Public Adjustment Bureau, Inc. v. Greater New York Mutual Insurance

OPINION OF THE COURT

Saxe, J.

This appeal raises issues regarding the work of public adjusters — those who, under the Insurance Law, may be retained to advocate on behalf of an insured against an insurer to obtain an optimal settlement of the insured’s claim — and how and when they earn their fees.

Following a partial collapse of a garage at the Seward Park Housing Complex on January 15, 1999, defendant Seward Park Housing Corp. made a claim against its insurer, defendant Greater New York Mutual Insurance Company, for its rebuilding costs. To help it make its insurance claim, Seward Park…