When disaster strikes, such as the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma, businesses are often left grappling with significant damage including property, inventory, and business interruption. For many, these damages can lead to crippling financial burdens, especially if they are not properly compensated by their insurance providers. In such situations, the role of a licensed professional public insurance adjuster can be pivotal. 
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It's been a year since Hurricane Ian unleashed its fury on Florida, battering both coastlines and wreaking havoc on agricultural and urban areas in between.  An event that should have subsided in its aftermath has instead metamorphosed into a year-long saga of pain, resistance, and a battle for policyholder insurance claim justice as countless victims remain ensnared in an unnatural whirlwind: the struggle for fair compensation and treatment in the claim adjustment process.  
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Last year, we saw one of the most destructive storms in the history of the state with Hurricane Ian. This year, we are witnessing just how severe the lack of oversight is, in regard to regulating property insurance carriers’ financial integrity as well as making them accountable for their claims handling schemes. If the regulators pursued carrier misbehavior with as much vigor as they do policing attorneys, public adjusters and contractors, we might see a better environment for Florida policyholders
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Insurers slashed Hurricane Ian payouts far below damage estimates, documents and insiders reveal - The Washington Post

We all acknowledge there are good and bad actors in every industry. Unfortunately, we see these deplorable activities firsthand when policyholders call us frustrated after trying to settle their claim. I hope the Florida Legislature acts alongside the Department of Insurance and regulators to put oversight in place that will place severe consequences on individuals or companies preventing policyholders from getting a fair claims settlement. This is the type of oversight needed that can only help to stem the litigation crisis. Fortunately, most of those I interact with in the insurance claims industry are trying to do right by the policyholder. Let’s give the policyholders the freedom to pick and choose what resources they require to get a fair settlement.

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With yet another Special Session beginning this week and a new legislative session beginning in March, Florida Legislators will soon be faced with some unexpected consequences, from new changes to the state’s insurance laws, that were passed by the Florida Legislature in May and December along with other pro-insurance reforms. There’s also, more work that needs to be done.

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Every day, clients ask questions about the claims adjusting process. Recently, a client and retired home builder affected by Hurricane Ian asked me, how much insurance company adjusters make? I probed, “Why do you ask?” The response, “My insurance company has sent 5 different people to inspect my roof damage and the amount they're paying these people is probably more than the cost to replace my roof!”
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The complexities of a property insurance claim are many. This is even more true with the variables that exist in claims for country clubs and resorts. Owners and managers are not only tasked with navigating a building damage claim and policy coverage issues, but they also have the monumental task of addressing, assessing, and seeking compensation for damages to business personal property, maintenance equipment, golf carts, golf course and grounds, supplies, saleable goods Inventory, food & beverage stock, debris removal, and costs incurred for engineers, architects, and auditors. Moreover, owners will be tasked with addressing and projecting intangible damages for items like business interruption, extra expense, lost sales revenue, and lost membership dues. For business managers not familiar with the insurance claims process this is a daunting task that takes away large chunks of time from their primary responsibilities to efficiently operate the business. Learn how Public Adjuster Mike Stabile put his expertise to work for this client and acheived a fair claim settlement. 

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We’ve seen anecdotal evidence that some insurance companies as well as adjusters are already talking to policyholders about invoking the Appraisal Clause in their property insurance policy. While appraisal can play an important role in the insurance claim settlement process, it is not for everyone and policyholders need to understand both the costs and limitations. We have several certified appraisers on our staff and one of the first things we do when asked to represent a client is to review the suitability based on the claim facts. Here is a Q&A I did for the media after Hurricane Michael (and now Hurricane Sally) to help policyholders better understand property damage Appraisal.

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The effects of Hurricane Sally wind and rain damage are still readily apparent in the Pensacola area. Roofing crews and blue tarps are still visible wherever you travel and many out of state owners have yet to visit their damaged property or await adjuster claims analysis. What may not be so obvious, are storm related damages impacting electrical and mechanical systems in your home or business. From my perspective, too many policyholders blindly follow a contractor or even their insurance company’s desire to “fix up” the damage and move on to the next claim, putting themselves and their property in danger.

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When it comes to the insurance claim side of the equation, it’s no surprise that property owners are reaching that “critical point” that we so often see following a catastrophic loss to their property, especially if that property was their primary residence or a business that generated income. The policyholder “critical point,” I speak of is that awkward feeling of sheer frustration and anger that soon turns into retribution as people who have faithfully paid their insurance premiums year after year without ever filing a claim before receive their initial settlement checks that are a mere fraction of what the true cost of repairs will actually be.  Those who elected to choose that big 5% deductible may be receiving denial claims stating that their damage estimates and cost of repairs fall under their hurricane deductible.

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