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Our approach

100% independent versus hybrid agencies.

Many Dutch loss-adjusting agencies work both for insureds and for insurers — this is called 'dual loyalty'. We do not. On this page you can read why that distinction is so crucial — and how you can verify for yourself who an expert really works for.

Good to know

Why does mono-loyalty matter?

A counter-expert is supposed to represent your interests as the insured — not those of your insurer. That sounds obvious, but at many agencies in the Netherlands the same people work for an insurer one day and for an insured the next. That creates structural conflicts.

An expert who earns a substantial share of their income from insurer assignments is unlikely to undermine the position of their regular clients. That is not malice; it is commercial reality. But for you, as an insured facing that same insurer, it means the "independent" expert is less free than you think.

For decades Krantz & Polak has worked exclusively for insureds. We do not carry out adjustments on behalf of insurers. We hold no shareholder ties with intermediaries owned by insurers. We accept no commercial fees for referrals. That is rare in the Netherlands — independent research suggests that around 15 of the 23 larger loss-adjusting agencies operate with dual loyalty.

Ask the three control questions

You can test any loss-adjusting agency yourself:

  1. Do you also work on behalf of insurers? The right answer for a genuine counter-expert is "no".
  2. Who is your beneficial owner? An insurer or intermediary as a (co-)shareholder is a red flag.
  3. Who were your three biggest clients over the past year? Insurers in that top-three means dual loyalty in practice.

Hybrid agency versus 100% independent

Hybrid agency (also works for insurers)
Krantz & Polak (insureds only)
Client
Mixed — insurers and insureds, sometimes simultaneously.
Insureds only. Not a single assignment from any insurer.
Ownership structure
Often part of or owned by a loss-adjusting holding that also serves insurers.
Independent agency. No shareholder ties with intermediaries or insurers.
Commercial incentives
Continuous flow of assignments from insurers; repeat business may unconsciously carry weight.
Per file we recover the reasonable costs from the insurer — no long-term contracts with insurers.
Communication to the customer
"We stand alongside the affected party" — while assignments from insurers run behind the scenes.
Clear and verifiable: we stand alongside you and we can prove it.
Case-law position
Not a party to the defining rulings on counter-expertise.
Party in Court of The Hague 2020 (Achmea); position confirmed by the Dutch Supreme Court 2022 (ECLI:NL:HR:2022:81).

How can you verify our position?

We publish our position openly. Our independence is not a marketing claim but a verifiable structure:

  • The Dutch Insurance Ombudsman designated us in 2020 as a preferred supplier for independent loss assessments — a role we only receive if we have no ties with insurers.
  • In 2020 the Court of The Hague ruled, in proceedings in which we acted against Achmea, that insurers may not impose unlawful requirements on counter-experts. The Dutch Supreme Court confirmed that line in 2022 (ECLI:NL:HR:2022:81).
  • Our Chamber of Commerce (KvK) details, board members and corporate structure are publicly available on request.

Sources

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