Here’s a great success story from our Pittsburgh public adjuster, Mr. Zach Flora that shows how a public adjuster can add value to the claims process. Great job Zach!

On May 28, 2019 a catastrophic hailstorm hit the Pittsburgh suburb of Gibsonia. The golf ball sized hail that struck and damaged homes, buildings, cars anything it came in contact with. Over the next few days, contractors converged on the area knocking on doors and telling property owners they needed new roofs “just sign here” and we’ll file an insurance claim for you. Rather than doing the smart thing and call their insurance company to file a claim, some homeowners who had not dealt with a loss like this went along. As insurance company representatives visited their policyholders in the area, there was no question that all of the roofs needed to be replaced due to the hail damage.

We were happy to contribute to the 1 year anniversary of Hurricane Michael with information on appraisal as policyholders continue to try and settle their property claims. Thank you Panama City News Herald for running this article: How the appraisal process may help you settle your Hurricane Michael damage claims

Our adjusters are on the ground in the Bahamas helping clients with damage from Hurricane Dorian start the insurance claims process. The devastation shows the power of Mother Nature but the Bahamian people are strong in spirit and will recover. Don't forget, humanitarian help will be needed for some time.

The unimaginable destruction of property and loss of life on Grand Bahama Island and the Marsh Harbor community is heart- wrenching to say the least. I have seen a lot of the destruction and the human misery that follows in the aftermath of hurricanes and other disasters in my 45-year career as an insurance professional and public adjuster, but the videos and now live reporting coming out of the Bahamas is simply unprecedented.

As reports and video of the Hurricane Dorian devastation come in, the devastation and human tragedy is mind numbing. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in the Bahamas and with those who will be part of the relief efforts. We expect the impacted areas to be unsafe for Public Adjusters and other professionals for some time. For those who are so inclined, I wanted to share a very good Hurricane Dorian Donation article from NPR on reputable organizations that will be at the forefront of the relief effort and also a list of supplies needed. In the meantime, we will do what we can to answer policyholder insurance claim questions regarding Hurricane Dorian damage and steps they should be taking. I challenge everyone, especially those in the insurance claims industry to find a way to donate to the Bahama’s relief effort.

Our hearts and prayers go out to all those impacted by Hurricane Dorian. Preliminary reports indicate 13,000 structures destroyed and $25 billion in damage, not to mention the catastrophic flooding. As I’ve listened to all the anxious questions from callers concerned about Dorian and conferred with our Florida Public Adjuster professionals, one common theme prevailed.

Historically, Labor Day storms have not been kind to Florida and Hurricane Dorian has proven to be no exception.  Although Dorian’s final trajectory and impact on Florida remains uncertain, many State agencies, aerospace companies, businesses and thousands of residents have spent millions of dollars bracing for Dorian and its potential for an unprecedented impact. Our public adjuster staff is not sure if we will be heading into a Cat 5 disaster area to help with insurance claims or fielding calls from minor damage.   

No doubt about it, Hurricane Dorian is coming to Florida. We just don’t quite know where yet as the path continues to evolve. Currently, our firm is fielding many calls from prior clients and many others who are actively seeking professional claims representation in the event Hurricane Dorian causes damage to their property.  As such, our expert adjusters are working tirelessly to prepare communities and clients for the inevitable.  Before it’s too late, we encourage everyone to contact their Insurance Agent to obtain copies of their policies and ask the right questions so that they understand their Coverages, Policy Limits, Exclusions, Deductibles, etc.

Our adjusters continue to battle for fair claim settlements for Hurricane Michael policyholders. It takes patience and persistence. Note todays article: 10 Months after Michael Florida Still Doesn’t Know Wy So May Insurance Claims Are Open . If the state wants some insight into why these claims remain outstanding, they only need to speak with our public adjusters and the law firms in Florida who are fighting these claims on a day to day basis. If you still have an outstanding claim or are unhappy with your settlement, give us a call. You may have more options that you think.

Q. In my case, the insurance adjuster added $10,300.00 to my Irma hurricane claim to cover Overhead & Profit. This amount and the ACV were paid to me by Frontline upfront under my Replacement Value hurricane policy. The recoverable depreciation was held back until the work was completed. I required six trades to complete the work...roofer, painter, solar system, plumber, gutters and garage door. I did not hire a general contractor. I dealt with each trade directly. After the roof and painting were completed this past April (2019), I filed my claim for about $1,700.00 additional expenses relating to the roof and painting, plus the recoverable depreciation relating to the roof and painting (approx. $7300.00 RD). There was no dispute with respect to the $1,700.00 add'l expenses. The balance of the work (gutters, garage door, etc.) will be completed this winter/spring. My out of pocket expenses paid to the roofer and painter was only about $400.00 more than the ACV plus recoverable depreciation. Frontline clawed back almost all of my Overhead & Profit recovery relating to the roof and painting and offset it against the Recoverable Depreciation. The result was that I received a check for about $400.00, rather than a check for $9000.00 that I expected ($1,700 add'l expenses plus $7300 recoverable depreciation). Frontline's explanation is that I am only entitled to receive the amount of my out of pocket expenses so, to achieve this result, they can claw back some, or all, of the Overhead & Profit amount previously paid. The effect of this is that older homes with higher depreciation such as our 45 year old bungalow will have almost all, if not all, of the previously paid O & P clawed back, while a newer home with lower depreciation, like my neighbor's 4 year old home, will have very little of the O & P clawed back. In both cases we have acted as our own general contractor. Has my recoverable depreciation claim been properly handled? My home is in Florida. Thank you