Then you get a public adjuster and you will see how they pay out, trust me i know. I have seen them pay out $25000 + in cases like Speedy. Lets face it no insurance company is gonna pay what you need to get paid, they pay out what they can get away with. If anyone is looking for a public adjuster to work their claim give them a call....www.claimserve.com

 

Canchero is the man. Hit him up.

 

so i've got citizens (no-one else would insure this close to the ocean) and my garage got dented. Should I claim, or bite the bullet and replace the two car garage door myself?

 

that's completely and totally untrue.

A Proof of loss is a form used by some insurance carriers that request you fill out the form as a "proof of loss", as the form describes.

If your insurance policy doesn't cover the loss and the adjuster denies it, you can sue all you want...........but you'll lose. AND, the carrier will go after you for its court costs.

1) If you don't have flood insurance, and you get flooded, don't bother suing your homeowners carrier. They don't cover flood, never have, and never will. See all the caselaw regarding Katrina. All the lawsuits against homeowners policies are losing.

2) If you have a big thunderstorm that is not related to a "hurricane", and you get leaks in your ceiling, it's not covered, because it's likely a wear and tear item.

In the state of Florida, the only time water damage is covered is if you "pay" to get the water in your home...i.e. plumbing, a/c, stuff like that, OR, it's a storm-related opening from a named storm such as a hurricane. If it's a storm related opening, that's when your hurricane deductible applies.

An adjuster is not going to deny coverage on something the policy clearly covers. So, it pays to be familiar with your policy, rather than jump the gun and hire a lawyer only to lose thousands of dollars in costs.

Not to mention that lawyers take, bare minimum, 33%. If it goes to suit, they take 40%. That's a big, BIG chunk guys.

<-----------------insurance adjuster.


Willie- I'd call them and file the claim. It can't hurt to see if it's covered or not. They'll explain to you why it isn't covered if they deny it.

 

There again, more untruths.

Public adjusters are considered the "personal injury lawyers" of the claims adjusting community.

By law, an insurance company is required to put you where you were before the loss occurred, based on the POLICY. That's law.

Just because in some cases you think you didn't get enough doesn't mean they were wrong. This is when it is YOUR responsibility to make sure you have proper coverage!

Say for example, you have your homeowners policy, but you didn't get replacement cost coverage. That 5 year old 60" tv you have? It's gonna get depreciated. They'll pay you actual cash value. So, say you paid $3k for that tv 5 years ago....depending on the tables, you might get $1500 or less for it. But whose fault is it? Not the insurance carrier.....you didn't carry replacement cost coverage. VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR COVERAGES ARE!

This is why it is also VERY IMPORTANT to have an agent that knows WTF they're talking about! It's not uncommon AT ALL to have an agent who will say something is covered, when in fact it is not. That's not the responsibility of the carrier. That responsibility lies with your agent. He has what is called Errors and Omissions coverage for that sort of thing. And you can claim against that if he tells you something is covered when in fact the policy does not cover it!

 

Citizens is actually doing very well. The problem is, they have so many policies now they have been selling them to "take out" carriers, who in turn take control of the policies, aka the risk.

If a catastrophic event occurred, Citizens would still be able to pay everything they owe.

It's getting better now though, since it's been 4 years, the major carriers are coming back into the market more competitively. It's all cyclical.

The thing about citizens is, if people could have gotten insurance elsewhere, they would have. Citizens is considered a "last resort", which means if you can't get coverage ANYWHERE else, you have to get citizens.






If you guys have general insurance questions, I'll answer what I can, but there again, some things are best left to your knowledgeable insurance company.

Keep this in mind: Agents are not adjusters and are generally NOT intimate with policy details. Agents are out to make money by selling policies, so it's not uncommon for lies to be told to sell that certain policy. If you get a policy, read it! If you don't understand the wording, call your insurance carrier and ask what certain things mean. They'll probably direct you to an adjuster who can more clearly explain questions you have on coverages.

FWIW: Here are the Florida Statutes regarding insurance: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index....VII#TitleXXXVII

 

If I elect not to have the replacement cost coverage how do they determine the items value after the loss? Normally how much more is replacement cost coverage? Also, if I choose Replacment cost cov. how do they determine the value? Do I have to itemize everything with proof of paid price? Thanks

 

sorry for the rants.

As an adjuster, I hear so many mistruths and incorrect facts.

And any politician who says they're taking on insurance companies that deny claims, is a sneaky weasel who is doing it for publicity and in fact doesn't get any results but who sees the results? the media always shows the initial report "so and so takes on big insurance!"

 

[QUOTE=jimreaper,Aug 25 2008, 03:02 PM] If I elect not to have the replacement cost coverage how do they determine the items value after the loss?

 

So your saying that "Florida Department of Financial Services" is wrong? Have you done your continued studying?

Obviously, If you have Insurance on it and have applied coverage they will cover it, if not your pretty much screwed. I mean you gotta be retarded to file a claim on something thats not covered, i mean come on thats Common sense.