Many restoration contractors don’t have in-house legal counsel. If you’re one of those contractors, it’s important to know when the right time is to seek legal advice. Today, we talked with Josh Ehmke, General Counsel and Co-Founder of One Claim Solution, about scenarios where restoration contractors should get legal help. Here are some of the most common situations where he urges restoration businesses to hire an attorney:
The contracts and documents your restoration company uses set the terms of your work and preemptively protect your company from a variety of potential legal issues. Josh encourages all restoration companies to involve legal counsel when drafting their standard paperwork. Restoration legal counsel can help you tailor your contracts to fit the needs of your business and help you avoid common mistakes that contractors make when copying generic restoration contract language found online. When you get your paperwork right from the start, you can save time, money, and legal headaches down the road.
Some of the standardized documentation you should consider drafting with your attorney include:
Your attorney will be able to help you create an arsenal of standardized paperwork that matches your company’s needs and local regulations.
Any time a homeowner, insurer, competitor, or other party files a formal complaint against your restoration business, you should speak with an attorney. Regardless of whether the complaint is through your local contractors’ board, attorney general, or another official agency, having legal counsel can help your restoration business respond correctly, protecting your business and reputation.
If funds aren’t getting directed to you because a homeowner is refusing to turn over insurance funds or a carrier is ignoring your Assignment of Benefits, it might be time to get an attorney involved. “A lot of times you see contractors walk away from being paid what they’re truly owed because they’re too scared to get counsel or a collection agency involved or enforce the assignment [of benefits],” Josh says. “A lot of that fear comes from just not knowing how to do it. That’s why it’s important to go and get an attorney who does know how to do it and can help you through that process.”
Many states have statutes concerning prompt payment and response from carriers. As a restoration contractor, make sure you’re familiar with these local laws. If a carrier delays payment for an extended time, you may want to consider filing a suit with the help of an attorney.
You also have the option to sue insurance providers who you feel are underpaying you. Hire legal counsel if you’re considering pursuing legal action against an insurer. Before doing so, Josh recommends restoration contracts do a cost-benefit analysis. Taking legal action against an insurer is typically only worth it for large-total billing disputes.
Securing timely and fair payment from carriers doesn’t always have to come down to legal action. Before it gets that far, there are many different things you can do to give your restoration company a strong negotiating position with insurance adjusters. One of those things you can do is to outsource restoration insurance billing to professionals like One Claim Solution. Our claims specialists specialize in working with different insurance carriers and securing our contractors higher payouts.
If insurance providers are delaying payment or underpaying, we also have in-house legal counsel to guide us and our contractors through the next steps. See the difference the restoration insurance billing specialists and legal counsel at One Claim Solution can make for your restoration business.
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Gilbert, AZ 85297
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Hi there! I’m Connor, the Account Executive for One Claim. My goal is to guide our contractors through the sales process, ensuring you’re equipped with all the information you need to make your decision and hit the ground running once aboard. We view ourselves as an extension of your business and I strive to make the process an enlightening and consultative one.
My career has primarily been focused in software sales over a few different industries but the last few years were spent helping general contractors solve similar problems to what we’re doing here at OCS! Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, cooking and boating during the summer months.
Hello! I’m Nicole, and I’m here to champion for our employees, recruit for new talent, and impact culture at One Claim Solution. I find satisfaction in supporting a memorable employee experience and bring innovation, problem solving, and strategic view to the process. Nothing is more important than our people, and a healthy culture is my top priority! I have had the pleasure of building my career in various sectors, specializing in small to medium size firms focused on high-growth. My experience is centered around driving and implementing change, leading high-performing teams, and driving process improvements. I am excited to make an impact at One Claim. Outside of work, my family and I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible to explore beautiful Colorado!
Great to meet you! I’m Elizabeth, and I’m the one behind all the emails and advertisements you’ve been seeing. As the Demand Generation Manager at One Claim Solution, my mission is to connect with contractors like you who need our services. I’m passionate about having an impact on others and I bring a wealth of experience in demand generation and marketing strategy to create moments of delight, curiosity, and education for you.
Prior to One Claim Solution, I had the privilege of building marketing departments from the ground up at companies in a variety of industries, including IT consulting, first protection, and healthcare. Personally, I love being outdoors, playing Dungeons and Dragons and board games, singing, and traveling.
Welcome! I’m Alisha, and I’m here to champion your success as the Director of Contractor Success at One Claim. With a passion for helping contractors thrive, I bring a wealth of experience in onboarding, customer service, and account management to ensure your journey with us is nothing short of exceptional.
Prior to joining One Claim, I had the privilege of scaling SMB and Enterprise Customer Success teams at fast-growing SaaS startups. With over six years of experience at companies like Mavenlink, Teamwork, and ServiceTitan, I honed my expertise in building high-performing teams and fostering proactive, consultative relationships. This background has equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by businesses like yours, and I’m dedicated to helping you overcome them.
Hi there, my name is Eric! I am the Chief Technology Officer here at OCS, spearheading our technical strategy. I have a background in computer science, graduating cum laude from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Technology.
Before coming to One Claim, I served as the Director of Engineering at Slingshot Technology, Inc., a company later acquired by WorkWave in 2021. My professional journey has spanned both emerging startups and established corporations, with a steadfast focus on cultivating high-trust, low bureaucracy teams and innovating technology using agile methodologies.
In my free time, you can find me flying drones, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with my family.
Hello, my name is Cam, I’m the COO of One Claim Solution! I come from a management consulting background (Bain & Company) and hold an MBA from the University of Michigan. I have worked at a wide variety of organizations, from Fortune 500 to small-cap, in an equally wide variety of industries. I have over 15 years of experience in operations and strategic growth, and I have spent much of my career focused on developing high-performing tech-enabled service organizations through early stage and high growth phases.
Outside of work, my wife Brittny and I have four kids, ages 13 to 6. As residents of Mesa, Arizona, we love to ski and explore the national parks of the southwest!
Hello, my name is Dan, and I am the CEO of One Claim Solution. I am super excited by everything we are doing at OCS to be the market leading insurance billing specialist that advocates on behalf of our restoration contractors.
My professional experiences are predominantly corporate in nature. My career started at General Electric in finance and accounting. Immediately prior to joining OCS, I spent time as an investor at Bondcliff Partners and management consultant with Bain & Company. I also hold an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and got my BS in finance and accounting from Northeastern University.
Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife, two young children, and our family dog, Whiskey. We live in Charleston, SC and take advantage of the beautiful weather by spending as much time as possible outside at the beach or adventuring around town
Hi, I’m Josh! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Jeremy Traasdahl, and I serve as General Counsel of One Claim Solution. Working in the restoration industry, Jeremy and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to see our company grow and to advocate for our clients as general counsel.
Outside of my passion for helping the restoration industry, I enjoy spending time outdoors, fly-fishing, hunting, skiing, and coaching my kids’ baseball teams. I’ve been married to my amazing wife for 20 years and we have a beautiful family of 5 children.
Hey, I’m Jeremy! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Josh Ehmke. Working in the restoration industry, Josh and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to lead our amazing team.
Prior to One Claim Solution, I started my career as an inside sales rep for Avnet, then moved to Pepsico as a district sales manager. Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife and four children, two boys and two girls!
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