As policyholders begin to hear back from their insurance company regarding their Hurricane Sally insurance claim, many will learn that the amount offered by their respective insurer is not sufficient to pay for their complete loss and damages. Some may even learn part of their claim is denied. This is common when there is widespread damage to a geographic area and especially true with more complicated commercial claims to businesses, condominiums and hotels where methods to fix or replace damage can become complicated. There can be many reasons for this including overworked adjusters not documenting specific damages, out of state adjusters not familiar with the market or inside claim adjusters who have never personally seen the claim simply denying certain parts of the claim. 

Most homeowners and business people do not understand the complexities of estimating repair costs. Even with a policy in-hand, there is much to be interpreted and many unique factors that can impact each claim. As the recovery process for Hurricane Sally continues, we’ve received anecdotal evidence from independent adjusters who are telling us they are submitting their estimates and reports only to have the carriers send them back or make in-house changes without their knowledge. Basically, they find out the estimate they wrote was chopped up to save the carrier money. This is not happening everywhere, but enough to cause concern.

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.

If your Florida home was severely damaged by Hurricane Sally to the extent that it is uninhabitable to live in, most insurance policies provide a coverage called “Additional Living Expense” or “A.L.E.” if it is a covered loss. Under the Additional Living Expense coverage, you and your family may be entitled to rent another home of the same size, like kind and quality as well as be reimbursed for any extra expenses you incur such as food and temporary lodging.

There is no questioning the devastation that a hurricane can bring.  Hurricane Sally brought severe winds, flooding, wind driven rain, tornadoes and widespread power outages. And as we have learned, even the slightest hurricane can cause massive damage. This storm season is no different with storms incurring property insurance claims well outside their main core. Condominiums along the coast have seen some of the worst damage. As condo associations and their unit holders interact with the insurance company, things can quickly change and the stories that unfold can be heartbreaking. 

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! 

Many people might be surprised that having an adjuster look at your claim is only the beginning of the insurance claim process. Remember, the field adjuster that inspected your property may not be an employee of the insurance company. They are typically independent adjusters on contract and typically are paid a set fee or percentage for each claim they handle. This is especially true during disaster situations Like Hurricane Sally when there are so many claims to adjust. Typically, there is a shortage of qualified adjusters and they are hard pressed to get to as many claims as possible. You should ask them what firm they are with when they come to inspect your property and note how thorough they are recording your damage and if they are “listening” to you. 

Based on the volume of phone calls coming into our offices from Pensacola and surrounding counties, Florida Panhandle business and homeowners are quickly turning their attention to recovering from Hurricane Sally. With the one two punch of widespread flooding and property damage from CAT 2 winds, 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.

I’ve had the opportunity to consult with several Condominium Association Boards after major storms like Hurricane Sally. Most of the conversation deals with recommendations for dealing with their insurance company adjuster and contractors that I would like to share with others who may benefit from the same information.  

Many business owners and homeowners who experienced damage from Hurricane Sally, are just now being allowed back into areas that were deemed too dangerous to enter. Our thoughts are with all businesses and families affected by Hurricane Sally and the brave first responders risking their safety to assist others. Based on damage reports and our own public adjuster staff who are monitoring the situation, the combination of wind, water and flood damage will create some complicated insurance claim disputes. And if property damage wasn’t enough, the long-term loss of power has added misery to the mix. To deal with these perils, it behooves property owners to keep their eye on the ball or in this case the money. High percentage hurricane deductibles are likely to be applied and many folks may be surprised that despite their wind or hurricane coverage, they may be out of pocket for mitigation and replacement costs due to lack of flood coverage or exclusions for water - sewer back-up.