Washington State Licensed Public Adjuster

From The
Claim Files

After more than five decades inside the insurance industry, I represent the people the system was not built to protect.

Robert Hanley · Public Adjuster · Washington State

The Record

After More Than Fifty Years,
the Files Keep Finding Me

Then the calls started coming.

Homeowners overwhelmed by catastrophic losses. Families trapped between confusing policy language and mounting financial pressure. People who knew something about their claim did not feel right — but had no idea how to fight back.

I did.

My name is Robert Hanley. I began my insurance career with American States Insurance Company over 50 years ago. During that time, I handled complex bodily injury claims involving disputed liability and catastrophic injuries — many involving life-changing losses for families and children.

Later in my career, I transitioned exclusively into property losses as an Independent Adjuster. The work demanded a different kind of investigation — causation analysis, repairability disputes, estimating conflicts, policy interpretation, engineering reports, mitigation failures, and claim handling audits.

When I retired in 2025, I believed my days inside claim files were over.

I was wrong.
The Files

What Happens When Someone
Looks Closely

$140,000 Shelton, Washington

A homeowner's catastrophic water damage claim was initially valued at slightly over $4,000. After a complete reinvestigation of the damages, the claim resolved for more than $140,000.

$31,000 Julie N. — Single Parent

A substantial water damage loss largely denied under an exclusionary coverage position. After detailed evaluation of damages, claim handling history, and policy application, the matter resolved with payment exceeding $31,000.

Open A 91-Year-Old Widow

A major property loss. A homeowner left standing alone inside a process she does not understand. The insurance company paid a little over $1,000, immediately closed their file, and cancelled her policy. Four months after not being able to return to her life — or collect the contents removed by the mitigation company — she found her way into my office. My investigation into her claim has begun.

These are the files that find me. The cases that stay with me are the ones where something feels fundamentally wrong.

The Process

What Investigation
Actually Looks Like

As a licensed Public Adjuster in Washington State, my role is to represent policyholders during the claim process. I work independently of insurance companies and evaluate losses from the perspective of the insured — not the carrier.

That process begins with investigation.

01 Gather the facts and analyze the damages
02 Review policy application and coverage positions
03 Examine repairability issues and estimating conflicts
04 Evaluate expert opinions and engineering reports
05 Audit the claim handling itself — because often the most important part of the claim is not simply the damage to the structure, but what happened after the loss was reported
06 Present the facts clearly, professionally, and thoroughly

My approach is straightforward: determine what happened, determine what was missed, determine what it will actually take to properly resolve the loss.

I do not take every file that crosses my desk. I do not work from anger toward the insurance industry — I spent most of my life inside it. I understand both the pressures carriers face and the importance of legitimate claim investigation.

But I also believe policyholders deserve clarity, honesty, accountability, and fair treatment when their lives have been disrupted by catastrophic loss.

That is the world I want to live in.
This Site

What Happens Behind the Scenes
After Disaster Strikes

This website is not simply about insurance claims.

It is about what happens behind the scenes after disaster strikes. How claim decisions are made. How narratives form inside files. How damages are evaluated. And sometimes — how ordinary people become overwhelmed by systems they were never prepared to navigate alone.

These are those stories.

Request a Consultation

If Something Feels Wrong
About Your Claim — It May Be

Send an email to inquire whether your situation warrants representation. I review every inquiry personally.

Tim@SeattleClaims.com

Washington State · Licensed Public Adjuster