Most insurance claims never see the inside of a courtroom. A thorough inspection, a well-documented scope of loss, and a seasoned negotiator are usually enough to reach a fair settlement. But sometimes — when a carrier low-balls a legitimate claim, disputes causation without credible evidence, or simply refuses to negotiate in good faith — the dispute moves toward litigation. When that happens, the quality of your expert witness can determine the outcome.

Homeowner Claims Help (HCH) provides independent property damage expert witness services for policyholders, attorneys, appraisal panels, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings throughout Florida. At the center of that work is Daniel “Jay” Jama — a licensed Florida public adjuster, Certified Property Appraiser and Umpire, and Senior Claims Law Associate with more than twenty years of combined experience in construction, roofing, carrier-side adjusting, and policyholder advocacy.

Built on Two Decades of Hands-On Experience

Jay’s path to expert witness work is not the typical one. Before he ever opened a claim file as an adjuster, he spent years in the field — first as a general contractor in Michigan from 2005 to 2009, then as a roofing consultant and project manager for a Florida licensed roofing contractor from 2009 through 2017. He has personally installed, inspected, and evaluated the very systems he now assesses in disputed insurance claims: roofing assemblies, building envelopes, windows, siding, structural components, and exterior finishes.

That field background matters in court. When Jay offers an opinion on wind-induced distress in an asphalt shingle system, or on whether a water intrusion event was sudden and accidental or the result of long-term maintenance neglect, that opinion is grounded in physical knowledge — not just claims-file review. He has stood on thousands of roofs. He knows what storm damage looks like from the outside in, and from the inside out.

From 2014 to 2018, Jay held a Florida 6-20 All-Lines Independent Insurance Adjuster license, performing residential and commercial property inspections and claim investigations on behalf of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and United Property & Casualty Insurance Company. That carrier-side experience — understanding how insurance companies build their positions, document their decisions, and develop their denials — gives him a perspective that few policyholder advocates possess.

Why carrier-side experience matters: An expert who has worked from both sides of a claim dispute understands not just how damage occurs — but how carriers document, evaluate, and challenge it. That knowledge is a direct advantage when preparing opinions that need to withstand cross-examination.

In 2018, Jay founded Homeowner Claims Help and transitioned to full-time policyholder advocacy. What drove that transition was straightforward: after years in construction and roofing, watching how insurance companies responded to legitimate storm and water damage claims, he recognized a consistent pattern of underpayment, misclassification, and documentation manipulation that left homeowners without the resources to properly restore their properties. His European educational background — grounded in structured analysis, precise documentation, and principled argumentation — aligned naturally with the discipline required to challenge that pattern professionally and effectively.

What an Expert Witness Actually Does in a Florida Insurance Dispute

The term “expert witness” covers a range of services, and understanding what that means in the context of a property insurance dispute is important for both policyholders and the attorneys who represent them.

Causation and Origin Analysis

One of the most contested issues in property insurance litigation is causation — what caused the damage, and when. Carriers frequently attribute storm damage to pre-existing wear and tear, maintenance neglect, or excluded perils. Jay conducts independent field inspections and documentary reviews to evaluate cause and origin, develop a supported opinion, and provide that opinion in written form and under oath when required.

Scope of Loss and Estimate Review

Disputes often hinge not on whether damage occurred, but on how much it costs to repair it. Jay is a skilled Xactimate practitioner who can evaluate carrier estimates, identify scope omissions, apply appropriate line items, and present a fully supported replacement or repair scope — including building code and ordinance considerations that carriers routinely omit.

Claim-Handling Practices

In bad faith cases and coverage disputes, the question is not only about the damage — it is about whether the insurance company followed proper claim-handling practices. Jay’s carrier-side experience and Senior Claims Law Associate (SCLA) designation qualify him to offer opinions on industry standards for investigation, documentation, valuation, and communication.

Deposition and Trial Testimony

Jay has provided opinions and testimony in appraisal proceedings, arbitrations, examinations under oath, depositions, and trial. His opinions are developed to be independent, technically supported, and capable of withstanding professional scrutiny — because that is precisely the standard a court will apply.

The Numbers Behind the Credentials

Credentials matter. Experience matters more. Here is what Jay brings to a retained matter:

  • More than 5,000 residential and commercial field inspections and damage evaluations conducted throughout Florida
  • Retained in more than 50 disputed matters requiring independent property damage analysis for policyholders, attorneys, insurance carriers, appraisal panels, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings
  • Hundreds of property insurance mediations involving contested scope, causation, valuation, repairability, and claim-handling issues
  • Experience spanning single-family residences, multifamily and condominium properties, commercial buildings, churches, institutional facilities, flood losses, fire and smoke losses, water intrusion, mold-related damage, and hurricane and wind events

Licenses, Designations and Certifications

  • Florida Public Adjuster License No. W221110 — licensed since 2018
  • Florida 6-20 All-Lines Independent Insurance Adjuster — licensed 2014–2018
  • Certified Property Appraiser & Umpire (CPAU) — 2018
  • Senior Claims Law Associate (SCLA), Property / Casualty / Fraud — completed February 2025
  • InterNACHI Certified Wind & Hail Inspector
  • OSHA Safety Training

Independent by Design

Jay’s professional approach is built on a principle that is simple to state and difficult to maintain under litigation pressure: his responsibility is not to advocate for a particular outcome, but to evaluate the available evidence objectively and provide opinions supported by facts, experience, and accepted industry practices.

That independence is not just an ethical position — it is a strategic asset. An expert whose opinions are clearly developed on the merits, without contingency arrangements or result-dependent compensation, is substantially more credible before a judge, jury, or appraisal panel than one whose financial interest is tied to the outcome. HCH expert witness services are always retained on a time-and-rate basis, never contingency.

A note for attorneys: When a matter involves engineering, environmental testing, HVAC, electrical, fire science, or structural disciplines outside Jay’s scope, his analysis incorporates or defers to the opinions of appropriately qualified professionals in those fields. He does not overreach. That professional restraint is what makes his opinions defensible.

Who HCH Expert Witness Services Are Designed For

HCH works with:

  • Policyholders in litigation whose claims have been denied, underpaid, or disputed by their carrier
  • Plaintiff attorneys handling property insurance coverage disputes, bad faith matters, or appraisal proceedings who need a technically grounded, credible expert
  • Public adjusters whose cases have escalated to the point where independent expert support strengthens the claim position
  • Appraisal panels and umpires who need objective scope and valuation input on contested matters

Florida Coverage — Statewide

HCH is based in New Port Richey, Pasco County, and serves clients throughout Florida. Travel is available statewide for field inspections, depositions, mediations, and trial appearances. Remote document and estimate review is available for matters that do not require a physical inspection.