Your Story Matters
When an adjuster goes into a home, it is worth remembering that they work for the insurance company and not the client. Their obligation is to the insurance company. That’s the reason why we always recommend that a client is represented by an attorney or a loss consultant. That way, they have somebody fighting for their claim, rights, and for the issues at hand. A lot of times, the insurance adjuster is not qualified to make certain calls. Therefore, as a representative of the client, we put into action other experts to come in and do the work by looking at certain factors, such as structural issues, moisture mitigation problems, and wind mitigation problems. The insurance company’s adjuster is there to try to win your confidence. It’s kind of a false hook from the insurance company. They’re sort of misleading the client into believing that they’re there for their best interests.
I Don’t Want To Get Involved In A Lawsuit. Isn’t There Something Else I Can Do?
If you do not want to get involved in a lawsuit, there are different routes you can take. A good property insurance attorney will look into all of the options before going to a lawsuit. A good attorney will look at a lawsuit as a last ditch effort. However, it’s important to know that filing a lawsuit in Florida may actually benefit the policy holder. If the homeowner is victorious in the lawsuit, their attorney’s fees and costs would be paid for by the insurance company. That’s a very big deal. That’s very unique to the state of Florida.
However, there are other things you can do, such as an appraisal process. The appraisal process is something that’s very common in insurance disputes. It’s built into your insurance policy. Having the right loss consultant working with the right team of experts will help quite a bit if you decide to go through the appraisal process.
My Home Is Near The Coast And My Adjuster Is Saying The Hurricane Damage Isn’t Covered Because It Was Caused By A Storm Surge Or Waves. Is That True?
If a home is near the coast and it sustained some kind of damage, knowing what caused the damage can only be determined if a structural engineer or flood manager does an inspection. A flood manager is somebody who is certified by FEMA. They are able to describe the damage and give causation of the actual element that caused the damage. Without having a structural engineer or an architect to give causation, it is impossible to state the cause. In most cases, the adjuster is not qualified to call that scope.
There’s An Exclusion In My Insurance Policy For My Pool Closures Or Outdoor Work Shed. Is My Situation Hopeless?
If there is an exclusion in your insurance policy for pool closures or an outdoor work shed, that does not mean it is not covered. For instance, if you have a whole enclosure that is attached to your house, there is most certainly an argument that that enclosure is part of what we call coverage A, the dwelling coverage. The same applies for a work shed. However, work sheds are not normally attached. They’re separate buildings. We typically go through our clients’ policies to see what is actually covered. This is an issues that often arises. When someone buys homeowners insurance, the insurance company doesn’t send out a field representative to see what you actually have on your property. Therefore, we go through our clients’ policies word-by-word to see exactly what is insured and how it applies. We do that for each client. Getting a client’s policy quickly after an event makes a big difference.
Labor And Material Prices Have Jumped Sky-High, But The Insurance Company Will Only Pay According To Its Pricing Guidelines. Where Do These Prices Even Come From?
The prices for labor and material come from a national survey which is provided by both government entities and private business. This national survey is put together in a monthly updated. Majority of the insurance industry uses an estimating program known as Xactimate. Every month Xactimate will update their pricing schedule with new information from their national survey. In Florida and Alabama, the states have put a regulation for Xactimate or estimating programs to accurately run the costs and pricing. The pricing is updated with every storm and event within the area. Within the actual cost estimate, there is a macro that is designed by each of the companies that is approved by the state for adequate and actual pricing for labor cost and construction materials. Most of us work off the same price or costs estimate program, which is Xactimate. Xactimate does all the research on a monthly basis per area on storm coverage. For example, if Pensacola was hit with a single hurricane, but three other hurricanes were also hit along the Gulf Coast, not only does that stop transportation to Pensacola, it takes a lot of the building materials to the other locations as well. Consequently, the prices will skyrocket. As such, the company works with the states and comes up with an actual cost price list to incorporate in all of the estimating software.
For more information on Hurricane Insurance Claims in Florida, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (850) 220-2098 today.