While the phones at state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation — the insurer of last resort for thousands of Florida property owners who cannot otherwise secure the necessary coverage on the private market — will undoubtedly be ringing off the hook in the coming weeks due to the fallout from Hurricane Matthew, officials want the call volume to be even higher.
Now that Hurricane Matthew has all but exited Florida, continuing to make its way up the Atlantic Coast, people are slowly starting to come out from shelters or return home, eager to assess the fallout from the strongest storm to hit the state in roughly ten years.
While most people view their state’s department of insurance as the government agency tasked with everything from licensing and regulating insurers to addressing complaints and controlling rates, it’s important to understand that they also exist to educate consumers about this sometimes arcane topic, enabling them to make informed decisions about their policy coverage.
A few weeks back, our blog began discussing how the Florida Legislature took definitive action in the aftermath of 2005’s devastating hurricane season to strengthen the position of homeowners in their dealings with insurance companies by passing legislation creating the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights.
Back in May, our blog discussed how officials here in Florida had commissioned a $125,000 study to examine the economic impact, if any, of repealing the state’s embattled Personal Injury Protection System, a move that came about after efforts by lawmakers to reform the state’s no-fault insurance system and, by extension, curb rising auto insurance premiums, failed to produce the desired results.
As property owners across northern Florida continue to pick up the pieces and assess the damage wrought by Hurricane Hermine, the storm that slammed into the Panhandle a little over a week ago, questions have naturally arisen as to the size of the hit the insurance industry will take and its ability to absorb it.
People across Florida have been paying extra attention to the weather forecast over the last few days given that the state seems to be surrounded by wholly unstable conditions.
If the unimaginable happens — your car is totaled in an accident, your apartment catches fire, your home is damaged in a tropical storm — you will understandably experience a host of emotions, including shock, anxiety, acceptance and ultimately peace of mind.
When a person follows up the important decision to rent an apartment, condominium or home with an appointment with an insurance agent to discuss procuring renters insurance, they are to be commended for both their foresight and their vigilance.
In just a few weeks, parents across the state of Florida will find themselves hit by a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as they drop their children off for the start of their freshman year of college. Indeed, they might feel everything from great pride for their child’s achievement and sadness at them leaving home to anxiety about the future and excitement about finally having an empty nest.
