When a surety bond company incurs a loss from a surety claim, taking action immediately minimizes losses. Our contract bond claim professionals possess the knowledge and surety-side expertise to coordinate, investigate and complete every type of contract bond claim, so you can efficiently and expeditiously resolve your claims. Contract bond claim services include:

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds
• Maintenance bonds
• Environmental bonds
• Supply bonds
• Subdivision bonds

Meeting your business objectives is a matter of deploying the right resources, in the right direction, in the right amount, at the right time. Guardian Group has developed specific programs to assist clients in handling the large volume and diversity of non-contract bond claims. Our Surety Group professionals are highly experienced in investigating, managing, processing and resolving these types of claims in the most efficient manner available. Everyday, across the country, we handle commercial, non-contract surety bond claims of every type. A partial list includes:

• License and Permit bonds
• Probate bonds
• Court bonds
• Fiduciary bonds
• Other miscellaneous bonds

As contract performance bond claims became increasingly complex issues, Guardian developed Greater Assurety^©, an exclusive four-point program that facilitates ongoing review and the monitoring of all risk areas. Clients may select from any of the services offered or may choose instead to enroll in the comprehensive program. Either way, the services were designed to be interchangeable and complementary to one another. Learn more about how we help you protect project schedules and your bottom line by clicking on these four links to the text below:

Pre-bonding Evaluations

Disbursement Control

Pre-default Investigations

Post-default Investigations

When a surety bond company incurs a loss from a surety claim, taking action immediately maximizes recovery. Our subrogation and recovery professionals have the knowledge and expertise to pursue subrogation and recovery on your behalf all over the world. We coordinate and complete all subrogation and recovery efforts while the claim remains active or after it is closed. Upon reviewing your case, we’ll develop an appropriate plan of action and timeline. In the vast majority of cases, our clients bear no expense unless we recover monies on their behalf. As national surety consultants, Guardian Group’s subrogation and recovery experts handle a broad spectrum of cases, from volume-oriented programs to the most complex matters. Services in the subrogation and recovery arena include:

• Asset investigations
• Collateralization of losses
• Collections
• Conversion and liquidation of assets
• Securitization of promissory notes
• Filing deeds of trust
• UCC filings

Since it is almost always in your best interest to avoid a protracted court battle, Guardian Group’s expertise proves invaluable in bringing clarity and expediency to the matter. In pre-trial stages, we offer pointed assistance in the discovery process. Should trial become necessary, we also provide litigation support and expert witness testimony. Our analyses compare planned versus actual design and construction in three-dimensional terms. We take resourcing, methods, logistical constraints and the acts of the involved parties into account. We identify critical paths, passages of delay and acceleration, constructive changes, estimating errors and untimely changes. We quantify damages, identify responsible parties and provide clear and persuasive information to assist counsel in securing a positive outcome. Litigation support services you’ll want in your corner:

• Document discovery assistance and review
• Case theme development
• Document management
• Deposition assistance
• Critique of opposing experts’ analyses
• Trial exhibit preparation
• Expert testimony
• Legal graphics

Surety TPA services by Guardian Group are individually tailored to each surety company’s requirements and are referred to as Claims Control® programs. Some surety companies choose to outsource the entire claim handling and investigation function, and they’ve counted on Guardian’s Claims Control® programs to resolve claims rapidly, reliably, and cost-effectively for almost three decades. But today, even those sureties that choose to maintain their own in-house claims departments want to have a custom Claims Control® program in place. Why? Because they want to be proactive when it comes to planning for periods of peak claims, high volumes, staffing issues, compliance, and the nuances of unfamiliar claim types. Licensed in all 50 states, Guardian Group stands as the only surety claims consultant capable of serving as a genuine surety TPA. Your company’s unique needs and specifications are addressed in advance (without any upfront cost, obligation, or volume commitment) in a Claims Control® program that guides Guardian’s surety TPA services.

Surety third-party administrator services for contract surety claims

Contract surety claims for which a custom Claims Control program can be developed are varied. Of course, for sureties that wish to entirely outsource the claim handling role, Guardian’s Surety Group can function as your claims department. But even for sureties with their own in-house claims departments, Guardian’s Claims Control programs prepare you for periods of peak claims, stretched capacities, high claim volumes, and claim investigations for which your in-house claim team would benefit from some additional, specialized support. Performance bond claims, payment bond claims, bid bond claims, and maintenance/warranty bond claims can all be handled under a Claims Control surety third-party administrator program for contract surety claims.

Surety third-party administrator services for commercial surety claims

Commercial surety claims for which a custom Claims Control program can be developed are numerous and include virtually every type of commercial surety bond in existence. Should you choose, Guardian Group can serve as your entire outsourced claims department for your commercial surety claims. Or, you can simply use Claims Control as a risk mitigation tool, should a future need arise, you’ll already have the right resources in place to resolve your claims. All without making a capital investment or a commitment. And all without missing a beat.  From State Contractor License Bonds, License & Permit Bonds, and Customs & Excise Bonds to Probate & Other Court Bonds, Fiduciary Bonds, and Transportation Bonds… and from Auto Dealer Bonds, Utility Bonds, and Tax Bonds to Public Official Bonds, Property Broker Bonds and more… all can be handled under a Claims Control surety third-party administrator program for commercial surety claims.

Outsource your surety claims to take your team from overloaded to overjoyed.

Today, you can confidently outsource your surety claims, either your contract surety claims or your commercial surety claims, or both. That’s because Guardian Group’s demonstrated expertise, experience with all claim types, organizational efficiencies and Claims Management System all make it possible. Even for sureties with their own in-house claims department, Guardian’s Claims Control programs are utilized to help prepare their team for any eventuality. Whether struck with a seasonal or otherwise temporary high volume of claims, confronting a staffing challenge, or up against a claim type of unexpected complexity, it pays to have the right resources in place ahead of time. Courtesy of demonstrated excellence in the areas of claim investigation and claim administration for contract and commercial surety bond claims, Guardian is uniquely prepared to help you outsource your surety claims – one, two, or two hundred. Kindly get in touch today.

eGuard®, Guardian’s Claims Management System (CMS)

When it comes to keeping control of surety bond claims and fidelity bond claims, eGuard®, Guardian’s Claims Management System (CMS), is virtually unstoppable. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Guardian’s CMS provides complete, accurate, and consistent reporting to our surety clients, keeping you informed of the status of all claims, from receipt through successful resolution. eGuard®, our proprietary in-house claims system, records all transactions and claims handling activities, and provides you password-protected internet access to this information. Of course, flexibility is one of our cornerstones, so Guardian personnel can handle surety claims and fidelity claims using either our system or your own.

With such extensive experience in the surety claims, construction management and construction defect fields, there probably isn’t a single issue upon which Guardian Group can’t help you shed some light. In fact, if you’re experiencing a current problem or challenge and you don’t see it listed here, please phone us. We’ll be happy to let you know if it’s something we can help you with, or, if not, to point you in the right direction. As a leading surety consultant known for its work with project takeovers, delay claims and complex investigations, you may not be aware of some of the other services for which clients have come to depend on us:

• Claim & underwriting policy
• Procedure manual preparation
• Educational and training seminars
• Reinsurance audits and reviews
• Special investigation unit services
• Development and instruction in computerized claims programs
• Claim file reviews and audits
• Claims run-off
• Temporary and permanent staffing
• Reinsurance and SBA billing
• Specialized surety requirements

A surety company provided performance and payment bonds to a $20 million high technology/electrical manufacturer for delivery and installation of $15 million in product to ten obligees. When the company began to falter, Guardian was engaged to evaluate the principal and suggest a course of action. Just as we began, the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Several obligees had already begun assessing liquidated damages, so we dispatched our personnel to the principal’s location to assume turnkey responsibility for completing the bonded projects. New schedules were developed and takeover agreements entered into with obligees. We hired former employees from the now bankrupt principal’s crew to complete installation. We re-let jobs to new subcontractors, found alternate suppliers and, where necessary, used our own personnel to redesign and manufacture replacement equipment, develop necessary software and complete the projects. We established disbursement control account procedures, handled contract funds collections, contract administration, provided project management services, and evaluated and settled payment bond claims. Guardian also provided litigation support and expert testimony to the surety’s in-house and outside legal counsel. As a result, Guardian reduced the surety’s claim losses by $8 million.

Guardian In Action: Surety Company Divestiture – Underwriting and Claims Run-Off

Subsequent to an insurance company’s divestiture from the surety industry, Guardian was engaged to handle all underwriting and claims run-off on an outsourced basis. We assumed all obligations and acted as the insurance company’s in-house underwriting and claims departments. Among other tasks, this included developing claims and underwriting policies and procedures, handling all underwriting renewals, premium collections, reinsurance reporting, status inquiries, claims reserving, claims administration, evaluation, negotiation, settlement, reinsurance billing, hiring and managing outside legal counsel and other service providers, preparing construction affirmative claims and performing defensive claims analysis, subrogation and recovery, litigation support, and fulfilling all reporting requirements to insurance company management, reinsurers, and the Department of Insurance.

In combination with performing all underwriting activities, Guardian effectively resolved claims that were reserved in excess of $35 million while collecting $10 million in subrogation. Work was completed in the claims, underwriting, accounting, and finance departments, on time and under budget.