There were a number of articles over the course of the last few weeks that focused my attention back to the water peril. Spring storms in the middle section of the country with the severe floods that always seem to follow; global warming issues being reported almost daily with the threat of rising sea levels;…
“Well, I’ll be damned!” These were the first words that came out of my mouth when I read an article reporting on a speech that Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater gave at a recent insurance conference attended by Florida property insurance executives. Then another “I’ll be damned” came out when I read an internet posting of efforts being made…
Anticipating the 100 year flood event that occurred in my native southern West Virginia was the last thing on my mind when I wrote and published my recent blog Troubled Waters – Insurance Claims Under Attack, about the “Troubled Water Claims” phenomena we are currently experiencing in Florida. But given the fact that Florida’s water problems and…
Non-weather related water loss insurance claims in Florida are on the rise. So says Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater who heads up the Florida Department of Financial Services. The problem is so great that his Florida Consumer Advocate, Ms. Sha’ Ron James called for a summit and invited all stakeholders to attend. Mr. Atwater is…
Here is a question we were happy to answer as part of the expert panel for United Policyholders. Q. My condo flooded from the unit above me caused by a leaking pipe. I have flood insurance and no homeowner insurance. Damage from water and mold is extensive. Do I need an attorney? I have been trying to…
An article in the 2015 autumn edition of the Marshall University Magazine (my alma mater) resonated with me in the context of insurance losses. In theory there should not be any winners or losers when it comes to paying for an insured policyholder’s claim. The insurance company is supposed to indemnify their insured or make…
Some of the news reports and photographs from South Carolina support the claims that this flooding event was indeed unprecedented and historic. The only thing close to this magnitude was the flooding in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The flooding from Katrina was in large part a result of the levies being beached.…
I read with a great deal of interest comments that were made by the big chiefs at a hearing held by the Office of Insurance Regulation in Tallahassee concerning the rate request Citizens Insurance Company was asking for in the South Florida market. In my view the back-and-forth discussion that took place on August 25…
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…
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…