Insurance Claims in Florida

What Are Insurance Claims?

Filing an insurance claim in Florida can be a stressful process. Every policy is different, and insurance companies may not pay you what you deserve. In many cases, hiring an insurance claim lawyer is necessary. This page breaks down the nuances of different types of insurance claims.

What Is a Property Insurance Claim?

A homeowner’s insurance policy is an agreement to protect the home from damage under specific occurrences. When you as a policyholder suffer a loss, you should find a dedicated Florida property insurance lawyer. Your legal advocate works on your claim to ensure that you receive the benefits necessary to repair or rebuild your Florida property.

If the insurer denies coverage or delays, policyholders should consult a property insurance attorney about a bad faith claim. If your claim goes to court and you win, you can often recover your court costs, attorney fees, and coverage benefits. There is also the possibility of recovering more money depending on the state laws under which you file your claim.

What Types Of Damage Claims Apply to Property Insurance?

Specific geographic regions impact the design of insurance policies. For example, Florida property insurance policies have more provisions for hurricanes versus earthquakes. 

According to Ocean Point Claims, most property damage claims in Florida stem from weather events. Specifically, hurricanes, tropical storms, windstorms, and hailstorms are typically the cause of these claims. For example, Tropical Storm Fay resulted in massive flooding and over $560 million in damages. Additionally, sinkholes are more common in Florida than anywhere else in the country. Be aware that sinkholes can cause severe property damage, including extensive damage to a building’s foundation.

How to File a Property Insurance Claim in Florida

After you suffer a loss, you must contact your insurer as soon as possible. Taking this step begins the insurance claim process and gets things moving along. You need to notify your insurance company in writing or over the phone. From there, your insurer appoints a claim representative.

What to Expect Afterwards

Florida homeowners constantly face property damage due to extreme weather. Fortunately, the state created the Florida Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights to govern the claims process. The statute ensures your rights during the homeowner claims process, including your right to receive from your insurer:

• An acknowledgment of your reported claim within 14 days after you communicate the claim

• Confirmation that your claim is covered in full, partially covered, denied, or being investigated within 30 days after submitting a complete proof-of-loss statement
• Full settlement payment for your claim, payment of the undisputed portion of your claim, or a denial of your claim within 90 days

Additionally, you can contact the Florida Department of Financial Services for free mediation of a disputed claim. Furthermore, you have the right to neutral evaluation of your disputed claim if your claim is for damage caused by a sinkhole and is covered by your policy.

What Is an Auto Insurance Claim?

Auto insurance claims involve requesting compensation from an auto insurer after an accident. Car accidents are incredibly stressful, especially if there are uncooperative responsible parties. However, your insurer’s job is to work on your behalf to secure compensation for repairs, injuries and other expenses.

What Do You Do After a Car Accident?

According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, you must contact local law enforcement immediately if the crash involves injury, death or at least $500 in property damage. Otherwise, you can self-report the accident online. Keep in mind, Florida is a no-fault state which means each driver’s insurance pays for their own medical bills no matter who caused the collision. In fact, Florida statute restricts the release of insurance information for a vehicle involved in a crash. If you do need the other party’s insurance coverage, you must mail a copy of the crash report and a completed Insurance Request Form to the Customer Service Correspondence Center in Tallahassee.

Auto Claims Adjuster

Your auto insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to your claim report. Your adjuster acts as your representation in any mediation between you and all other involved parties. This insurance representative bears responsibility for investigating the claim and seeing that you receive compensation for any repairs or injuries.

Whether there are repair claims, personal injury claims, or you are dealing with someone who does not have insurance, your auto insurance adjuster should see you through the process. Your claims adjuster may recommend a garage to handle your vehicle repairs. They may also make arrangements for a rental vehicle if required. The most important thing to note is that your auto claim adjuster is your primary point of contact regarding the status of your claim in Florida.

Health Insurance Claims

Florida policyholders file health insurance claims when they seek reimbursement for medical services or treatments. When you obtain a medical service from a provider, your health insurance carrier should be notified directly. If there are any discrepancies in your claim, consider hiring a health insurance claim specialist attorney.

How Do You File a Health Claim in Florida?

There are two ways to file a health insurance claim on your behalf. The first is the medical facility notifies your insurer for you. You may be able to walk out of the facility without spending anything, but that depends on your policy. The other way is to file a health insurance claim yourself. Taking this route can occur when a health provider you use is not in your provider network. The facility may still file the claim on your behalf, but you may need to file it yourself.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Florida failed to pay tens of thousands of health claims for children for nearly 3 months. Executives at Sunshine State Health Plan Inc, Florida’s largest Medicaid payment vendor, said the payment glitches resulted from the merger with WellCare of Florida Inc.  WellCare and Sunshine together have multiyear contracts worth $31.6 billion from Florida’s Health Care Administration. However, some health care providers were forced to stop providing services due to unpaid invoices from these companies. Consequently, families were left without care for critically ill children.

Work with an Experienced Local Insurance Lawyer in Florida

If your health insurance provider refuses to honor a claim, seek out a qualified Florida insurance claim attorney’s help. An insurance claim attorney can help if you have been improperly denied coverage or sent a bill for a service you never received. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Florida state lines.

Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!