Due to the widespread and extensive wind damage caused by Hurricane Milton, insurance company adjusters and many inexperienced contractors, in their rush to assess claims, may eyeball roof damage and recommend partial repairs based on simple visual inspection. And I don’t want to even address those trying to inspect roofs with drones. This is going to cause terrible problems in the future as flying debris can damage the membrane of roofs and set people up for severe water damage in the future. Adjusters simply don’t spend enough time assessing policyholders damage or consider the increased cost of materials and repairs given the state of conditions. 

Read More

As numerous clients are in various stages of repairs their Hurricane Ian damaged properties, we would like to share one success story that underscores the invaluable role experienced public adjusters can play contributing to the stability of Florida's challenging insurance market. First, let’s look at an example of what has brought policyholders, claim professionals, state officials, and insurance executives to this point of frustration.

Read More

Every year, the insurance lobby tells us insurance companies are losing money, yet lawmakers pass laws and reforms stripping consumers' rights, permitting insurers to delay legitimate claims, and implementing preferred contractor network repair programs that enrich contractors working for insurance companies, rather than insurers indemnifying homeowners for their claims. Additionally, there has not been any real and demonstrative evidence lawmakers can show to support how laws and reforms enacted last year have been protective. All things considered; I am not seeing any financial relief forthcoming for homeowners, especially given the many proposed expansions to the upcoming special legislative session. 

Read More

As Tropical Storm Elsa approaches the Tampa Bay area residents need to take this storm seriously and prepare accordingly as the path continues to evolve. This type of storm can throw off tornado activity and pockets of heavy wind gusts. As a result, thousands of homeowners may be contacting their insurance company to file an insurance claim. Resources are likely to be stretched and frustration with claims will grow as our public insurance adjusters have seen with past storms. We want everyone to stay safe and also be in a condition to recover as best they can. Below are a few popular pre-storm claim tips that we always try to share with clients. Please feel free to pass them along. Bottom line – PREPARE NOW!

Read More

As property owners with insurance claims resulting from Hurricane Sally start to receive settlement offers from their insurance company, our public insurance adjusters continue to field calls and questions from people still struggling through the insurance claims process. One question that frequently comes up involves how much roof damage there must be for the entire roof to be replaced.

Read More

Due to the widespread and extensive wind damage caused by Hurricane Sally, we are seeing that in their rush to get damages assessed, both insurance company adjusters and many inexperienced contractors are eyeballing roof damage and recommending partial repairs based on simple visual inspection. We are also seeing more insurers trying to inspect roofs with drones! 

Read More

Based on the volume of phone calls coming into our offices, North and South Carolina business and homeowners are quickly turning their attention to recovering from Hurricane Florence. With widespread flooding and property damage, property owners unfamiliar with the process will be filing an insurance claim for the first time and possibly seeking assistance and advice for their property insurance damage claim. One of the most common questions we receive when calls come into our offices revolves around the benefits of hiring a public insurance adjuster. It still amazes us that so many policyholders have not heard of our profession or understand what public adjusters do. So, in an attempt to educate and not blow our own horn, I’ll try to answer that question in hopes of giving readers a basic understanding of what public adjusters do and the critical role they can play in the insurance claims process.

Read More

If you are in the market for a new roof because of Hurricane Irma, you may want to consider a metal roof.  From my observation as a public adjuster handling a wide variety of insurance claims, metal roofs are becoming more popular all over the country. I’d like to share this article about hurricane resistant metal sheeting roofs. I have seen these roofs hold up very well, if installed as detailed in this article. In the case of St. Maarten which had sustained winds of 183 mph with gusts over 200 mph, the metal roof stayed on,  where other types such as asphalt shingles and/or clay/cement tiles for the most part blew off in part or total. 

Read More

Hurricane Irma has caused widespread wind, water, roof and flood damage throughout Florida. As clean-up begins, attention will turn to insurance property claims and many residential and commercial policyholders will submit an insurance claim for storm damage to their property. The public adjusters at Tutwiler & Associates urge policyholders to take the proper steps to protect their property insurance claim and avoid settlement problems with the following 11 tips.
 
1. Notify your insurance carrier of your damage as soon as possible to expedite your claim. Do not go back into your home or mitigate damage until you know it’s safe to do so. If returning to your home after a power outage, do not turn on the power right away, especially if your home has been flooded. Have an electrician check the dwelling first to ensure it is safe.

Read More

As property owners with insurance claims resulting from Hurricane Matthew start to receive settlement offers from their insurance company, our public insurance adjusters continue to field calls and questions from people still struggling through the insurance claims process resulting from Hurricane Matthew. One question that frequently comes up involves how much roof damage there must be for the entire roof to be replaced. 
Read More