The Florida insurance industry sees tens of thousands of homeowners insurance claims each year. Hurricanes, windstorms, tropical storms, and more can cause massive amounts of damage all over Florida.
Some of the ways insurance companies act fraudulently are by grossly underpaying or wrongfully denying valid insurance claims in order to save money.
Why Would American Integrity Insurance of Florida Deny Your Claim?
American Integrity Insurance Company is responsible for many different types of insurance policies, including windstorms, tropical storms, fires, and hurricanes such as Hurricane Milton. There is a possibility, however, that your claim may be denied when you file it.
A Newsweek report, citing data from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR), revealed that home insurers in Florida have denied tens of thousands of claims for damages from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. As of October 25, 19,068 out of 57,415 residential claims related to Hurricane Helene were closed without payment. Similarly, as of October 28, 27,834 out of 202,989 claims for Hurricane Milton damages were also closed without payment. In both cases, denied claims exceeded those closed with payment.
Reasons that American Integrity Insurance may deny your claim include the following:
- You may not have reached your deductible.
- You may be behind on your premium.
- Your damage may not be included under your policy coverage.
- You may not have provided adequate proof of damage.
- Your damage may be under the exclusions portion of your insurance policy.
- You may have an open dispute with your insurance company over fault or liability.
- Your paperwork was late or incomplete.
Florida law states that it is illegal for an insurance company to deny or underpay your insurance claim without a valid reason. Failure to give valid reasoning leaves insurance companies open to disputes, lawsuits, and other legal action.
How Hurricane Milton Affected Florida Insurance Companies
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph, storm surges of up to 13 feet, and over 18 inches of rain. Originally a Category 5 storm, Milton weakened to Category 3 before reaching the Siesta Key area and further diminished to Category 1 as it crossed the state. This powerful storm caused at least 24 fatalities and left 3.4 million residents without power.
Arriving just two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 storm on September 26, Milton worsened the devastation for Floridians in the early recovery stages. Many wind and water damage claims came pouring in for insurance companies all over Florida. Damage caused by Milton impacted both residential and business properties.
American Integrity Insurance Company of Florida has already issued millions in claims payments for damages from Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. When insurance companies such as American Integrity Insurance are overwhelmed by insurance claims, they can begin acting in bad faith.
If you believe your insurance company is acting in bad faith by underpaying or denying your Hurricane Milton claim, contact the law firm of Florin|Roebig today for a free consultation.
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Understanding Your Rights as a Florida Home or Property Owner
Florida homeowners are protected from fraudulent and unscrupulous insurance companies by a series of laws called the Homeowner’s Bill of Rights.
These laws outline a homeowner’s rights, such as the assignment of benefits to another insurance company, such as Allstate, if the homeowner is unhappy with their current company.
Another option is filing a complaint with The Florida Division of Consumer Services, a branch of the larger Florida Department of Financial Services. They are responsible for overseeing complaints against the insurance industry.
What to Do if Your American Integrity Insurance of Florida Hurricane Milton Damage Claim Is Denied
If you have filed a Hurricane Milton damage claim with American Integrity Insurance and it has been denied, you may be frustrated and overwhelmed.
Your insurance company will send you an official letter of denial, and in it, they must state a valid reason for denying your claim.
If they fail to provide valid reasons for the rejection, there are steps you can take to get your wrongfully denied claim reversed.
1. Ask for an Insurance Claim Review
The first thing you need to do is contact your insurance representative and ask to file a claim review. Your insurance case may be passed on to another insurance agent who may ask you to provide more evidence of the roof damage or other damage caused by Hurricane Milton.
If your insurance claim is time-sensitive, your insurance company is required by law to speed up the review process.
2. Request an External Review with HHS
The next step, should your insurance company fail to reverse their decision, is to contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to request an external review.
To do this, call their offices at (800) 866-6205, and they will send you a form that you need to complete quickly.
Policyholders should be aware that there is a time frame for when this request for an external review should be returned by. You have 60 days from the date on the letter of denial to request that HHS perform an external review of your claims case.
3. File a Bad-Faith Insurance Lawsuit
Florida statutes require all home insurance and property insurance companies to make good faith attempts to fulfill your home or property claim.
However, when insurance companies become overwhelmed, they sometimes underpay or deny claims without valid reasons.
If you believe American Integrity Insurance of Florida is acting in bad faith, contact the dedicated insurance attorneys of Florin|Roebig. We may suggest that you go after your insurance company for a bad-faith breach of contract.
What to Do if American Integrity Insurance of Florida Underpays Your Claim
It can be very frustrating to believe that your insurance policy will completely cover the property damage caused by Hurricane Milton, only to find that your settlement is much less than expected.
However, just because they have sent you a settlement does not mean you are out of options. Your road ahead may be more difficult, but it is not impossible to have an underpaid claim reversed.
1. Contact Your Insurance Adjuster for a Second Review
The first thing you should do is contact your insurance company for a follow-up regarding your claim. If they do not have valid reasons for underpaying your claim, you can file an official request for a second review. It may be the same desk adjuster, or a new one may be assigned.
Mistakes can be made during the evaluation process, so second reviews are not uncommon.
However, even if they agree to a second look at your claims case, it does not mean that they will agree to reverse their decision. You may need to be ready to escalate your complaint.
2. Reach Out to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
If your request for a second review was accepted, but they failed to reverse their decision, or they denied the request altogether, you need to take your complaint to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. You can contact them to file a formal complaint at (877) 693-5236.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will investigate your complaint, and if they find it to be valid, they will contact your insurance company to mediate the situation.
If they are unable to reach a settlement, they will likely advise you to seek an insurance attorney.
3. Call a Florida Insurance Claims Attorney
If your dispute cannot be resolved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, they will likely tell you that your next step should be seeking legal advice from an insurance attorney. The Law Offices of Florin|Roebig will take a look at your claims case at no expense to you.
If your attorney believes that your insurance company has fraudulent business practices or has been acting in bad faith, they may suggest taking your insurance company to court. When this happens, cases are normally resolved by summary judgments from the court.
Top Benefits of Hiring a Florida Insurance Claims Attorney
The claims process is a complicated and often tedious process that can be difficult to navigate on your own. Hiring a Florida insurance claims attorney can be very beneficial.
Reasons hiring a Florida insurance claims attorney can be beneficial include the following:
- They understand Florida’s property and casualty insurance laws.
- Insurance attorneys are always aware of important filing deadlines.
- Attorneys respect the attorney-client privilege.
- They have experience working with insurance companies.
- Lawyers have access to previous cases against your insurance company.
- They often work on a contingency-fee basis.
If you are navigating a difficult claims process, you need the experienced insurance attorneys of Florin|Roebig.
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Find Help for a Denied or Underpaid Property Damage Insurance Claim in Florida
If you or a loved one have had your personal property or business property damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Milton, you may be stressed and upset. If your insurance company is also denying or underpaying your claim, the frustration can be overwhelming.
If your insurance claims process has been difficult, you need the highly recommended insurance attorneys of Florin|Roebig. For almost 40 years, they have fought against wrongfully denied claims, earning $1 billion in rewards for their clients to date. Your case will be in good hands.
If you believe your insurance company is wrongfully denying or underpaying your Hurricane Milton claim, contact Florin|Roebig today to learn more about our services or to schedule your free consultation.
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