Hurricane Irma – Did You Get Underpaid for Your Damage Claim? Here is What to Do

As of November 14, 2018, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reported that 522,493 residential insurance claims related to Hurricane Irma had been paid from the 838,109 residential claims that had been filed. Some of these claims may have been underpaid as insurance companies scrambled to settle as many claims as possible. However, many insured individuals are not aware that they can reopen a claim or challenge an underpayment. If you believe your claim was underpaid, follow these tips:

Read the Explanation for the Underpayment

Read over any communication the insurance company sent you about the underpayment. If you did not get a letter, request one. Look specifically at the damage it says you claimed. You may have experienced a variety of damages, such as:

• Roof damage
• Structural damage
• Flooding damage
• Personal property damage
• Alternate living expenses

Check over the claimed damages for anything that is missing. It is possible that part of your claim was overlooked. Look if the explanation states something inaccurate or is unclear or ambiguous. Ask your insurance company if you do not understand the reason for the underpayment.

Review Your Insurance Policy

Read over your insurance policy to determine what is and is not covered. Also, read over your duties. You might need to provide additional evidence to establish how much you are owed under the coverage. If you notice a discrepancy between your policy and the adjuster’s reasoning for your underpayment.

Review Your Claim

Review all of the information that you submitted with your claim, including receipts for expenses you incurred and damage estimates. Also, review that information regarding the date, time and other circumstances is correct. If information is incorrect, seek to correct it or supplement it.

Get Help from a Professional

If your insurance company refuses to budge, consider getting help from a professional. You may choose to use a public adjuster who can level the playing field. Remember that the insurance company’s interest is in minimizing financial payout, especially when there are so many claims based on the same storm, so a professional can advocate for your interests.

Supplement the Information

If the insurance company made its determination because it did not have enough information, supplement it. Send pictures that show the damage, receipts of items that should be covered, estimates for work that needs to be completed, and video of your property before and after Hurricane Irma and anything you have paid out of pocket while waiting for the insurance claim to be processed. Make sure that the insurance company has a complete picture of your damages and no reason to underpay it.

Request a Second Inspection

If you disagree with your insurance company’s assessment about the extent of your property damages, ask for a second inspection.

At Get Paid For Your Claim we handle insurance claims on behalf of our clients so they don’t have to. Our service is fast, to the point and gets results. We know what needs to be done in order to get the desired outcome. We know how to strategically move the process along, while negotiating on our clients’ behalf toward the best possible outcome, the maximum settlement available. The insurance company has their own team of experts and adjusters to advocate on their behalf and Public Adjusters work for those insurance policyholders who have been forced to use that insurance to make a claim.  Contact us today to learn more.