Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28th, 2022, in Florida. It is the third costliest storm in the US and the costliest in Florida at $109 Billion. Over six months have passed, and thousands of claims remain open or unpaid.
Policyholders have realized that insurance companies are not helping them, have long delays and lower payouts, and everyone is tied up, with estimates being revised in favor of insurance carriers. The 90-day period that insurers must pay or deny Ian's Claims ended last December.
Florida public adjusters are licensed individuals who represent policyholders in property claims. They have knowledge and experience in claims, policy language, and assessing property damage covered under each specific policy to get the homeowners compensated properly.
Help with Hurricane Claims
Homeowners suffered catastrophic damage to their property, especially since the storm surge came into the land, causing flooding to areas that had never encountered this type of rising water.
As a Florida Public Adjuster, I was on the ground two days after the storm, together with members of the FastClaimHelp team from A&H, assisting and helping homeowners, ensuring their roofs got tarped, documenting Hurricane Ian Claim losses, and caring for them.
At first, we saw an influx of adjusters, restoration companies, contractors, and other construction personnel trying to assist property owners with the repairs. But it has been more than six months since the hurricane, and we are dealing with the underpayment of claims (unfair claims practices) and, in many instances, claim denials.
Insurers are Minimizing, Delaying, or Denying Claims
Homeowners who have been paying their premiums for years believed that their insurance company would compensate for their losses quickly and fairly. After all, they market themselves on national television as “on our side”, “our friendly neighbor,” or pillars of integrity.
But when it comes to claims, they are for-profit organizations with their best interest at heart, trying to minimize claims, delay, and even deny the losses.
Every week that passes, we see more homeowners who have not been compensated properly, such as those denied wind damages where flood is being blamed for the damages.
Also, insurance companies are not paying for full roof replacements. Instead, they changed the field adjusters' estimate to include just a roof repair and minimized the entire estimate. Hoping the policyholder does not seek help from a Public Adjuster or Attorney.
Another issue homeowners encounter is a delay in the payment of the claims, transferring the adjuster on the file several times, not answering the phone, and sending engineers to your property to write false reports and avoid paying the full value of the damage.
After several independent adjusters came out clean, stating that insurance companies were changing their estimates to underpay claims, we are seeing more evidence being gathered against this fraudulent practice.
An investigation from the Washington Post, with evidence of dozens of altered Ian claims, found that Florida insurance claims from Hurricane Ian have limited payouts to policyholders below damage estimates by more than 80%.
As a homeowner and insured in Florida, what can you do about it if you have been underpaid on your Ian claim?
Seek help from a Licensed Florida Public Adjuster who can assess the damages properly and has knowledge of homeowners' policies. Also, they can assist you in documenting the file, your personal property, and additional living expenses and submit a supplemental claim to the insurance company.
In addition, a good and experienced Public Adjuster can find the evidence needed to determine if your claim was handled in bad faith and connect you with the right legal counsel to assist you.
If you had damage from Hurricane Ian and received a payment from the insurance company or are about to receive a claim offer, we can still help you understand the details of your property claim.
Consult a Florida public adjuster before signing the “release of the claim”. We can reopen your claim even if you received an insurance check.
And remember, we work on a contingency fee basis: No Recovery, No Fee, which means we represent your interests; if we don’t recover any money, you don’t have to pay a fee. Get in touch for an updated assessment of your Ian Claim
We will guide you and help you make the right decisions for the best possible results!
The Public Adjuster is an expert witness on the claim and has the “know-how” to handle Hurricane damage Claims in the context of the current scenario with the insurance industry.
Please don't hesitate to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation discovery call with us, or set an appointment to arrange a visit to our West Coast office:
A&H Public Adjuster Corp located at: 18245 Paulson Drive, VP-59, Port Charlotte, FL 33954 Tel: 305-343-1963