Pittsburgh Claim Adjuster’s Technology and Perseverance Wins the Day in Settling an Apartment Fire Insurance Claim

Pittsburgh Claim Adjuster’s Technology and Perseverance Wins the Day in Settling an Apartment Fire Insurance Claim

Here’s an enlightening insurance claim success story from our valued Pittsburgh Adjuster, Mr. Zach Flora. Statistics show that 5% of structural fires or one in twenty are caused by cigarettes. On the late morning of May 21, 2020, an apartment landlord in the Pittsburgh area found out what it was like to become part of that statistic. Once the smoke cleared, he turned to his insurance company for help, where he quickly realized they weren’t the “good neighbor” they made themselves out to be. Then he turned to a trusted insurance claim adjuster also known as a public adjuster.


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Surviving Hurricane Sally Insurance Claims

Surviving Hurricane Sally Insurance Claims

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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Hurricane Sally Mold Damage – Understand Your Insurance Claim Options

Hurricane Sally Mold Damage – Understand Your Insurance Claim Options

Policyholders who experienced any type of water intrusion from Hurricane Sally may experience mold infiltration. When claims are delayed and repairs put on hold, it can become a real problem because mold can grow unseen for months and create a serious health hazard. Coming to an agreement with your insurance company on how to deal with mold can create major disagreements due to the fact that certain “fixes” can be expensive. So make sure you understand all your options.


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Hurricane Sally Insurance Claim Settlement Checks – Check the Details and Watch What You Sign

Hurricane Sally Insurance Claim Settlement Checks – Check the Details and Watch What You Sign

Your home or business suffered damage during Hurricane Sally. You promptly filed a claim or had a public insurance adjuster document and file the claim for you. A check from the insurance company appears in the mail. Great! How easy could it be? But wait, there’s a catch! On the back of your check there is language that states you are releasing the insurance company from any further costs related to the claim.


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Hurricane Sally Insurance Claim Update – The Public Adjuster’s On-the-Ground Perspective

Hurricane Sally Insurance Claim Update – The Public Adjuster’s On-the-Ground Perspective

It’s been a little over a month since Hurricane Sally roared ashore. My fellow adjusters and I have seen some serious damage in the Pensacola area and we plan to be here for the long-haul. Many policyholders are just starting to receive their insurance checks in the mail and much to their surprise, the settlement checks received are grossly insufficient and barely cover a fraction of what the true cost of repairs will actually be. Some brave souls are trying to handle their own claim. We see this same scenario play out in every storm that we have worked over the years.


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Have you received your Hurricane Sally LOWBALL claim settlement offer yet?

Have you received your Hurricane Sally LOWBALL claim settlement offer yet?

If you have experienced damage from Hurricane Sally, get prepared for the inevitable. We are hearing from commercial and residential property owners daily about their Hurricane Sally claims and their biggest complaint is, “Why is my settlement so small”?There are many possible reasons for this.  Among the most common are:


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Policyholder Question – Public Adjuster Fee

Policyholder Question – Public Adjuster Fee

This is a frequent question we get after a policyholder has tried to handle their own claim and learns the settlement amount will not return their property to its prior condition.

Q. Does a public adjuster get paid on the full amount of the claim or just the disputed amount?

A. If a prior payment was made before the PA was hired, the PA should not be paid a fee on that amount. Basically, a PA should only be paid on new money they were able to recover after they were hired.


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Hurricane Michael Insurance Claim Settlement Checks – Check the Details and Watch What You Sign

Hurricane Michael Insurance Claim Settlement Checks – Check the Details and Watch What You Sign

Your property or business suffered damage during Hurricane Michael. You promptly filed a claim or had a public insurance adjuster document and file the claim for you. A check from the insurance company appears in the mail. Great! How easy could it be? But wait, there’s a catch…..on the back of your check there is language that states you are releasing the insurance company from any further costs related to the claim.


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Attention to Detail by Public Adjuster Produces Additional $24,000 Claim Settlement for Pittsburgh Area Homeowner

Attention to Detail by Public Adjuster Produces Additional $24,000 Claim Settlement for Pittsburgh Area Homeowner

On February 21, 2018 the policyholder experienced a category 3 water loss in her Carnegie, Pittsburgh home from a broken stack pipe that runs from the second floor bathroom through the kitchen, which in return sent sewage throughout these areas of the home. Immediately upon noticing the damage the homeowner called a restoration company to mitigate the damage and called her insurance company to report the damage. Not knowing what other options she might have, she followed her insurance company’s instructions and sent their claim adjuster a few days later to inspect the loss.


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How Law & Ordinance Coverage Will Impact your Insurance Claim

How Law & Ordinance Coverage Will Impact your Insurance Claim

A lot of properties that experienced Hurricane Irma losses will have Law & Ordinance issues. Law & Ordinance kicks in when the Florida building code requirements impact what will be required in order to obtain a CO (Certificate of Occupancy) in order to reoccupy the damaged structure. It is a separate coverage in your policy that you must elect and covers some of the cost of required code upgrades. If your property (be it commercial or residential) suffers a loss where the cost of repairs is greater than 50% of the pre-loss value of the real property, your repairs must incorporate current building code upgrades. 


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"On Property" Insurance Claim Tips Blog

Tips and advice about how to properly file and protect your property damage insurance claim and get a fair settlement. We invite all readers to ask questions about their claim so our public adjusters can post answers for others to benefit. Insurance claim expert guest bloggers welcome to submit posts via our contact form.

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Local Office

Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, Inc.
Licensed Public Insurance Adjusters & Loss Consultants
Offices: Tampa, Orlando, Palm City, Florida; Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA

Executive Office
4300 W. Cypress St.
Suite 780
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: 813.287.8090
Toll Free: 800.321.4488

Licensed in Florida # W840088 &
Texas #1399706 plus 16 other states
and the Virgin Islands