Cease-and-Desist Order and Summary Suspension Issued to Public Insurance Adjuster and Agency Doing Business in Louisiana

Louisiana – On July 28, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Insurance reported that on July 22, 2022, investigators from the Office of Insurance Fraud and Enforcement issued a cease-and-desist order and notice of summary suspension to non-resident public adjuster Kade Austen Mitchell and his agency for improperly withholding, misappropriating, or converting funds received in the course of doing business.

Mitchell Adjusting International, LLC is accused of fraudulently endorsing checks totaling $150,000 from an insurance carrier. Mitchell, who is named as the firm’s designated responsible party, is also accused of failing to remit the funds to the insured. Mitchell allegedly withheld a $117,441.43 insurance claim payout from a policyholder on another occasion.

“Louisiana policyholders put great trust in the public adjusters they hire to handle their claims after a loss and deserve to have that trust honored,” said Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon. “This sort of behavior will not be tolerated in the Louisiana insurance market.”

Mitchell, who is based in Texas, was granted a non-resident public adjuster license in Louisiana on December 10, 2020. Mitchell Adjusting International, LLC, which was licensed in Louisiana on September 21, 2020, has him identified as the designated responsible party. Mitchell has 30 days to file an administrative appeal against this decision.

Individuals or businesses who feel they have observed or been a victim of insurance fraud are invited to contact the LDI Office of Fraud and Enforcement at 225-342-4956 or follow this link to report online.

Follow this link to view a copy of the cease-and-desist order.