TAMPA, Fla. — Catastrophic events create a claims surge, so it’s important to give your insurer time to respond before hiring your own adjuster, a contractor or even an attorney. Experts like Daryl Patrick, owner of the Tampa Bay Insurance Center, said homeowners with minor clams could be waiting weeks for an adjuster.
“They are going to go to the most devastated homes first,” he said. “They'll send somebody out, but you may not see someone for a week or two.”
Patrick advises doing what you can to minimize the damage and keeping all the receipts for any money you spent. He said to get estimates on what it will cost to fix the damage, and if the cost is less than your deductible, “don't file the claim.”
Industry experts said insurers should be able to cover Ian’s losses. There are over 7 million insurance policies in Florida and the state's largest carrier, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, holds over 1 million of them.
But what should you do if you run into a roadblock with your insurer?
Consumer attorney Charles Gallagher said most property insurance policies have a mediation or arbitration clause. “It would be a pre-suit mediation provision that's non-binding, where all parties come together with a mediator,” he said. “The other provisions are called appraisal, and it really is more like an arbitration.”
Neither the appraisal nor mediation requires you to hire an attorney. If you find yourself at odds with your insurer over a claim, you can also contact the state for mediation.
And if you’re worried about being canceled - don’t be. The state has barred companies from canceling or declining to renew policies until after November. And there will be no cancellations on damaged homes until 90 days after they've been repaired.
Jackie Callaway's interview with Daryl Patrick of Tampa Bay Insurance Center