Summarization of an article by Chip Merlin of the Merlin Law Group
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, lawyer and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that there will be insurance claims disputes. Flood insurance carriers will try to argue that the damage was caused by the hurricane winds and the wind insurance carriers will argue the reverse. He tried to explain how to tell the difference.
“Public Adjusters Are Trained To Adjust Both Claims At The Same Time”
Chip Merlin – Merlin Law Group
Policyholders with flood damage due to a hurricane should report the loss to both their wind and flood carriers. The claims are not mutually exclusive. Most hurricane related flood-damaged homes also have significant wind damage, so both carriers should be notified.
Since the flood adjusters and wind adjusters will independently try to assess the damages related specifically to their coverage, public adjusters can provide a valuable service in these situations. They are licensed by the state of Florida to handle both types of loss.
Ideally, both the flood and wind adjusters should inspect and evaluate the damages together, but that is not how it happens today. Policyholders should get help with their wind versus flood claims by seeking help from reputable public adjusters how have expertise and experience with these types of losses.
Here is a link to Chip’s full article.