Claim Adjuster Shortage and Inexperienced Insurance Adjusters Will Cause Major Problems for Hurricane Irma Policyholders

Claim Adjuster Shortage and Inexperienced Insurance Adjusters Will Cause Major Problems for Hurricane Irma Policyholders

Various media outlets have been publishing articles (Florida is Short on Insurance Adjusters) (Hurricane Irma & Harvey causing Adjuster Shortage) on the shortage of insurance adjusters to handle the volume of claims that are being reported to both the government (FEMA) and the private sector insurance carriers. For those of us in the business we knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time. 


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Hurricane Irma Insurance Claim Mistakes Florida Property Owners Should Avoid

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.


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Insurance Claim Tips as Hurricane Irma Approaches Florida

Insurance Claim Tips as Hurricane Irma Approaches Florida

There is no escaping the property damage that Hurricane Irma will cause to some parts of Florida. 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.

If you experience property damage from Hurricane Irma, here are a few claim tips for filing your insurance claim that will make the process easier and possibly protect your claim from denial or other problems, especially if you have to evacuate:


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Is Boat Dock Damage a Covered Insurance Claim from Hurricane Matthew?

We are getting a number of inquiries from policyholders following the passing of Hurricanes Hermine and Hurricane Matthew about damages to docks, piers, and other manmade structures built over or close to the water.  As both of this year’s hurricanes remained offshore for most of their passing, the tropical storm forced winds nonetheless caused quite a bit of damage to coastal area structures, which included damage from wind, water and in some cases, collapse land subsidence which were holding up seawalls and bulkheads.
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Ever Wonder What Happened to Your Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claim When the Adjuster Left?

Ever Wonder What Happened to Your Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claim When the Adjuster Left?

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 when there are so many claims to adjust. 


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Hurricane Matthew Roof Damage - Repair or Replace?

Hurricane Matthew Roof Damage - Repair or Replace?
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. 
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Hurricane Matthew Flood Victims Need to Understand the Nuances of Flood Insurance Claims

Hurricane Matthew Flood Victims Need to Understand the Nuances of Flood Insurance Claims
Hurricane Matthew caused widespread flooding in St. Augustine, Jacksonville and other parts of the coast. For those who have flood insurance, we encourage you to review and pay close attention to your flood policy’s terms and conditions. The policies issued by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are unique because they fall under a Federal Government program with its own rules and regulations. Keep in mind that many private insurance companies resell and administer the NFIP policies so make sure you confirm if your flood policy falls under this program.
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Will Your Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claim Offer be Sufficient to Cover Repair Estimates?

Will Your Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claim Offer be Sufficient to Cover Repair Estimates?
As policyholders begin to hear back from their insurance company, 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 either documenting specific damages or inside claim adjusters denying certain parts of a claim. 
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Five Reasons to Hire a Public Adjuster for Your Hurricane Matthew Property Insurance Claim

With the widespread property damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, many property owners will be seeking out assistance and advice for their insurance claim. One of the most common questions we receive as these calls come into the office 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 while we try to educate and not blow our own horn, I’ll try to answer that question in hopes of giving readers a basic understanding of the benefits of hiring public adjusters and the role they play in the insurance claims process.
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Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claims – Some Common Sense Advice from an Experienced Florida Adjuster

Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claims – Some Common Sense Advice from an Experienced Florida Adjuster
After 10 years of a hurricane drought, Florida has experienced two named Hurricanes, Hermine and Matthew.  Our hearts go out to all the folks affected by Hurricane Matthew. Based on damage reports and our own public adjuster staff who are out helping policyholders, it looks like the worst of the damage goes from Melbourne up through Daytona Beach, St. Augustine and Jacksonville.  Anything on the coast felt the wrath from Matthew. From the media reports, flooding was as bad or worse than the wind in many locations but in combination they likely did a number on property owners.  And if property damage wasn’t enough, the loss of power 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 being applied and many folks may be surprised that despite their wind or hurricane coverage, they may be out of pocket for the mitigation and replacement costs due to lack of flood coverage or exclusions for water - sewer back-up. 
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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, Ft. Myers, 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