In an article published by The Washington Post, details of insurance fraud carried out by insurers have been revealed. The piece explains how certain insurers (Heritage and Florida Peninsula) are actively abusing policyholders by denying or underpaying valid Hurricane Ian claims.
The Summary
The article discusses very troubling details that prove that certain insurance carriers have been altering their field adjuster’s reports and estimates to avoid paying what is due to the policyholder. Unfortunately, things have not gotten much better. State data shows around 708,000 Hurricane Ian claims with about 34% having been denied or underpaid. By the numbers from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, more than 33,000 Florida homeowner claims linked to Ian are still open without a single payment having been made, while more than 125,000 were closed without payment. Nearly 56,000 claims were open with payment and 183,235 were closed with payment.
Reaction From A Licensed Public Adjuster
As a Florida native and having seen the extent of damages for myself while working the claims, Hurricane Ian absolutely devastated areas of the state and catastrophically damaged homes and commercial buildings. To cover the damages, property owners submitted claims to their insurance companies.
I have a number of claims with one of the insurance companies listed in the article, and the practices that the Washington Post describes line up with the response I have been getting – delay, delay, delay.
Are You One Of These Property Owners? Here’s What You Can Do
While the news of these practices is disheartening, I know that I and my fellow Public Adjusters will continue to work in favor of the policyholder. Organizations like the American Policyholder Association (APA) and the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA) are also fighting the good fight on a daily basis.
If you are one of the thousands of homeowners who still cannot get a response or payment from your insurance company, please reach out for assistance and get the representation that you need. Whether it is with me or another Public Adjuster, or even an attorney, I strongly recommend that you reach out to a licensed professional to help you get what you are entitled to.