Leland Kuntz
Appearances
Planet Money
After the fires
If it's totally destroyed, what do you do? Okay. You need to try to create an estimate most of the time. So how do you write an estimate when it's burned to the ground? Well, for one thing, the concrete foundation is still there.
Planet Money
After the fires
There's always clues in the debris. And after a while, like I've looked at debris and ashes for so long, I can look at some little wires and say, well, that's a hairdryer.
Planet Money
After the fires
from birthdays and parties. When grandma came from Kansas City for Thanksgiving, she took some pictures of the kids. And yeah, it's a picture of the kid, but the sink is in the background.
Planet Money
After the fires
Imagine if you're an executive insurance company. Do you have a big financial incentive to train the adjusters on how to do a sliding glass door correctly and add all the line items? A little bit, maybe. They want to be professional sometimes, but it's not like a main driver of their business.
Planet Money
After the fires
Is it a good system? No. Very dysfunctional system. The things I'm describing to you, the neurotic level of detail, the mistrust on both sides, the average person can't figure it out and they get taken advantage of. I can come in and I'll be honest, I can make really good money by doing my part in this very dysfunctional system. I make my money off the dysfunctionality.
Planet Money
After the fires
Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irma, the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake, Hurricane Odile. I'm trying to remember all the hurricanes. There's a lot of them. This is Leland Kuntz. And then that's not counting all the California disasters.