
• Treaty and Facultative Reinsurance
• Environmental Insurance
• Complex insurance coverage Issues
• Lawyers' Professional Responsibility

Jim Leatzow has 46 years of "hands-on" practical, property / casualty insurance agency experience. Leatzow has literally worn "every hat there is to wear in the P/C insurance business. He provides expert & arbitration services nationally & internationally with no charge for travel time. He is articulate, efficient & equally comfortable within the U.S. & in foreign venues. His experience includes:

• 46 years national Property/Casualty insurance industry experience
• 30 years national, Property/Casualty insurance Agency Owner
• 23 years national, Property/Casualty Managing General Agent (MGA)
• 20 years national, Third Party Administrator (TPA) insurance claim adjuster
• 26 years Reinsurance experience & Company Founder/President
• 17 years Certified insurance Arbitrator (U.S. / U.K. / Bermuda) 
• 55 years Licensed Pilot with Commercial, Instrument, Multi & Seaplane Ratings 
• Still licensed in Illinois (46 years) & Wisconsin (38 years) 
• Licensed in all states for 20-25 years until 2005 (agency sold)
• Rule 26 Report specialization on complex cases 
• Bad Faith Expert qualified nationally 
• History of representing plaintiff & defense equally
• No charge for travel time "coast to coast"

Leatzow's specialties include: Agent-Broker-MGA standards of care / Bad Faith / Coverage / Agent-Broker E&O Claims / Agent-Broker custom & practice / Professional (E&O) Liability / Claims Adjusting Standard of Care / Claims-made coverage / Surplus Lines issues / Underwriting / Licensing / Property / General Liability /Aviation Insurance