The Chief Financial Officer for the State of Florida announced that insurance companies wrote checks totaling $631,000 at a recent Insurance Village event. Hosted by Gulf Coast State College, the Insurance Village brought together agents from 22 insurance companies so that people could inquire about their Hurricane Michael insurance claims. The CFO reported that agents met with 144 people.
Some of them had lost everything in the category 5 storm that hit the state last year. Many of them were looking for answers about why they had not yet been paid. The CEO of Universal Property and Casualty said that litigation had delayed the completion of many claims; although, other reasons accounted for delays.
One married couple who went to the Insurance Village were among those who got checks. Their insurer resolved their claim and approved payment of over $80,000. Despite their satisfaction with the amount, they had waited 10 months for the money and only received it after traveling to the event from their new home out of state.
Others at the event did not walk away with an insurance check. They had encountered problems with their original insurance adjusters and were hoping to apply pressure that would advance their claims.
When an insurer does not provide acceptable reasons for withholding hurricane damage claim payments, the policyholder could seek legal representation. An attorney could examine the insurance contract and provide the client with insights about their right to compensation. Additionally, legal counsel could explain to the insurer how the contract entitles the client to payment. If this does not motivate the insurer to pay, then the attorney could prepare a lawsuit.