Hurricane Irma and enhanced conditions for electrical fires

Hurricane Irma and enhanced conditions for electrical fires

The effects of Hurricane Irma’s wind and rain damage are still apparent throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Roofing crews and blue tarps are ubiquitous wherever you travel. While the blue roofs are obvious, what may not be so obvious are damages that may have resulted to electrical and mechanical systems in your home or building from the effects of Hurricane Irma's wind and water. Too many policyholders are blindly following a contractors or even their insurance company’s desire to “fix up” the damage and move on to the next claim, putting themselves in danger. 


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Would you like a little mold with that insurance claim?

Would you like a little mold with that insurance claim?

Many of the calls we get from policyholders lately, regarding their Hurricane Irma insurance claim goes a little like this:  “Roof damage caused bedroom flood, water running down the wall, water came in the front door, sheet rock and crown molding are ruined, now mold growing causing health concern.” Most homeowners will have a limit on their mold coverage in their policy.  But remember there would be no mold but for water and water loss is not limited. I am making this statement despite the fact that we have seen some insurance companies actually try to limit water loss coverage.


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Check the details before accepting your Hurricane Irma claim settlement check

Check the details before accepting your Hurricane Irma claim settlement check

Property owners who were impacted by Hurricane Irma and filed a property insurance claim are starting to receive settlement offers from their insurance company.  Some are shocked at the settlement offers they receive. Sometimes our firm will be retained by a homeowner only to receive a call several weeks later to say the insurance company adjuster had called them with a verbal settlement offer they might be able to live with. Even though it’s outside of our contract cancellation date and work may have begun on the loss, we typically wish them well and thank them for their consideration in selecting our firm to assist them. That got me thinking about all the property insurance claim offers we’ve gotten over the many years assisting clients.  


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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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Dealing with Low Insurance Claim Settlement Offers for your Hurricane Irma Claims

Dealing with Low Insurance Claim Settlement Offers for your Hurricane Irma Claims

If the inquiries coming into our offices are any guide, policyholders are receiving settlement offers for their insurance claims and many are not happy and in some cases shocked at the offer they are receiving. Most often we are told the offer does not remotely cover the cost of repairs based on estimates local contractors are providing.


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Policyholder Question – Should I be concerned about a contractor asking me to sign an Assignment of Benefits clause?

Policyholder Question – Should I be concerned about a contractor asking me to sign an Assignment of Benefits clause?

The following is an insurance claim question we answered for a policyholder through the United Policyholders Ask an Expert Forum
Q. I live in the path of Irma in Florida and suffered damage to my property. Since the storm and never before, there has been tons of articles in the news, social media and TV commercials playing here in Florida warning consumers about signing Assignment of Benefits agreements with contractors because you'll get ripped off and make a mistake. I have a contractor that I've used before and known for years that says it's been an accepted practice for decades for emergency services. Are the insurance companies just trying to save money? Please explain detail because it seems like a big coordinated PR push from numerous insurance companies saying basically the exact same thing. Thank you for your help!!


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Condominium Association Insurance Claims Can Turn Sour

Condominium Association Insurance Claims Can Turn Sour

There is no questioning the devastation that a hurricane can bring.  From severe winds, flooding, wind driven rain, tornadoes, power outages, even the slightest hurricane can cause massive damage. This storm season is no different with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria incurring property insurance claims well outside their main core. 


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Is Hurricane Irma Boat Dock Damage a Covered Insurance Claim?

Is Hurricane Irma Boat Dock Damage a Covered Insurance Claim?

We are getting a number of inquiries from policyholders regarding damages to docks, piers and other manmade structures built over or close to the water as a result of Hurricane Irma.  Based on personal observations, Hurricane Irma caused unprecedented damage to coastal area structures from wind, water and in some cases, collapse and subsidence which were holding up seawalls and bulkheads. So what’s deal?  Are the docks, piers, seawalls, etc., covered by property insurance policies? 


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Will Your Hurricane Irma Insurance Claim Offer be Sufficient to Cover Repair Estimates?

Will Your Hurricane Irma 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. Specifically, as the demand for qualified construction workers, roofers, and building materials increase, so do the associated costs. This “supply and demand effect” will undoubtedly continue to impact those who sustained damage in a negative way for some time. 


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The initial insurance claim inspection process and what happens to your Hurricane Irma claim once the adjuster leaves

The initial insurance claim inspection process and what happens to your Hurricane Irma claim once the adjuster leaves

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 Irma when there are so many claims to adjust, 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.  


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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