What to do if your home or business is damaged by a hurricane:
- Immediately notify the insurance company of the loss and damage.
- Document the damage yourself with photos and videos. Inspect all areas of your house (especially ceilings and windows). It is possible you may not even notice leaks until the next rainstorm.
- Make lists of the damages property (dwelling and personal property).
- Mitigate your damages and protect your property from further damage; all policies require homeowners to mitigate their damages to the best of your ability.
- Do not dispose of damaged contents until you and the insurance company have had an opportunity to document the damage.
- If you need to stay in a hotel or pay for food as a result of hurricane damage, most polices cover those costs (keep receipts).
- Be patient, insurers will deploy adjusters to the hardest hit areas first.
- Make sure you point out all the areas of damage to the insurance adjuster. Many adjusters will be rushed and may overlook certain areas.
- Insist that your insurance company provide you a copy of their estimate.
Be careful of contractors or other workers coming to your neighborhood to offer assistance immediately after the storm. Be sure to verify the licenses and credentials of anyone who works on your home and do not sign any paperwork (such as assignment of benefits) without having a professional assist you in the understanding of such documents
If you are confused or would like assistance, seek the guidance of professionals such as public adjusters (www.fapia.com) or attorneys who specialize in first-party property claims (www.mcdonaldbarnhill.com).
If you are not satisfied with your claim payment, then it is important to have a public adjuster or attorney review your claim to give you a second opinion. Remember, there are always options!
Claims numbers for some of the largest property insurers in Florida:
American Bankers Insurance Co.: 888-260-7736
American Integrity Insurance Company: 866-77-9871
American Traditions Insurance Co.: 866-270-8430
Anchor Insurance: 844-365-5588
Capitol Preferred Insurance Co.: 888-388-2742
Castle Key Insurance (Allstate): 800-255-7828
Citizens Property Insurance Corp.: 866-411-2742
Edison Insurance Co.: 888-683-7971
Federated National Insurance Company: 800-293-2532
Florida Family Insurance Co.: 888-486-4663
Florida Peninsula Insurance Co.: 866-549-9672
Frontline Insurance: 866-673-0623
Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance: 855-415-7120
Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Co.: 866-324-3138
Modern USA Insurance Co.: 866-270-8430
People’s Trust Insurance Co.: 877-333-1230
SafePoint Insurance Co.: 855-252-4615
Security First Insurance Company 877-333-9992
Southern Fidelity Insurance Co.: 866-874-7342
Southern Oak Insurance Co.: 877-900-2280
St. Johns Insurance Co.: 877-748-2059
Tower Hill Insurance: 800-342-3407
United Property & Casualty: 888-256-3378
Universal Property & Casualty Co.: 800-470-0599
Universal North America: 866-999-0898
At McDonald & Barnhill, P.A., our accomplished and proven attorneys are well prepared to assist you in the aftermath of a severe weather event like Hurricane Irma. We have assisted Florida policyholders with their hurricane claims for years. Our firm has recovered millions of dollars in coverage for clients and businesses throughout Florida and is ready to assess your post-hurricane claim. No claim is too small or too big.
