Property Insurance Umpire, Appraisal and Expert Witness Services in Arkansas
Umpire and appraisal service, expert witness retention, and ADR support on tornado, hail, wind and ice losses across Arkansas, from Little Rock to Fayetteville, Bentonville and Fort Smith. Engagements are handled personally by Chris Chambers, Executive General Adjuster.
The firm also staffs catastrophe, large loss and NFIP flood adjusting in Arkansas for carrier, TPA and adjusting firm surge capacity, subject to state licensing. See coverage by state and adjuster staffing.
What drives Arkansas property disputes
Typical loss types. Tornado and straight line wind, large hail, ice storm, and flood.
Arkansas hail and tornado losses have grown in recent years, and the state was among those new to one national insurer’s top ten hail states in 2025. Disputes turn on roof and envelope scope, storm date causation, matching and depreciation, with commercial and agricultural buildings adding scale.
How appraisal works in Arkansas
Arkansas treats appraisal differently from its neighbors. Its insurance code voids any policy provision that takes away the insured’s right to a jury trial on questions of fact, and the state insurance department has long taken the position that appraisal clauses must be optional and non-binding. Applying that statute, a federal court in Fayetteville held in 2015, in Simmons Food, that a non-voluntary, binding appraisal provision was unenforceable. Appraisal still happens in Arkansas, but both sides should confirm that they have agreed to be bound before the panel is formed.
The full comparison across eight states, with citations, is in the umpire rules by state guide. This is general information, not legal advice; the policy language and the date of loss control.
Roles the firm accepts in Arkansas
- Testifying expert. Written reports meeting the applicable disclosure rules, deposition, and trial testimony on scope, causation, valuation, estimating methodology, and claims handling and bad faith standards.
- Consulting expert. Non testifying analysis, early case assessment, estimate reconstruction, and support for examination of the opposing expert.
- Party-appointed appraiser. Competent and independent appraiser under the policy appraisal clause, separately stating actual cash value, replacement cost, and the amount of loss.
- Neutral umpire. By agreement of the appraisers or by court appointment, with disclosure of anything bearing on impartiality made up front.
- Mediation and arbitration support. Loss facts and scope gaps translated into a clear technical position and a damages narrative for the proceeding.
How to retain the firm
Send the caption, the parties, counsel of record, the carrier, the role you are seeking to fill, and the deadline schedule including expert disclosure and discovery cutoffs. Most conflict checks clear within two business days, before any substantive discussion of the matter. A curriculum vitae, fee schedule, and testimony list follow on request.
Availability is subject to conflict clearance and to any licensure, registration, or appointment requirement of the jurisdiction and the policy at issue. The firm accepts one role per matter.
Arkansas appraisal rules
The panel, and the line it cannot cross
Appraisal is a valuation mechanism. It binds as to the amount of loss, and it stops short of coverage. Knowing where that line sits is most of the work.
The firm accepts one role per matter. A party-appointed appraiser in a dispute cannot also be the retained testifying expert in it. Full explanation of the appraisal clause
Why counsel retains this firm
A curriculum vitae, fee schedule, and testimony list are furnished on request.
- Executive General AdjusterThe senior adjusting designation, signifying authority over the largest and most complex property losses.
- More than 25 years in catastrophe and large loss claimsField, large loss, and supervisory experience across national property and casualty carriers and in independent practice, with multi-line supervisory and catastrophe special-claims authority.
- Documented large loss recordGulf Coast high-rise condominium assessments, the largest with approximately $85 million in estimated damage, drawn from thousands of claims handled.
- NFIP certified at all four authority levelsRCBAP, commercial, homeowners, and mobile home.
- Balanced practiceRetention accepted from policyholder counsel and from insurer and defense counsel, and neutral umpire appointments accepted. The balance is itself part of the qualification.
Retaining the firm in Arkansas
What kinds of Arkansas property disputes does the firm take?
First-party commercial and residential property matters, most often involving tornado and straight line wind, large hail, ice storm, and flood. The questions are usually scope of repair, whether damage is storm created or the result of age and wear, valuation and depreciation methodology, code and ordinance requirements, and claims handling standards.
Can the firm serve as a neutral umpire in Arkansas?
Yes, by agreement of the two party-appointed appraisers or by court appointment. Anything bearing on impartiality is disclosed up front, before appointment. The firm also serves as a party-appointed appraiser where it has not been engaged as a neutral in the same matter.
Does the firm work for policyholders or for carriers?
Both. Retention is accepted from policyholder counsel and from insurer and defense counsel. An expert who has only ever appeared for one side is easier to impeach than one who has not.
Is the firm licensed in Arkansas?
Yes. The firm’s principal holds an Arkansas nonresident adjuster license, with a Texas designated home state license. Engagement is always subject to conflict clearance and to the requirements of the policy at issue. See coverage by state.
How long does a conflict check take?
Within two business days. The conflict check runs before any substantive discussion of the matter, and a curriculum vitae, fee schedule and testimony list follow on request.
Retain the firm in Arkansas.
Send the caption, the parties, counsel of record, and the carrier. Conflict checks usually clear within two business days, and the CV and fee schedule follow immediately.