Why Does My Insurance Company Want An Appraisal?
You might hear the word appraisal and think of the appraisal you have done when you purchase a house. However, in the context of property insurance, appraisal means something very different. Most property policies provide for appraisal, a voluntary dispute resolution procedure used by insurance companies to avoid the court system. Appraisal is typically invoked by the insurance company when they have underpaid the claim.
Selling Your Home With An Open Insurance Claim
Selling your home during the pendency of an open homeowner’s insurance claim can raise a lot of legal questions. Whether you intend to retain the right to receive insurance benefits under the policy or assign them to the new buyer, it’s important that you document the damages and make necessary disclosures to protect your legal and financial interests. Here are some pointers on what to document when selling our home with an open insurance claim to ensure you recover what you are owed.
Hurricane Irma Claim Closed, Can I Still Make a Claim For Newly Discovered Damage?
In 2017 homeowners across the state of Florida made claims with their insurance companies for damage to their roofs following Hurricane Irma’s devastating hit to the peninsula. Some of those claims were wrongfully denied or grossly underpaid. However, on many of these claims the insurance companies extended coverage for the roof replacement, paid for the roof replacement and closed the claim. Now many homeowners are just noticing damage to other parts of the home that was caused by Hurricane Irma. For example the framing on the screened enclosure/Lanai was compromised or the windows of the home were compromised during Irma and are just now showing symptoms of that damage. If you are in this same boat and wondering “can I file a supplemental claim for damage that occurred from a hurricane that hit over two years ago and the insurance company already paid and closed the claim?” I have some good news for you: the answer is probably YES as long as you didn’t sign a release of all claims in exchange for payment on the initial claim.
Why Make a Federal Case Out of It?
Imagine this scenario: you live in and own a house in Florida, and it is badly damaged by a storm. You file an insurance claim with your insurance company, which is headquartered outside of Florida, and your insurance company denies your claim. You disagree with the insurance company’s assessment of the claim, and you hire a lawyer to represent you in a lawsuit against your insurer. Your lawyer starts a lawsuit against your insurance company in state court, in the county where your house is located. Everything appears to be going smoothly, and then suddenly your attorney informs you that your insurance company has removed your case from state court into a federal court. How did your state court case suddenly become a federal case? How can an insurance company remove your case to a completely different court—with completely different procedures—all by itself? This article examines these questions.
How the Coronavirus Can Affect Your Insurance Claim
As the Coronavirus continues to spread throughout the globe, many industries will experience closures and slowdowns, as well as implement various protocols limiting their productivity. For instance, the Florida court system has already issued an administrative order limiting court appearances that would require the gathering of a substantial number of people in an effort to curtail further spreading of the virus. The extent of such protocols being put in place during the near-term future remains unclear, but it is safe to assume, the business interruptions we have seen thus far are only the beginning until a vaccine is developed, or the virus runs its natural course.
Why Policy Endorsements Matter
Many times when you’re purchasing or renewing your homeowner’s insurance policy, you’re presented with a number of options that are advertised as ways to save you money or allow you to purchase special coverage that you otherwise wouldn’t have. There are an endless number of possibilities but a few common examples are allowing your insurance company to select a preferred vendor to do the repairs in the case of a loss, limitation on how much your insurance company will pay for mold, or a limitation on how much you can be reimbursed for damage to a pool cage.
The Difference Between Arbitration and Mediation
Now more than ever, the overloaded Court systems throughout America are relying on alternative dispute resolution to resolve insurance claims. There are two primary forums for alternative dispute resolution in insurance claims: Arbitration and Mediation.
Have you been injured at a theme park?
When visiting central Florida, it is hard to resist spending even a little time in one of our flagship attractions such as Disney, Universal Studios or even Fun Spot. Unfortunately, unfamiliarity with the park grounds, summer rains, construction and just bad luck can lead to visitors injuring themselves. These injuries are usually the result of slip, trip and falls. How do you know if your injury is the result of negligence on the part of the park?
What is the difference between Nonrenewal vs. Cancellation
An insurer issuing a policy providing coverage for property shall give the first-named insured written notice of cancellation or termination other than nonrenewal at least 45 days prior to the effective date of the cancellation or termination, including in the written notice the reason or reasons for the cancellation or termination.
What To Do When An Insurance Company Becomes Insolvent
When an insurance company becomes financially insolvent, policyholders understandably will have a lot of questions. Whether you are still insured for future insurance claims and what will happen to your open claims certainly jumps to mind.