What is GAPIA?
Public Insurance Adjusters work on behalf of the policyholder to ensure that their rights are protected and that they receive full and fair compensation from their insurance carriers in the case of an insured loss.
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Typical Claims handled by GAPIA
Public Insurance Adjusters include business and residential property losses such as:
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GAPIA's Public Insurance Adjusters
also help with business related losses such as:
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Board of Directors
President
Cathy Panagakis, PA
cathy.p.2924@gmail.com
Vice President
Matthew Hunter, PA
matt@gohpac.com
Treasurer
Nick Gipson, PA
claims@nickgipsonpa.com
Secretary
Brandon Lewis, PA
brandon@strongclaims.com
Chairperson
Tim Varga, PA
timvarga@catconinc.com
Director
Remington Huggins, Esquire
remington@lawhuggins.com
Director
David Boohaker, Esquire
david@boohakerlawfirm.com
Director
Matthew Brown, Esquire
matt@marangeslaw.com
Director
Martin Shields
mshields@shieldseng.com
Director
Leia Travis, PA
leia@allypublicadjusting.com
Director
Elmo Barrera, PA
barrerassociates@gmail.com
Director
Byron Holmes, PA
byron@4claimhelp.com
Director
Ben Harris, PA
ben@team-adjusting.com
Executive Director
Margie Butler
butler@gapia.org
Articles
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Clear Language Wins the Day: Court Rules Ambiguity Favors Policyholders
May 13, 2025 by Chip Merlin, Merlin Law Group Clear language in insurance policies matters. When insurers draft ambiguous provisions, courts are required to interpret them in favor of policyholders. A recent Fourth Circuit ruling in favor of JW Aluminum proves just that. The case centered on a $35 million loss, with insurers attempting to cap coverage at $10 million under a vague “Molten Material” provision. But the court saw through the ambiguity, reinforcing a fundamental rule: Unclear policy language works against the insurer—not the policyholder. This decision is a major win for policyholders and public adjusters alike. Learn why challenging vague policy terms is essential—and how courts continue to protect insureds in disputes like this. In a recent decision that offers crucial guidance to policyholders and public adjusters about how to interpret commercial insurance contracts, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the policyholder, highlighting a key lesson about insurance policy interpretation: When insurance language is ambiguous, courts will interpret any ambiguity in favor of the policyholder. 1
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Check the Credentials of Experts
Check the Credentials of Experts! Jun 16, 2024 By Chip Merlin ATTORNEYS, PUBLIC ADJUSTERS Tags: Expert Witness
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Water Backup is Not Surface Water
Dec 22, 2023 By Chip Merlin INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS Tags: FC&S Bulletin, Flood, National Underwriter Christine G. Barlow, CPCU Executive Editor FC&S What does the insurance industry mean by the term “surface water?” Where does a public adjuster find insurance industry information about a term of art in an insurance policy? There are a number of insurance industry sources that should be regularly used for reference and read by property insurance professionals to keep up on new information. One is the FC&S, which is now part of ALM's PropertyCasaulty360. An article they posted, Water Backup Is Not Surface Water, posed a situation where a carrier was denying a water damage claim where the policy contained a water backup endorsement. The policy stated it would pay for:
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