Too Many Hurricane Irma Insurance Claims Remain Grossly Underpaid Or Not Paid At All
Too Many Hurricane Irma Insurance Claims Remain Grossly Underpaid Or Not Paid At All May 10, 2018 According to the Palm Beach Post, with Florida only one and a half months away from the next hurricane season, less than 57 percent of Hurricane Irma insurance claims have been closed with insurance payments, leaving many home and business owners at a loss, wondering if they will ever hear back on their insurance claims, and whether perhaps those claims will be denied due to the $8.6 billion backlog on them. In addition, industry officials recently acknowledged that they may have underpaid on tens of thousands of claims they declared closed after September. For example, Florida state-run Citizens Property Insurance just reopened more than 24,000 Hurricane Irma claims to review as more information has become available. Reactions to Threats of Litigation With so many Florida property owners feeling abandoned and on their own, insurance companies are now concerned about litigation. In particular, it is of concern that many claims are declared closed in the first place, only to be reopened once legal concerns are expressed. Shady Tactics This is arguably a profitable tactic used by the insurance companies, as many property owners simply give up once they hear that their claim is closed. As a result, many claims are grossly underpaid or not paid at all. In one case, for example, a public adjuster found more than $21,000 in damages, where Florida’s largest insurer—Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co.—had paid the property owner $500 and declared her claim closed. What many people get when they try to ask questions about decisions like these are terse letters and unreturned calls. According to the Office of Insurance Regulation, in Palm Beach County alone, while more than half of the 40,000 claims against insurers have been closed with payment, more than 15,000 have been closed without any payment, and 5,000 are still open. Common Excuses Used To Deny Hurricane Insurance Claims Reasons cited for denying claims include insurers indicating that something is not covered under a given policy (and instead requires a separate flood policy), that a claim does not meet hurricane deductibles, and that companies do not agree that the damage described in a claim was specifically covered by Hurricane Irma. For many property owners, the delays, underpaid claims, and denials cost them thousands of additional dollars in expenses as damage goes unfixed and unaddressed. Florida Hurricane Recovery Attorneys If your Florida property suffers from hurricane damage, the last thing that you want is your insurance claim to be grossly underpaid or not paid at all. Work with our Tampa Bay and Fort Myers hurricane insurance attorneys today to ensure that you have what you need to move forward with your life, with security. Contact us at HD Law Partners today to schedule a consultation. Tags: Florida Hurricane Claim Attorney, Florida Hurricane Claim Attorneys, Hurricane Irma Posted in FEMA Insurance Payments, Homeowners Insurance, Hurricane Claims | No Comments » Connect with us Archives May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 January 2025 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 November 13 Categories Alimony Appellate Arbitration Auto Accidents Auto Insurance Business Corporate Business Insurance Law Child Custody Child Support Criminal Law Divorce Family Law FEMA Insurance Payments Florida’s Mandatory 2‑Hour Legal Professionalism CLE: Foreclosure Defense Fort Myers Hurricane Insurance Attorney General Guardianship HD Law Partners Service HOA/Property Management Homeowners Association Homeowners Insurance Hurricane Claims Hurricane Insurance Insurance Bad Faith Insurance Claims Insurance Defense Insurance Litigation Landlord Tenant Law Enforcement Liability Loan Modifications Mold Water Damage Parental Rights Paternity Personal Injury Premises Liability Law Prenuptial Agreements Private Security Property Distribution Property Owner Law Sarasota Insurance Litigation Attorney Slip Fall Tampa Business and Corporate Attorneys tampa family attorney Tampa Insurance Attorneys Timeshare Timesharing Uncategorized HD Law Partners is proud to be your trusted full-service law firm Quick Links Property & Casualty Business & Corporate Litigation Family Law Contact Us Careers Get In Touch 2002 North Lois Avenue Suite 510 Tampa, FL 33607 813-253-5333 Contact Us