Barry Zalma

Mr. Zalma writes on the insurance industry claims practices for IRMI.com.

Mr. Zalma is a California attorney, insurance claims consultant, expert witness, and author. Since October 1, 2012, Mr. Zalma limited his practice to consultation, expert witness testimony, arbitration, mediation, and acting as an umpire in insurance policy appraisals. His insurance consulting practice, Zalma Insurance Consultants, is available to insurers and insureds to assist in the resolution of insurance disputes or to provide expert testimony or consultation.

Mr. Zalma is a certified fraud examiner. He serves on the faculty of the Virtual University of the Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, writes a regular column for the National Underwriter Magazine, Insurance Advocate Magazine, and "Underwriters Insider" and is a member of the editorial board and frequent contributor to Claims Magazine. He has written for more than 18 years the twice monthly Zalma's Insurance Fraud Letter, a daily blog summarizing recent insurance cases at Zalma on Insurance and a video blog providing painless insurance education called Zalma's Insurance.

Mr. Zalma has served as a director of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Forensic Expert Witnesses Association and the Southern California Fraud Investigators Association and is a member of the California Conference of Arson Investigators, the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Southern California Fraud Investigators Association, the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section and its Property and Coverage Committees, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute. He holds the designation of Fraud Claim Law Specialist awarded by the American Educational Institution.

Mr. Zalma has testified as an expert witness in the California Superior Court, various US District Courts, and the Superior Courts of Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Oklahoma. He is an internationally recognized expert on insurance claims handling, bad faith, insurance coverage, the commercial general liability (CGL) policy, insurance fraud, jewelers block insurance, and other inland marine coverages. Mr. Zalma is the author of or has rewritten CGL, fire, auto, earthquake, jewelers block, and other insurance policies for insurer clients.

In addition, Mr. Zalma is the author of the Zalma Insurance Claims Library published by the National Underwriter Company, including Insurance Claims: A Comprehensive Guide, Construction Defect Coverage Guide, Insurance Law, and Mold Claims Coverage Guide. The American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, has published Mr. Zalma's books, The Insurance Fraud Deskbook and Diminution in Value Damages: How To Determine the Proper Measure of Damage to Real and Personal Property.

Mr. Zalma is the author of the e-books Zalma on California Claims Regulations—2013; Zalma on California SIU Regulations; Zalma on Rescission of Insurance in California—2013; Random Thoughts on Insurance—A Collection of Posts from the Blog, Zalma on Insurance; Zalma on Insurance Fraud—2012; Zalma on Insurance—2011; Murder and Insurance Fraud Don't Mix; Arson for Profit; and Heads I Win, Tails You Lose—2011.

Zalma's Insurance Fraud Letter is available, free from ClaimSchool, Inc. Mr. Zalma received his bachelor of arts in philosophy from Claremont McKenna College and his juris doctor from the University of West Los Angeles, College of Law.