Tropical Strom Erika - Pay close attention to the experts and prepare

Tropical Strom Erika - Pay close attention to the experts and prepare

An email from a client down in the Leeward Islands this week prompts me to write this blog.  While Tropical Storm Erika is not forecast to cause a lot of damages to the Windward Island Chain is was clearly a reminder to these folks about last years storm.  Here is what my client had to say: “waited in line at the bank for over an hour, it was packed, the island is in a panic mode because of the 2nd tropical storm that is approaching and especially because of Hurricane Gonzalo last year.”


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Tampa Bay Residents Wait on FEMA

Tampa Bay Residents Wait on FEMA

FEMA inspected flood damage on Thursday and Friday to determine if the Tampa Bay area will qualify for Federal Flood Damage Assistance. It appears the magic number is that damage must total $26 million statewide.  In the meantime, home and business owners can’t simply wait and hope for assistance and need to both document their losses and do the best they can to mitigate any further damage. If assistance does come, it’s never too early to educate yourself about FEMA’s Assistance program. Here are some valuable links to help you recover and understand FEMA’s process.

Flood Recovery

FEMA Individual Assistance

Check FEMA Disaster Assistance Qualification


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Tampa Flood Homeowners Should Beware of Mold – Is it Covered?

Tampa Flood Homeowners Should Beware of Mold – Is it Covered?
Those who experienced any type of water intrusion from the recent Tampa Bay rain and flooding may experience mold infiltration. When claims are delayed and repairs put on hold it can become a real problem as mold can grow unseen for months and create a serious health hazard. In the past, mold damage claims were covered under most property insurance when it resulted from a covered peril, such as a sudden plumbing leak, fire control, storm or other cause covered by your property insurance policy. However, some insurance carriers have been removing or scaling back the coverage from their policy forms regardless if it results from a covered peril. In some instances, the insurance companies offer a limited coverage for mold and fungus for an additional premium. 
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Ever Wonder What Happens to Your Insurance Claim Once the Adjuster Leaves?

Ever Wonder What Happens to Your Insurance 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 inspects 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. 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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Tampa Flood Victims Need to Educate Themselves About Water Restoration Work – Be Careful What you Sign!

Tampa Flood Victims Need to Educate Themselves About Water Restoration Work – Be Careful What you Sign!
As Tampa area businesses and homeowners deal with the serious flood and water damage, they will need the help of a water restoration firm to clean-up and dry out their property. Once local authorities give the all clear and it’s safe to return, mitigation efforts should be started immediately to avoid further damage or mold issues. If insured for the loss, you will find that most insurance policies require that you take reasonable and necessary measures to protect and preserve your property from further damage. This can be a difficult and challenging undertaking that requires decisions often involving a great deal of money at a time when your insurance adjuster may not have seen your loss or given the OK to start the dry-out or restoration process. Our recommendation is to hire the restoration company to do the drying and clean-up work only. You can then get quotes for reconstruction once things are sorted out with your insurance company. If possible, have the restoration company give you the scope of work and pricing in writing and then give it to the insurance adjuster or send it the insurance company for their approval. If possible, schedule a meeting at the site with all parties present. If this is not practical, make sure you take pictures of the damage and document all expenses for your insurance company. If you don’t document your damages, the insurance adjuster may not include it in the damage assessment. 
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Tampa Flood Victims Need to Understand the Nuances of Flood Insurance

Tampa Flood Victims Need to Understand the Nuances of Flood Insurance

For those who do 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. As an example, the NFIP policy requires you to file a proof-of-loss within 60 days of the flood event. In layman terms, you must have figured out your loss and arrived at a sum certain amount to put on a document called a “proof of loss” and have it submitted to the appropriate person handling your claim. Unless this time period (60 Days) is waived by an authorized official of FEMA/NFIP (as was the case with Superstorm Sandy) the claim may be denied in total for failure to comply with the policy terms and conditions. 


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Additional Living Expenses Explained for Tampa Flood Homeowners

Additional Living Expenses Explained for Tampa Flood Homeowners
If your home was severely damaged from the recent Tampa Bay flooding to the extent that it is uninhabitable to live in, your insurance policy may provide a coverage called “Additional Living Expense” or “A.L.E.” 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 may incur such as food and temporary lodging.
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Ten Insurance Claim Mistakes Tampa Bay Flood Victims Should Avoid

Ten Insurance Claim Mistakes Tampa Bay Flood Victims Should Avoid
The no name storm in Tampa has caused widespread water and flood damage in the St. Petersburg and Tampa area. Now that cleanup has begun, many residential and commercial policyholders will submit either a flood (if you have flood insurance) or water damage insurance claim. Make sure you understand the difference between the two before you file. The public adjusters at Tutwiler & Associates urge policyholders to take the proper steps to protect their claim and avoid settlement problems with the following 10 tips.
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Water Damage Insurance Claims – Do You Think You’re Fully Covered?

Water Damage Insurance Claims – Do You Think You’re Fully Covered?
Water losses are by far the most frequent claims reported to the insurance industry. I suspect water losses are also the most frequent perils that impact property owners. Since many are not reported however, we really have no accurate data to determine the full scope of damages that water causes notwithstanding the CLUE reports (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) that are filed for reported claims. Yes, both you and your claim data are being stored and indexed by big brother insurance. Who would have thought with all the privacy concerns that your prior property loss information is stored and shared! With flooding everywhere in the southeast and especially Florida and the Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg area due to a stagnant weather low system, it seems timely to cover a few of the issues policyholders are facing with water losses and their insurance claims.
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The Policyholder Strikes Back After Poor Winter Storm Insurance Claim Practices

The Policyholder Strikes Back After Poor Winter Storm Insurance Claim Practices

Last week, I was interviewed by Deirdre Fernandes  who covers the insurance industry for the Boston Globe. Her story   Pricey car insurance policies test consumers     discussed how more policyholders were likely to shop around for both home and auto insurance after the brutal winter left many homeowners disillusioned with their claim settlements and the coverage increases the insurance firms are trying to push through. What’s amazing is how few homeowners shop for the best rates. We handled many winter storm claims in and around Boston and I can tell you many of our clients are now shopping for new policies due to the push back and negative experience they had with insurers some had been paying premiums to for many years. In many cases, these insurers failed their moment of truth. Instead of trying to make their policyholders whole, their adjusters instead looked for technical loopholes to minimize the payouts. The policyholder will have the last say in the matter when they walk away and look for a new carrier.


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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