An excellent Tampa Bay Times article, Did the National Hurricane Center Flub Erika? aired some of the discord between the National Hurricane Center folks and others, some of whom are well-respected meteorologists. The chief complaint seems to be that the reported track of the storm varied considerably as Erika moved up from the Caribbean. As a result,…
An email from a client down in the Leeward Islands this week prompts me to write this blog. While Tropical Storm Erika is not forecast to cause a lot of damages to the Windward Island Chain is was clearly a reminder to these folks about last years storm. Here is what my client had to…
There is nothing like being victorious, especially when you know you were right. And sometimes the victory is sweeter when the fight was long and hard as was this commercial property insurance claim from a 2014 hurricane loss in the Caribbean that we wrote about a few weeks ago. No question that working abroad has…
While most folks are enjoying the spring weather and looking forward to summer vacations with outdoor time with the family, others are still working through the insurance claim adjustment process dealing with adjusters and contractors. Yes, as hard as it may seem, a lot of folks are still struggling with losses over the last twelve…
The end of November brings two significant events. The first is a full court press for the start of the holiday season, and the second is the end of the official Atlantic hurricane season. Regarding the former, let’s hope it is a good one. Things are looking good as the U. S. stock market continues…
Most in the Caribbean Islands were unprepared. In fact, one emergency operations manager downplayed the storm over the radio so much that thousands were caught off guard as they did not take the necessary precautions to protect their properties from Hurricane Gonzalo. It is rumored he will soon lose his job. At the request of…
Given the severe localized flooding to parts of Southern and the East Coast of Florida this past week due to heavy rains, it’s timely to point out that it only takes one storm to trigger a property insurance claim that can decimate your property value. It’s interesting to note a recent article that reviews worldwide…
A recent opinion of Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals involving a Hurricane Wilma homeowner’s claim has a rather startling decision, and not a good one for the policyholder side. The case Hunt v. State Farm highlights the need for policyholders to pay close attention to their claim, their insurance policy language and any communication they receive…
Over the past few weeks we have discussed the increasing activity of the practice of public adjusting without a license and some restoration contractors (some licensed and some who are not) putting “Assignment of Benefit” clauses into their contracts that basically sign over a policyholder’s entire insurance claim proceeds to them. First, let me say…
If you live in the Pensacola, Destin, Gulf Breeze and Ft. Walton Beach area and your home was severely damaged by flood to the extent that it is uninhabitable, your insurance policy may provide a coverage called “Additional Living Expense” or “A.L.E.” Under the Additional Living Expense coverage, you and your family may be entitled…