 When your property is damaged, you believe you are protected and covered by your insurance policy. All you want is to restore your property as it was before and do it as quickly as possible.
Through the years, we have witnessed insurance companies implementing changes and limiting or excluding not only needed coverages, but also your options when it comes to resolving a claim dispute. Importance Of Documenting Damage A Public Adjuster plays an important role in your property damage claim. They represent and advocate for you as the policyholder, just like an independent or company adjuster represents the insurance company.An experienced public adjuster will work to properly assess and document your property damage, take detailed photographs, and prepare a detailed cost estimate to repair or replace the damaged property. They will attend all inspections and prepare the necessary forms for submission on your behalf. Claim Dispute Resolution Options Often when the insurance company issues an “undisputed claim payment”, there may still be unresolved damages not accounted for by the insurance company, or they simply refuse to properly settle your claim. Appraisal Throughout the years, there have been many changes to coverages, but also to your options when there is a claim dispute. The appraisal process has always been a professional means to resolve claim disputes and either party could demand appraisal. A policyholder would appoint their appraiser, the carrier would appoint their appraiser, and both appraisers would agree on a mutual umpire and the process would move forward. Once resolved, the signed appraisal award would be a binding settlement. Insurance companies have changed the appraisal language in their policies and many now must agree to participate in the appraisal process. Some carriers are including specific language which limits the process, making it almost impossible for the policyholder to comply. Mediation Mediation can also be a means of resolving a disputed claim, but it is not binding unless an agreement can be reached and settled between both parties. For this reason and because of the changes to the appraisal language, it seems as though the insurance companies are leaving the policyholder no choice but to litigate. Litigation Or Repair Your Property Before legislative changes were made to remove one way attorney’s fees, litigation was an option for policyholders if their claim could not be resolved, and the insurance company would be responsible to pay the policyholder’s attorney’s fees during a claim dispute. This became a costly expense for insurance companies. Now it is the responsibility of policyholders who must now incur their own litigation costs. Coming out of pocket for litigation costs is a costly option for any policyholder, especially when you need to repair your property. Depending on the unresolved amount of your claim, and the costs it would take to litigate your claim, it may not make sense to litigate but just to repair your property. Our skilled professionals have outstanding customer service and treat every client’s claim as if it were our own. We are by your side every step of the way. You don’t need to navigate the claim process alone. Reliant is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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 Whether you own a commercial or residential property in West Palm Beach, Florida, you will need to have insurance to cover your property in the you sustain property damage.
Understanding your policy and the coverage it provides is critical when it comes to filing a property damage insurance claim. What is Depreciation? Although your policy may provide for replacement cost coverage (RCV) when you have property damage, your insurance company can deduct depreciation before they apply a deductible when issuing payment for the claim. This is considered an Actual Cash Value (ACV) payment. Depreciation is usually based on the age of the damaged items and their expected life span. Items like drywall, paint, and cabinets for example. When the depreciation is withheld from the claim payment, the insurance company will provide instructions on how to recover that amount. Recoverable Depreciation In most cases, the depreciation will need to be incurred for the insurance company to release the withheld amount. Insurance companies vary when it comes to what they request for proof of repairs to release the withheld amount. Some may only require that the repairs be completed and that you provide photos showing proof that repairs were done. More often than not, you will probably be required to provide more extensive documentation that not only shows proof that the repairs were completed, but also proof that the repairs were completed for the amount the insurance company estimated, before the deduction of the depreciation and applied deductible. Non-Recoverable Depreciation Some policies are issued with non-recoverable depreciation which means that the depreciation that is deducted cannot be recovered or released. We have seen property owners choose to have this kind of policy to help lower their insurance premiums. This sometimes comes in the way of ACV coverage for their personal property. As I wrote in a prior blog, there can also be endorsements or limits within the policy that would place ACV coverage on the building, such as a roof deprecation schedule, that limits the recovery based on the age of the roof. If you have a new, underpaid or denied insurance claim, we provide free claim reviews and may be able to help. Contact us today.  You may need professional help with your insurance claim for many reasons. The three most common reasons are claim delay, underpayment of a claim, or no response from the insurance company.
Additionally, property damage claims can be difficult for a policyholder to navigate. There are different policy coverages, limitations, and sometimes exclusions within the policy you may be unaware of. In some commercial insurance policies, there may be a separate deductible for each coverage limit. There are also instances when the deductible is higher than the damage, and it may not be beneficial to file a claim. Claim Delays The insurance company has sixty (60) days from the date they receive your claim to provide you with a coverage decision and either pay or deny the claim. There are circumstances when further investigation of a claim is requested by the insurance company. When the claim is filed but the source of the damage is unknown, they can request an additional inspection by their expert to determine the cause of the loss. This does not mean that you will be covered for the damage. If you do not know whether you are covered or what has caused the damage, you should hire an experienced and licensed public adjuster to see if you have a covered claim. Underpayment Of Insurance Claim We receive many calls from policyholders, largely in part because they have not received enough money for their damage and cannot repair the property. This can happen after a catastrophic event when insurance company resources are limited, and claim payments are being made without further investigation. Also, there may be additional coverages, such as Personal Property or Additional Living Expenses that have not been addressed. Lack of Communication Per Florida Statute 627.70131, an insurance company is required to respond to your claim inquiry within seven (7) days. This includes emails, phone calls, and/or letters. If you have not received any communication from your insurance company, you have the right to file a complaint with the Department of Financial Services at the below link: https://apps.fldfs.com/ESERVICE/Default.aspx If you are unsure if your damage is a covered claim, or what the cause of damage is, you should hire a licensed public adjuster. An experienced and knowledgeable public adjuster will have the resources and tools to determine if you have a covered claim. If you have any questions about coverage or a new or underpaid claim, Reliant Insurance Adjusters have the knowledge and experience you need. Call us at (561) 288-6434 or contact us here.  I had an interesting communication with a friend the other day when she received her insurance policy renewal packet … specifically the endorsements page list.
A residential insurance policy should include the policy jacket, declarations page, checklist of coverage and forms and endorsements to the policy. The endorsements are critical, and there are some who do not realize that these endorsements change the coverage that is listed within the body of the insurance policy. It is important to understand them and know what is covered, limited and excluded. After reviewing her listed endorsements, some of which were standard, I noticed she had a roof coverage endorsement and a matching endorsement. Roof Coverage Endorsement The roof coverage endorsement limits coverage for their roof based on the condition of their roof at the time of the loss and whether a hurricane or named stormed damages the roof. Due to the exclusions within the endorsement, there is very little roof coverage and leaves it wide open for the insurance company to exclude the roof and not provide coverage. Roof Depreciation Schedule Depending on the insurance company, there may be a Roof Depreciation Schedule that lists the type of roof, age of roof, and the amount of depreciation that will be deducted due to these factors. The depreciation is not recoverable. If you sustain roof damage and your roof needs replacement, the insurance company will arrive at a replacement cost figure for the roof replacement. They will then deduct the depreciation based upon the roof type and age, then deduct your deductible. For example, if your roof is 23 years old, there will not be much coverage if it were damaged, and you would be out of pocket for a large sum of money to replace the roof. Matching Endorsement The matching endorsement is a relatively new endorsement included in insurance policies within the last few years. More and more insurance companies are utilizing it in their policies. What this means if you have this endorsement … Let’s say you file an insurance claim for property damage from a plumbing leak and it damages the floor in your living room. The floor is not repairable and needs to be replaced. This same flooring runs continuously from room to room throughout your property, but those other rooms are not affected by the loss and were not damaged by the loss. This endorsement will limit the payment to 1% in the undamaged rooms of your property. Request Your Policy You should always have a full and complete copy of your insurance policy. Never discard it. If you are insured with the same insurance company for a few years, you will more than likely only receive a renewal packet before the policy term expires, not the full policy. I cannot say this enough … do not discard your original policy because the renewal is only a few pages in comparison to the full policy and does not contain all the policy language, forms and endorsements. Our team at Reliant has the knowledge and experience to understand insurance policies. If you have a new, underpaid, or denied insurance claim, we can help. Contact us today and let us do the hard work for you.  Whether you own a commercial or residential property in Naples, Florida, or anywhere in the state, you should have a complete copy of your insurance policy.
Understanding coverage is critical when it comes to filing a property damage insurance claim. I cannot tell you how many times we request a copy of the policy from a client, and they only send the declarations page. Why You Need The Full Policy Although the declarations page of an insurance policy will sometimes list forms and endorsements that are within the policy, it does not provide the full language written within your policy explaining the coverages, exclusions, and the wording in those specific forms and endorsements. What many do not realize is that the forms and endorsements can change your coverage. So, the policy language may read one way in the body of the policy, but the forms and endorsements change the actual coverage and supersede the policy's language. Understanding Your Policy & Coverage We just met with a gentleman who had water damage to multiple rooms of his home, which was the result of his roof leaking. Upon review of his policy, there was specific language in his policy that was a condition for coverage. He was convinced that no matter what, his claim should be covered and felt the insurance company was obligated to pay his claim after all the years he paid insurance premiums. In the land of make-believe, it would make sense, and coverage would be afforded just because he paid his premiums. However, in the real world, that’s not how insurance coverage works. Having inspected his roof, I could clearly see where coverage would be afforded, and I explained how and why the insurance company should cover the claim. Request Your Policy You should always have a complete copy of your insurance policy. If you are insured with the same insurance company, you will receive a renewal before the policy term expires. Never discard the original policy because the renewal is only a few pages in comparison to the full policy. Our team has the knowledge and experience to understand complicated insurance policies. If you have a new, underpaid, or denied insurance claim, we can help. Contact us today.  Representing policyholders with property damage claims can sometimes get complicated, depending on the type of claim, the extent of the damages, or if there have been prior claims.
The detail that goes into preparing and submitting a proper claim to the insurance company is key. The insurance company may have a different opinion about the cost of repairs or whether something can be repaired or needs to be replaced. A damage estimate should never be inflated for any reason and only include items that are related to the insurance claim. As Public Adjusters, we ask many questions about how the damage occurred and inspect the damages being presented. We document the damages and prepare a detailed line-item cost estimate of the damages with photographic support. Proper Documentation Obtaining information, especially if there are overlapping damages from a different claim is important. Aside from that, documenting items that are not damaged can get tricky. Are the “non” damaged areas continuous and in the same line of sight as the actual damaged areas? Were those parts of the building covered in the prior claim? Are there policy coverage limits that would limit the amount of coverage to the “matching” areas? Having a complete copy of the policy in effect at the time of loss will provide coverages, limits, and exclusions. Explaining this to our clients helps set proper claim coverage expectations. Estimating Software We utilize estimating software compatible with industry standards that allow us to create an itemized damage estimate. We include supporting photographic evidence and when needed, use our thermal imaging camera for further support to provide evidence of water damage. Tools & Equipment Having a good arsenal of tools and the proper equipment to assist us in documenting your claim is integral. From our drone, cameras, thermal imaging cameras, Matterport camera, laser and tape measures, levels, measuring wheels, see scope, and ladders, we are equipped. Contact us today if you have any questions or if you need help with a new, underpaid, or denied insurance claim. At Reliant Insurance Adjusters our team has the knowledge and experience to handle all types of insurance claims.  Hurricanes Helene and Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida in recent months causing both flood and wind damage, and properties in the direct path of these hurricanes took the brunt of the impact upon landfall.
Having inspected multiple commercial and residential properties that sustained damage, separating the flood and wind damage was imperative to properly determine the amount of damage from each and through which policy to claim the damage. Because some clients quickly began mitigation, and mitigation was underway, we did not see the initial damage. Thankfully, they had photos and videos from each flood, which documented how high the waters were for each storm. Our residential client sustained both flood and wind damage. We had to separate the damages and prepare two different building damage estimates and two separate personal property inventories for each claim. On one of the commercial residential buildings, the primary damage was from flooding. Although they did have some wind damage to the roof and some balconies, their hurricane deductible was so high, that the wind damage would not exceed their deductible. Therefore, it did not make sense for them to file a hurricane claim. In another case where a building sustained structural damage to main supports from flooding, experts and engineers were needed to help determine not only the safety of the building but a detailed plan to repair the structural damage. On this claim, they also sustained wind damage to some of the common areas, as well as damage to the residential apartments. Again, separate estimates for both flood and wind needed to be completed. If you have any questions about your coverage, or you are not sure which claim to file, please contact us today for a free consultation. We have the knowledge and experience to know what types of damage should be filed under flood insurance and hurricane insurance policies. Whether you have a new or underpaid property damage insurance claim, see how we can help you. Call us at (561) 288-6434 or contact us here.  With back-to-back Hurricanes that hit the west coast of Florida within two weeks, it can be difficult to document which storm created damage to your property. Some damages could be overlapping but became worse from the second storm.
This is why it’s important to document damage right away. Both storms had flooding and hurricane-force winds. Your insurance policy is a contract with specific language that requires you to mitigate to prevent further damage to your property. Oftentimes, and out of a sense of urgency, property owners start to clean up and remove damaged evidence before the insurance company has an opportunity to inspect the damage. Tips To Document Hurricane Damage When your property gets damaged and you need to file an insurance claim, you should always have proof of the damage before any cleanup/removal begins. Below are some quick tips to help guide you:
If you cannot prove the property was damaged before it was discarded, you may not be paid for it. Mitigating Damages To Protect Your Property Documenting the damage properly is important to your recovery when you file an insurance claim. As I mentioned above, this is a requirement in your insurance policy and includes mitigation/cleanup. There are multiple reasons to mitigate, some can be tree removal from the building or tarping a damaged roof to minimize water intrusion. Other forms would be to remove residual water from rising flood waters or a broken pipe. Either way, documenting the damages before mitigation/cleanup is key to proving the damage. If you need any help with your insurance claim, whether it’s a new or underpaid claim, we have the knowledge, experience, and professionalism to get you everything you are entitled to. Call us at (561) 288-6434 or contact us here.  I have spoken several times that not all damage is a covered loss when you have property damage. Oftentimes, when you notice damage to your property, your instinct is to immediately call your insurance company and report a claim.
We receive calls from property owners saying they got denied on their claim and need help. To determine if the claim was properly denied, we need to dive into what is going on and ask a lot of questions. What’s The Cause of the Damage It is always best practice to read and understand your insurance policy to know what is and isn’t covered, then assess what’s causing the damage. If you do not know where the damage is coming from, it’s important to contact an expert and seek help. For example, a roof leak causing water damage to the interior of your property may not be covered in your insurance policy. Water damage going on for some time can be considered long-term and may not be covered. Then the question is asked, will the claim remain on their record? Claim Denial on Claim Record If your insurance claim is denied, it may not affect your claims history or record in the same way that a paid claim might. However, the fact that you filed a claim may still be recorded in the insurance company's internal systems or shared with other insurers through industry databases. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:
Insurance Report If you're unsure of your claim history, you can request a copy of your insurance report from databases like CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) and review its information for accuracy and to see what may be shared with other insurers. The database collects and reports personal property and auto claims. In the event you need help with a new, underpaid or denied insurance claim, Reliant Insurance Adjusters is here for you. Our team has the knowledge and experience to handle all types of insurance claims and we are here to protect our clients’ best interests. Contact us today if you have any questions or need any guidance with your insurance policy.  What is the difference between Additional Living Expenses, more commonly referred to in our industry as ALE, and Fair Rental Value in an insurance policy?
With the recent Tornado damage in Wellington Florida and the trail of destruction left behind, many property owners have lost use of their homes and will need temporary living arrangements. Additional Living Expenses (ALE) ALE in a homeowner's insurance policy is coverage that helps pay for extra expenses a homeowner may incur if their home is uninhabitable due to a covered loss. The loss can be from catastrophic damage as discussed above, or a fire or water damage event. This coverage helps maintain your standard of living while your home is being repaired or rebuilt. Examples of Covered ALE Expenses
ALE coverage usually applies until your home is repaired and livable again. The coverage amount and duration are defined in your policy. Fair Rental Value Fair Rental Value in a homeowner's insurance policy refers to coverage that compensates a homeowner for lost rental income if a part of their home, which was rented to others, becomes uninhabitable due to a covered loss. This coverage typically helps replace the income the homeowner would have received if the tenant could still occupy the rental space, even while repairs are being made. It does not cover utilities or other expenses that the tenant would have paid. The amount and duration of coverage are typically capped by the terms of the policy. In the event you need help with an insurance claim, Reliant Insurance Adjusters is here for you. Our team has the knowledge and experience to handle all types of insurance claims and we are here to protect our clients’ best interests. Contact us today if you have any questions or need any guidance with your insurance policy or insurance claim. |
