Surety and Bonds Insurance Expert Witnesses

Scott S. Margraves, CIC, has over 34 years of Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance experience. He is the Principal Consultant and Founder of Gulf Coast Risk Management, LLC (GCRM). GCRM provides research, analysis and advice to commerce, industry, government and individuals. 

GCRM operates COIs R Us, a certificate of insurance (COI) compliance and tracking company. COIs R Us compares the contractual obligations of a lease agreement with the COI. COIs R Us processes thousands of COIs for landlords and general contractors for compliance annually.

Litigation Support - Mr. Margraves has been designated as an expert witness in over 30 cases across 6 states in both state and federal courts, working with defense and plaintiffs on property & casualty insurance matters he believed in. Services include standard of care review, deposition question preparation, document review, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - GCRM provides consulting services to attorneys, property managers, and general contractors regarding insurance placement, interpretation, and recommended contractual insurance requirements while explaining the relationship and alignment with indemnity and insurance provisions.

Mr. Margraves is well-versed in the placement of insurance policies from an insured's perspective. He produced thousands of commercial portfolios, along with personal lines, life, health, and other ancillary insurance products. As a front-line producer, he weathered forty-three (five major) hurricanes, three “five-hundred-year” floods and multiple catastrophic fire claims. Agency roles included insurance broker, claims facilitator, marketing, agency partner, and risk manager. Mr. Margraves developed extensive experience in all aspects of property & casualty insurance policy form interpretation, applications, claims, safety programs, and contract integration. He is familiar with bad faith, standard of care, claims handling, and errors & omissions. 

Mr. Margraves is Past President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston, Past Vice chairman of IIAT IMPACT Region 10, Member of Insurance Academy, and Lifetime Committeemen for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He started his second career as a full-time consultant in 2020. He is an insurance industry expert that brings extensive experience in all aspects of property casualty insurance interpretation, policy forms, claims, safety programs, HR coordination and contract integration.

View GCRM's Consulting Profile.