There’s no question Long Islander’s & New Englanders endured their fair share of blizzards and wicked Nor’easters’, yet for some of our company’s public insurance adjusters who worked for northeastern clients 30-years ago after Hurricane Bob, it feels like yesterday. Making matters worse, Hurricane Henri is projected to make landfall at high tide and with a full moon and that may result in coastal flooding. Please prepare for potential days without power and stock-up sufficiently.

We were so glad to be able to work with Tampa Bay Times seasoned reporter Philip Morgan to help educate the public regarding insurance claims and the value of having a public adjuster professionally manage the claim. Read here: The Policyholder's Champion in Tampa Bay

A historic deep freeze is gripping the US with sub-zero temperatures and even more serious wind chill factors. With it will come unprecedented frozen pipe bursts, iced dams and roof collapses that will cause extensive property damage and loss to personal and commercial property as well as business inventory.  As for homeowners, if you discover a leak, turn off your water, call in a reputable plumber, inform your insurance company of the damage and get their agreement to fix and pay for the damage before hiring a reputable clean-up company.

The EF2 tornado that started in Pinellas Park and touched down several times all the way through Polk County will have many filing property insurance claims. The industrial claim damage will be especially complicated given property damage, business interruption and inventory loss issues that will arise. As a local Tampa Bay public adjusting firm serving the area since 1984 we are ready to assist policyholders with their claims. Here are some tips and common mistakes to avoid while preparing yourself for the insurance claim process.

Some properties that experienced Hurricane Sally losses will experience Law & Ordinance issues as they attempt to rebuild. Law & Ordinance kicks in when both Florida and local building code requirements impact what will be required 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. This is especially true for older properties that may no longer meet newer building codes. Meeting those codes can become quite expensive.

While we are assisting Condominium Associations and working with property managers trying to manage their Hurricane Sally insurance claim, this is about the time in the insurance claims settlement cycle that we start getting calls from property owners living in condos, who are looking for help following property damage to their building that impacted their unit. This often takes the form of damage to the unit owner’s property, including their personal property as well as items such as carpet, other types of floor covering, trim items such as door frames, baseboards, cabinets and the list goes on depending on the type and severity of the damage and the wording in their condominium documents. When a covered casualty event occurs, whether it is from wind, water, fire, or the dreaded “mold” word, the finger pointing starts and in many cases the unit owner is caught in the middle.

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.