More than 6 months after Hurricane Irma destroyed homes and businesses throughout the state, many Floridians continue the fight to have their insurance claims paid.

“We have received not a cent,” Peter Rosa, a resident of Turkey Creek in Alachua, recently told his local ABC affiliate.

Every room in Rosa’s home had to be gutted because of Irma’s flooding. He has paid out-of-pocket for repairs, hoping to be reimbursed by his homeowners and flood insurance carriers.

So far, that hasn’t happened and Rosa is now less than certain that he’ll ever see reimbursement.

“I would tell you right now that there’s other people who don’t have the money in the bank to do the work themselves and then get reimbursed so they’re probably living with the damage in the house.”

Bad Faith Insurance Tactics

Insurance companies are for-profit enterprises, and they’re facing massive losses thanks to an active Atlantic hurricane season that spawned 17 named storms, including catastrophic hurricanes like Irma, Harvey and Maria.

Unfortunately, some insurers may engage in bad faith tactics to limit their losses, such as:

• Refusing to investigate claims in a thorough and timely manner.
• Engaging in stall tactics or subjecting policy holders to unreasonable payment delays.

• Refusing to pay the full value of a claim.
• Denying legitimate claims.
• Relying an unreasonable interpretation of policy language.

Insurers May Be Using Settlement Checks to Limit Hurricane Irma Payout

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, some Florida insurers appear to be employing yet another means to limit payouts to their policyholders.

In January, the Sun-Sentinel reported that the settlement checks being issued by some companies – including Universal P&C, the state’s largest property insurer – included language stating that acceptance on the part of the policyholder released the company from any further obligations connected to the claim.

Consumer advocates are worried that this could keep many property owners from seeking payment for additional costs that come up during repairs – a fairly common occurrence.

Many legal experts believe this language is unenforceable, as Florida law stipulates that insurance companies, after paying “actual cash value” for an insured loss minus any applicable deductible, “shall pay any remaining amounts necessary to perform such repairs as work is performed and expenses are incurred.”

Are You Having Problems with Your Hurricane Irma Insurance Claim? Contact the Florida-Based Attorneys at Gilman Law LLP Today, and Get the Legal Help You Need.

The attorneys at Gilman Law LLP, many of whom have lived and worked in Florida for decades, have extensive experience assisting policyholders with hurricane damage, including claims for:

• Storm surge
• Wind damage
• Water penetration
• Roof damage
• Mold remediation
• Business interruption

If your business, home or condo was damaged in Hurricane Irma, and you believe your insurance company is acting in bad faith by unjustly denying, delaying or low-balling your claim, our attorneys can help.

For a free, no-obligation review of your case, please fill out our free consultation form or call us direct to speak with one of our attorneys at (888) 252-0048.