Florida homeowners’ insurance law under the microscope

Sun Jul 21st, 2013 on     Homeowners Insurance,    

When individuals in Miami purchase a home, whether it is their first or one in a long string of ownership, a requirement of most closings is homeowners’ insurance. A homeowner will then consistently pay the monthly or yearly premium required under the policy.

Like most types of insurance, people — maybe reluctantly — keep up with the payment schedule in the hopes that they will never have to use it. When a homeowner does have to make a claim, the property damage itself is often not the only headache. Dealing with the insurance company is rarely an enjoyable experience. In fact, a group met this week to take a look at how Florida’s laws protect the insured. 

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater of Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate appointed a leader who would pull together individuals to make up a working group that would study and review how homeowner claims are actually being handled by insurers. 

The initiative was prompted by homeowner frustrations that were presented to the Insurance Consumer Advocate in forums held to discuss their claims process. Many of the complaints centered around claims that were mismanaged by insurers, which could cause significant delays or even lead to denial. 

On Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18, the group met to discuss not only the homeowner concerns, but also Florida law and whether amendments should be made in order to better protect the policy holder. 

For those who have had a claim delayed or denied, there is no time to wait for lawmakers. An insurance attorney can act as a strong and knowlegeable advocate for the insured. 

Source: The Tampa Tribune, “Florida to review handling of homeowners’ insurance claims,” July 10, 2013

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