Right now we're traveling back from this week's successful Eastern Regional Conference. So this week, as we head into summer, we're sharing an episode on how to take advantage of all the services that the PLRB Weather/CATs department has to offer.

A supervisor leads a team of very needy CAT adjusters! Over the course of the year, the supervisor fields many questions as it comes up in their claims. Was there hail on X date? Was there lightning in the area? This hurricane is coming soon, where can I get news about it? Winter weather caused a slip and fall!! Where can I find information on wildfire perimeters and California evacuations? For help herding all these cats, we'll head to PLRB.org.

Notable Timestamps

[ 00:00 ] - The episode introduces a scenario where a supervisor fields constant weather-related questions from cat adjusters, highlighting the need for a centralized, reliable source for hail, lightning, hurricanes, wildfires, and more.

[ 02:15 ] - The team previews multiple scenarios—winter storms, hail, lightning, power outages, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires—showing the breadth of searchable weather data available to support claim investigations.

[ 03:16 ] - Using a winter slip-and-fall in Iowa City, Iowa, the report pulls verified storm data from the National Weather Service, including freezing rain reports and hourly observations to validate conditions on the date of loss.

[ 07:42 ] - For hail damage in Illinois, radar-derived data and verified hail reports allow adjusters to map proximity, estimated hail size, and associated severe thunderstorm warnings tied to a specific date and address.

[ 09:53 ] - Lightning reports provide daily probability percentages and satellite detection data, helping assess commercial equipment claims while noting limits in resolution and cloud-to-cloud versus cloud-to-ground distinctions.

[ 12:25 ] - Power outage searches archive data every ten minutes via PowerOutage.us, identifying outage timing, affected customers, and likely storm causes—critical for business interruption investigations.

[ 14:09 ] - A tornado case study of the Mayfield event demonstrates wind reports, damage points, and EF-scale path polygons, enabling precise analysis of storm track and intensity relative to a property.

[ 17:31 ] - Wildfire tools include historical perimeters like the Garnett Fire, evacuation zones, thermal hotspots, smoke analysis from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data, and hurricane spaghetti models—underscoring a single portal for comprehensive weather intelligence.

[ 17:49 ] - Dylan summarized upcoming PLRB Weather/CATs developments.

Your PLRB Resources

Weather/CATS Hub - https://members.plrb.org/weather-cat/

Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company.

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Send us your Scenario!

Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your "adjuster story" sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to scenario@plrb.org.

Legal Information

The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate.

Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License.
Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1.
Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription).
Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).

We're calling "foul ball!" A spectator at a local minor league baseball game was injured when a foul ball zipped through a tear in the safety net and broke his arm. The spectator claims that the stadium owed him a safe environment, that it knew about the tear and didn't fix it, and that the mascot wasn't even that funny. To score, our litigant is going to have to run all four bases of the core elements of negligence: duty, breach, causation, and damages.

Notable Timestamps

[ 00:00 ] - A foul ball injury at a minor league game sets the stage for a negligence analysis, focusing on whether the stadium failed to maintain a safe environment after allegedly knowing about a damaged safety net.

[ 05:02 ] - The first element of negligence is duty. A stadium generally owes spectators a duty of reasonable care, especially when protective measures such as safety netting are installed for fan protection.

[ 05:40 ] - The second element is breach. If stadium personnel knew about a tear in the net and failed to repair it, that omission may constitute a breach of the duty owed to spectators.

[ 08:56 ] - Causation requires a direct connection between the breach and the injury. The claimant must show the foul ball passed through the known defect and that the injury was a foreseeable result.

[ 10:14 ] - A claimant's own actions can affect the analysis. Attempts to catch a foul ball, distraction, or impairment could introduce comparative or contributory negligence issues depending on state law.

[ 11:24 ] - Damages are essential to a negligence claim. Even if a duty existed and was breached, recovery is unlikely without a measurable injury, financial loss, or other legally recognized harm.

[ 12:11 ] - A personal auto accident example illustrates that negligence claims can fail despite a breach of duty when no injury or property damage occurs. Reaching only part of the negligence analysis is not enough.

[ 13:15 ] - The discussion highlights how emotional distress claims can complicate matters. Jurisdictions differ on whether symptoms without clear bodily injury satisfy policy language or legal damage requirements.

[ 14:43 ] - Not every liability case follows ordinary negligence rules. Certain ultra-hazardous activities or situations involving strict liability may shift the focus away from proving the traditional four negligence elements.

[ 16:21 ] - The key lesson is that successful negligence claims require all four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Missing any one element can prevent recovery, regardless of the strength of the others.

Your PLRB Resources

Introduction to Negligence Concepts
https://members.plrb.org/education/courses/introduction-to-negligence-concepts

Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company.

Subscribe to this Podcast

Your Podcast App - Please subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast app

YouTube - Please like and subscribe at @plrb

LinkedIN - Please follow at "Property and Liability Resource Bureau"

Send us your Scenario!

Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your "adjuster story" sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to scenario@plrb.org.

Legal Information

The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate.

Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License.
Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1.
Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription).
Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).

A cat jumps on the stove to get leftovers, accidentally turns a burner, and starts a kitchen fire. The homeowner has heard of an exclusion that applies to damage caused by animals owned or kept by an insured, and is concerned that the fire will not be covered. Exactly how mad should the homeowner be with their cat? (And how long can they stay mad at that face?)

Notable Timestamps

[ 00:00 ] - A kitchen fire caused by a pet can initially alarm insureds who may believe the animal exclusion automatically bars coverage for any damage involving their cat or dog.

[ 00:53 ] - The discussion highlights how insureds may hesitate to disclose that a pet caused the loss because they fear the claim will be denied under the policy language.

[ 03:39 ] - Investigating unusual fire losses often requires origin-and-cause experts, especially when evidence suggests a stove burner was turned on without any appliance malfunction.

[ 05:07 ] - The key distinction is that animal-caused property damage itself may be excluded, while the resulting fire can still qualify as a covered peril under the policy.

[ 05:50 ] - Claims involving uncommon exclusions remind adjusters to carefully read the actual policy wording instead of relying on assumptions about what is or is not covered.

[ 06:12 ] - Ordinary pet damage like chewing, scratching, or staining is different from a sudden accidental event such as a kitchen fire.

[ 07:24 ] - Adjusters generally approach claims by looking for coverage where it exists.

[ 08:45 ] - Animal exclusions are often intended to address ongoing maintenance-type damage rather than fortuitous accidental losses.

[ 10:10 ] - While some courts have interpreted animal exclusions broadly, the cited cases involved extreme situations with dozens of pets causing extensive property damage.

[ 11:54 ] - Maintaining good communication and rapport with insureds can help overcome misconceptions about coverage and encourage honest discussion during the investigation.

Your PLRB Resources

Birds, Vermin, Rodents, or Insects; Animals Owned or Kept (HO133)
https://members.plrb.org/documents/birds-vermin-rodents-or-insects-animals-owned-or-kept-ho133

Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company.

Subscribe to this Podcast

Your Podcast App - Please subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast app

YouTube - Please like and subscribe at @plrb

LinkedIN - Please follow at "Property and Liability Resource Bureau"

Send us your Scenario!

Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your "adjuster story" sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to scenario@plrb.org.

Legal Information

The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate.

Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License.
Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1.
Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription).
Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).