Zalma on Insurance
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Insurance Claims professional presents articles and videos on insurance, insurance Claims and insurance law for insurance Claims adjusters, insurance professionals and insurance lawyers who wish to improve their skills and knowledge. Presented by an internationally recognized expert and author.
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July 18, 2023
Jail-House Lawyer Fails

Zalma on Insurance

Arsonist-Killer Not Eligible for Elderly House Confinement Program

Barry Zalma
Jul 18, 2023

Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/grgk29va and see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gVkQHq3B and at https://lnkd.in/gRs-YdcC and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4550 posts.

Jack Ferranti, acting as his own attorney, appealed the District Court’s orders denying his petition for habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and his motion to reconsider.

FACTS

Ferranti was responsible for causing a fire at his business that resulted in the death of a firefighter. The trial judge sentenced him to 435 months’ imprisonment. See United States v. Ferranti, 928 F.Supp. 206, 21316 (E.D.N.Y. 1996). His conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal. See United States v. Tocco, 135 F.3d 116 (2d Cir. 1998).

In Jack Ferranti v. Warden Allenwood LSCI, No. 22-1892, United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit (June 30, 2023) noted that Ferranti was convicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York of arson homicide, arson conspiracy, 16 counts of mail fraud, and witness tampering, based on an insurance-fraud scheme. The Third Circuit resolved the request for release to the elderly home confinement program (EOHDP).

In 2020, Ferranti argued that he met the criteria for the EOHDP, and he asked for the District Court to order the BOP to process his application and place him in the program.

ANALYSIS

As the District Court explained, federal courts do not have the authority to grant the relief that Ferranti requested to order his placement in the EOHDP. The executive branch, not the courts, have control over an inmate’s placement. Moreover, even if the ability to challenge the BOP’s actions were available through habeas, Ferranti did not establish that he qualified for the program.

The statute disqualifies those whom “the Bureau of Prisons, on the basis of information the Bureau uses to make custody classifications, and in the sole discretion of the Bureau, [determines] to have a history of violence.”

Further, even if he did qualify, the BOP would not be required to place him in the EOHDP because, again, the statute leaves placement as a matter of discretion for the BOP. In any event, the BOP did not err by concluding that Ferranti’s history of violence-comprised of the underlying conduct for his convictions as well as disciplinary infractions in prison-disqualified him from participating in the EOHDP.

ZALMA OPINION

In an example of Chutzpah, Ferranti sought release from prison into the EOHDP in violation of the program’s requirement that only a non-violent prisoner is allowed into the program. Just being elderly, especially after the arson-for-profit scheme resulted in the death of a firefighter, was denied by the District Court and the Third Circuit without hesitation.
(c) 2023 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

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Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://lnkd.in/gSwXaUhz; Follow Mr. Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://lnkd.in/gV9QJYH; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://lnkd.in/g2hGv88;

Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gWVSBde.

00:05:57
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Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalma-philosophy-claims-handling-part-8-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-zdwsc, see the full video at https://rumble.com/v70zl4s-the-zalma-philosophy-of-claims-handling-part-8.html and at https://youtu.be/MIYcF71ffRQ, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

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Adjusters should be adjusters and leave lawyering to lawyers. Similarly, lawyers should be lawyers and never try to be adjusters.

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The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part 6

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See the full video at https://rumble.com/v70wb2i-the-zalma-philosophy-of-claims-handling-part-6.html and at https://youtu.be/tL5nDKPEs40 and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

Post 5217

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry.

An Excellence in Claims Handling program begins with a statement in the insurer’s claims manual or statement of professionalism that it is dedicated to providing excellence in claims handling to every insured who presents a claim.

The excellence in claims handling program should include, at a minimum:

A series of lectures supported by text materials explaining:
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October 27, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part 5

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Post 5216

Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalma-philosophy-claims-handling-part-5-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-jde8c, see the full video at https://rumble.com/v70q4x8-the-zalma-philosophy-of-claims-handling-part-5.html and at https://youtu.be/6b9tZQsEkB4, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry.
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The Insurance claims professional should be a person who:

1. Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
2. Understands the promises made by the policy.
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4. Are competent investigators.
5. Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
6. ...

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October 31, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part 9

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Post 5219

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Barry Zalma

An Insurance claims professionals should be a person who:

Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
Understands the promises made by the policy.
Understand their obligation, as an insurer’s claims staff, to fulfill the promises made.
Are competent investigators.
Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
Understand medicine relating to traumatic injuries and are sufficiently versed in tort law to deal with lawyers as equals.
Understand how to repair damage to real and personal property and the value of the repairs or the property.
Understand how to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement with the insured that is fair and reasonable to both the insured and the insurer.

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October 20, 2025
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Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.
My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

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post photo preview
October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail

Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.

My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
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