- DO NOT sign or agree to anything without consulting us first.
- Contact us if you receive anything from the insurance company that does not show us as receiving a copy.
- Please note that your insurance company has 90 days to pay or deny your claim. Do not make any assumptions as to how much your insurance company will pay or when they will pay.
- Payments are generally sent to our office, but occasionally will be mailed to you. In the event it is sent to you, please contact us so we can walk you through the process. Insurance company drafts are generally issued to the named insured on the policy, any mortgage holders and our company.
- Since we are paid on a contingent fee basis, i.e., we only get paid if you do, we will issue a payout report on each payment you receive. Our policy is to endorse your insurance check at the time we receive payment from you.
- If you have a mortgage on your home, the mortgage holder will be shown as a payee on your check, per the terms of your insurance policy. We have no control over this, nor can we get involved. It is your responsibility to contact your mortgage holder for its procedures for endorsing insurance payments. We will provide you with a copy of the estimate/award to give to your mortgage holder.
- In some cases, and depending on your policy, Mediation is filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services. Mediation is a process where a neutral third party meets with us and the insurance company representative to reach an agreement both parties can accept. Mediation is paid for by the insurance company and offers us the opportunity to explain what we believe you are entitled to under your insurance claim. It is our job to organize and represent you at the claims process proceedings. All named insured’s are required to attend.
- In other cases, we file a Demand for Appraisal with your insurance company. An appraisal is a process involving two appraisers, one for the insurer and one for the insured (your adjuster), who appraise the damages to your property. The two appraisers select a mutual and neutral umpire in case the two appraisers cannot agree on the amount of damage associated with the claim. The two appraisers schedule a date to inspect the property and each prepares an estimate for the sustained damages. If the two appraisers do not agree on the amount of loss, then the mutual umpire is brought in to decide the final amount of the loss. The umpire’s fees are equally shared by the insurer and the insured. Whatever decision is made in the appraisal, either by the two appraisers or the umpire and one appraiser, the settlement is final. This is binding and completes the claims process. You cannot take your claim to litigation after the appraisal process is completed in most cases.
- Generally, we are able to secure the settlement you deserve through Mediation or Appraisal. If not, we may recommend litigation and will recommend, and work with, an attorney who is highly skilled in insurance claim litigation.