Appraisal & Expert Witness Support for Plaintiff Counsel

Our work includes insurance appraisal services.

Appraisal resolves the amount of loss, not coverage — so a bad-faith claim and a coverage dispute both survive the award untouched. Independent, IAUA CPAU certified. Five states.

Files resolved without umpire

95%

• IAUA figure

Years in property claims

15+

• CONFIRMED

Typical resolution window

90–120 days

• VS 1–3 years LITIGATION

Typical appraisal cost

$1,000–$5,000

• VS $20,000–$50,000+ LITIGATION

Why Counsel Choose Marshall Services

Six reasons plaintiff attorneys keep recommending us

Experienced party appraisers who know first-party claims from the inside are harder to find than those who work for carriers. These are the six things attorneys cite.

Independent & Impartial

We provide independent appraisals grounded in industry standards. Whether serving as party appraiser or neutral umpire, our work is thorough, defensible, and free from bias.

IAUA CPAU Certified

Marshall Smith holds the Certified Professional Appraiser Umpire (CPAU) designation from the Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association — the field's recognized credentialing body.

Expert Witness Experience

Experienced providing expert testimony in depositions and courtroom proceedings. Appraisals meet USPAP standards and Federal Rules of Evidence requirements (FRE 702).

Multi-State Coverage

Licensed and qualified to serve as appraiser or umpire across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, and California — supporting your practice wherever your clients need representation.

Process Familiarity

Deep familiarity with how appraisal disputes move through each state's court system, insurance department rules, and carrier practices — so we know what is coming before it does.

15+ Years in Property Claims

A career spent on the same kinds of disputes your clients bring — commercial and residential, all five perils, every coverage tier. The credential and the track record in the same office.

Engagement Types

Four ways we support your property damage practice

From the appraisal demand through trial — party appraiser, umpire, expert witness, or a free consultation on whether appraisal is the right call for a particular matter.

Party Appraiser Services

Appointed as your client's appraiser in an insurance appraisal proceeding. Thorough property inspection, Xactimate estimate, and a defensible written report — FAA Part 107 drone documentation available for any roof.

• Hail, wind, fire, flood, and hurricane damage
• Commercial and residential property
• Construction and roofing background for repair cost accuracy
• Collaboration with contractors and engineers on complex claims

Expert Witness & Litigation Support

Expert testimony and consulting for insurance litigation beyond the appraisal process — valuation disputes, opposing appraisal critique, and strategic advisory on the appraisal-versus-litigation decision. That advisory starts from how appraisal and litigation compare on cost and timeline.

• Deposition and trial testimony on valuation disputes
• Review and critique of opposing appraisals for errors or bias
• Strategic advisory on appraisal vs. litigation timing
• Written expert reports meeting FRE 702 requirements

Neutral Umpire for a Deadlocked Panel

Neutral umpire when party appraisers cannot agree on the amount of loss. Where an appointment is the next step, an appraisal umpire reviews the remaining disputed amounts. Court-appointed in multiple jurisdictions. IAUA CPAU certified for impartial, binding determinations.

• Impartial review of both appraiser positions
• Technical expertise across complex damage scenarios
• Prompt decision-making to resolve disputes efficiently
• Professional documentation meeting legal standards

Case Consultation & Strategy

Free initial consultation to assess whether appraisal is the right strategy for a specific matter — claim value, policy language, carrier history, and timing of the appraisal demand.

• Evaluation of claim value and appraisal candidacy
• Guidance on timing relative to litigation strategy
• Umpire nomination recommendations for complex matters
• No-fee initial review of matter profile

What Appraisal Resolves — and What It Does Not

The boundary that keeps the rest of the case alive

The appraisal clause resolves one question: how much did the covered property lose? Everything else — coverage, causation, bad faith — remains in the litigation column exactly where it was.

What it leaves intact — OUTSIDE APPRAISAL

• Coverage disputes and policy interpretation
• Causation issues still unresolved at time of demand
• Bad-faith claims if the carrier failed to fairly investigate
• Attorney fee and penalty interest rights under state statute
• Any claim the insurer didn't handle before appraisal was invoked

What appraisal reaches — INSIDE APPRAISAL

• The dollar amount of the covered loss
• Scope of repairs — what was damaged and to what extent
• Replacement cost versus actual cash value determination
• Disagreements on specific line items in the estimate
• Multi-building or large-loss scope disputes

When to Invoke Appraisal

Coverage is open

The carrier has accepted coverage. The dispute is purely about how much.

Pure valuation dispute

The parties disagree on repair scope, unit costs, or total amount — not whether the loss is covered.

Cost-benefit favors it

Appraisal typically costs $1,000–$5,000. Litigation costs $20,000–$50,000+. The difference stays with the client.

Client needs resolution

Most files resolve in 90–120 days. Litigation runs 1–3 years. Binding, final, no appeals on the amount.

Credentials & Technology

The credential chain behind every report we sign

Three independent certifications, each adding a layer a cross-examiner has to address.

01 IAUA CPAU — Certified Professional Appraiser Umpire

The Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association's highest designation. Demonstrates proficiency in insurance appraisal, umpire appointments, Xactimate estimating, and USPAP compliance — the credential a court in any of the five states will recognize.

02 FAA Part 107 — Licensed Commercial Drone Pilot

Every roof in every matter can be documented from the air, with geotagged originals, flight logs, and an unbroken chain of custody — see how aerial evidence is captured and handled.

03 Construction & Commercial Roofing Background

Years spent in construction and commercial roofing before moving to appraisal work. Repair cost estimates are grounded in what work actually costs to perform — not what an adjuster estimated it should.

How a drone roof inspection is flown and handled →

Confidential References

Reference reports available to counsel on request

We write private reference reports on carrier valuation patterns, documentation gaps, and how first-party disputes tend to resolve through appraisal in each state we cover.

Reference reports are aggregated and anonymized — professional intelligence for your practice, not published anywhere, and sent by email on request. They are available to attorneys and public adjusters we have worked with or who are evaluating a matter. Access goes through the same portal as file submissions.

Request access

Conflicts Check & Availability

Submit a matter for review

Fill in the fields you have. A certified appraiser reads every submission personally and responds within 24–48 hours — usually faster when a deadline is in the summary — with a straight answer on availability and any conflict.

Submissions are treated as confidential. Sending a case summary does not create an engagement. Typical response within 24–48 hours.