Years ago, there was a comedy ensemble variously called “The Dead End Kids,” “The East Side Kids,” and, finally, “The Bowery Boys.”  (They were made famous in the 1938 Cagney/Bogart film, “Angels With Dirty Faces.”)  The protagonist of the group was a character named “Slip” Mahoney, played by the actor Leo Gorcey. Slip would routinely

I confess:  I sometimes wonder whether some claims personnel have ever heard of the “red face” test.  In other words, you should only take a negotiating position if it doesn’t actually cause you to blush.  Otherwise, how could seemingly rational people contend that buying “expanded” coverage means that the policyholder has no coverage?  (And how

Large first-party property damage cases often come down to a battle of accountants.  In other words, unlike Olympic beach volleyball, they’re usually not particularly thrilling to watch.  (Not that I have anything against accountants.)  But the results of the battle can have a major impact on the policyholder’s balance sheet.  How is the policyholder’s claim