Policies
TAPIA is an organization for Texas public insurance adjusters serving Texas policyholders. As such, TAPIA maintains several strict policies designed to ensure that Texas policyholders throughout the state are served professionally and ethically. All members of TAPIA must be licensed Texas public insurance adjusters and all must abide by the following Professional Code of Ethics:
• All TAPIA members must conduct business with their clients, insurance companies, and the public, in a spirit of fairness and justice. They must conduct themselves in a businesslike, cordial manner, and work respectfully with other TAPIA members, clients, insurance company representatives, legislators, and the general public.
• TAPIA members shall not make a misrepresentation of any kind to an insured or to an insurance company while conducting business as a public insurance adjuster.
• All TAPIA members shall refrain from improper solicitation.
• All TAPIA members shall complete continuing education as required by Texas Insurance Code.
• All TAPIA members’ public insurance adjusting service rates, commissions, and fees must be fair and equitable, strictly in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Texas Insurance Code.
• All TAPIA members must undertake only work where they have the appropriate knowledge and experience and must obtain competent technical assistance if needed for handling claims and losses outside their area of expertise. All TAPIA members must not risk injustice to policyholders or insurance companies or endanger the interests of the public insurance adjusting industry by taking on losses or claims for which they are unqualified and unable to obtain competent technical assistance.
• All TAPIA members must avoid conflict of interest. This includes situations such as acquiring an interest in salvaged property or participating in any way, directly or indirectly, in the repair, reconstruction, or restoration of a claim’s damaged property except as allowed in the Texas Insurance Code.
• All TAPIA members shall not disseminate or use any form of advertising, agreement, or other communication, regardless of format or medium, that is harmful or disrectful to the profession of public insurance adjusting, or that might subject the public insurance adjusting industry and its adjusters to criticism, and that does not comply with the Texas Insurance Code.
• All TAPIA members shall not engage in the unauthorized practice of law.
• All TAPIA members must use only contracts that comply with the Texas Insurance Code.
• All TAPIA members must cooperate and assist one another in every possible way.