§1807.17. Umpire qualifications; conflicts of interest

            A. To qualify as an umpire, a person shall meet all of the following requirements:

            (1) Be either of the following:

            (a) An appraiser qualified pursuant to R.S. 22:1807.14.

            (b) An attorney licensed in this state with experience in first-party property damage litigation.

            (2) Have no disqualifying conflicts of interest listed in Subsection B of this Section, unless, after full disclosure, the parties agree in writing to waive an otherwise disqualifying conflict of interest.

            B. A disqualifying conflict of interest for an umpire exists if any of the following apply:

            (1) The umpire or a member of his immediate family is any of the following:

            (a) A party to the claim.

            (b) A current employee or contractor of a party.

            (c) A current employee of the adjuster or public adjuster, including business entity licensees, who adjusted the loss.

            (2) The umpire currently has an open claim or acts as a representative or public adjuster on an open claim with the insurer that is a party to the appraisal.

            (3) The umpire is a party or a member or employee of a law firm that represents a party to a current lawsuit with the insurer that is a party to the appraisal.

            (4) The umpire has any other direct or indirect interest, financial or otherwise, of any nature that substantially conflicts with the umpire's duties.

            Acts 2024, No. 625, §1.