Every year, the state of Florida sees tens of thousands of homeowners and property owners’ insurance claims due to the many natural disasters, such as hurricanes. One of the many destructive hurricanes experienced by Florida was Hurricane Milton.
Security First Insurance Company was faced with many homeowners looking to receive payouts to cover the total replacement cost of their damaged personal and business properties. Many insurance companies in this position began wrongfully denying and underpaying clients’ claims.
Why Would Security First Insurance Deny Your Claim?
Security First Insurance is responsible for covering many different types of claims, including wind and water damage. The National Flood Insurance Program underwrites most flood policies. However, Security First does offer its own flood insurance policies.
It can be very frustrating to file your insurance claim and find out that it has been denied. There are many different reasons an insurance company will deny a claim, although there are a few that remain consistent.
Reasons why your insurance company may deny your claim can include the following:
- There may be insufficient evidence of damage; you may need to provide more.
- You may have an existing dispute open over liability or fault.
- Your paperwork may have been incomplete or filed too late.
- There may have been improper mitigation where possible.
- Your policy may not cover all of your damage.
- You may not have met your deductible.
Failure to provide a valid reason or wrongfully denying your claim is illegal. Insurance companies must make a good-faith effort to fulfill your policy.
Insurance Companies & Hurricane Milton
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.
Damages from Hurricanes Milton and Helene damage are in the billions. Often, insurance companies will attempt to cut claims by 45-97%, with many claims being insufficient for the cost of repairs or replacements. This is a common money-saving method for insurance companies.
When insurance companies become overwhelmed with insurance claims, many turn to illegal methods to save money and cut costs. If your claim has been wrongfully denied or grossly underpaid, you may want to consider hiring an insurance claims attorney.
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What Are Your Rights as a Florida Home or Property Owner?
In Florida, the state legislature passed a series of rights that protect homeowners from fraudulent insurance companies. These rights, collectively known as The Homeowner’s Bill of Rights, include stipulating the timeframe in which the claims process concludes.
If you are concerned that your insurance company may be acting fraudulently, you need to file a complaint with The Florida Division of Consumer Services, which is a branch of the larger Department of Financial Services.
For example, if you have filed a claim with your insurance company and they deny it without a valid reason, you may want to file a complaint. Insurance companies have up to 20 days to respond to your complaint.
What to Do if Your Security First Insurance Company Hurricane Damage Claim Is Denied
When a natural disaster strikes, most homeowners feel that their insurance company is going to take care of the damage the way their homeowner’s insurance policy states they will. It can be very upsetting to find that your property damage claim has been denied.
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.
If your insurance company has denied your claim and you believe this is the wrong judgment, you have options. The following are steps you can take to reverse your wrongfully denied claim.
1. Ask for an Insurance Claim Review
The very first thing you should do is ask your insurance agent to review the claim a second time. This is usually done by filing a formal request, which will be passed on to a claims examiner. You may be contacted and asked to provide more proof of damage.
Your insurance company must respect time-sensitive cases and is legally required to process your claim quickly.
2. Get an External Review with HHS
If your insurance company decides not to reverse its decision on your claim denial or underpayment, your next step is to request an external review. You will need to contact the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at (800) 866-6205.
You will be sent a form that needs to be completed and returned to the HHS as quickly as possible to adhere to the time frame. Florida statutes state that policyholders have 60 days from the date on the denial letter to request a review.
3. File an Insurance Lawsuit Against Security First
It is required by law in Florida that insurance companies make good-faith attempts to fulfill their policyholder’s claims. However, when insurance companies are overwhelmed with claims, they sometimes underpay and deny good claims to save money.
If you believe that Security First Insurance has wrongfully denied or underpaid your claim without valid reasoning, contact an insurance claims attorney at Florin|Roebig.
Your insurance attorney may decide to proceed with a bad-faith breach of contract lawsuit against your insurance company. This can often lead to a reversal of the denied claim or a claim settlement that is more than the first offer.
What to Do if Security First Insurance Underpays Your Claim
When you file your Hurricane Milton insurance claims, you may find that the settlement offer you were given is a lot less than what your stated damage costs. If this happens, understand that you do not have to accept this settlement — you have options.
1. Contact Your Insurance Adjuster for a Second Review
You first need to contact the insurance adjuster who was assigned to your case. Ask them for a reevaluation, but be prepared to offer more proof, such as an estimate from a third-party claims adjuster.
It is possible that your insurance adjuster made errors during their evaluation, and a second review may be granted.
However, this does not automatically mean that they will reverse their low payment. You need to be prepared to escalate your complaint if necessary.
2. File a Complaint in the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
If your request for a second review is denied, or your insurance company still does not send you the amount necessary to prevent further damage, you need to contact the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation at (877) 693-5236.
If your complaint is deemed valid, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will try to mediate the case with your insurance company on your behalf. If their attempts to settle the dispute are unsuccessful, you may be advised to seek an insurance claims attorney.
3. Call a Florida Insurance Claims Attorney
If you have been advised to seek legal counsel, contact the insurance claims attorneys of Florin|Roebig for a free case evaluation. If they decide that your property insurance claim has been grossly underpaid or wrongfully denied, they may advise you to take legal action.
Your attorney may decide that your insurance company should be taken to court over breach of contract for not fulfilling your policy coverage. When home insurance claims cases get this far, they are usually settled by a summary judgment from the court.
Benefits of Hiring a Florida Insurance Claims Attorney
If Hurricane Milton damaged your business or personal property and your claim was then denied without a valid reason or underpaid severely, you need an insurance attorney. The insurance claims process can be challenging and long, so hiring an attorney can be very beneficial.
Some of the benefits of hiring a Florida insurance attorney include the following:
- Insurance attorneys know how to navigate claims court and insurance companies.
- Many insurance lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
- They can access previous complaints and cases against your insurance provider.
- Claims attorneys know the critical filing deadlines that cannot be missed.
- They can understand the often confusing policy language insurance companies use.
If you believe your case is being illegally denied or underpaid, you need the hardworking, dedicated insurance attorneys of Florin|Roebig fighting for your claim.
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Find Help for a Property Damage Insurance Claim in Florida
If you or a loved one are dealing with an underpaid or wrongfully denied Hurricane Milton insurance claim in Florida, you need the dedicated insurance attorneys of Florin|Roebig.
The attorneys of Florin|Roebig have helped many Floridians, including those in Tampa, Orlando, and Ormond Beach. For almost 40 years, they have fought for underpaid claims cases, resulting in over $1 billion awarded to their clients.
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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