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Insurance coverage protection legal professional Illon Kantro and I have been getting ready for our upcoming presentation on the Windstorm Insurance coverage Convention and mentioned a latest case relating to Florida’s necessities for discover of a supplemental or reopened declare.1 If you’re a policyholder, public adjuster, or contractor not concerned with a Florida loss, you’ll be able to cease studying. Solely Florida’s loopy politicians in mattress with the insurance coverage business and its lobbyists would ever make such weird necessities into insurance coverage regulation.
For these concerned with Florida claims, the holding is important:
Patios West One Condominium Affiliation, Inc. (Patios West) appeals the trial courtroom’s order denying its movement to compel appraisal. The trial courtroom denied the movement on the bottom that the discover of supplemental or reopened declare despatched by Patios West to its insurer was legally inadequate beneath part 627.70132, Florida Statutes (2017), as a result of it didn’t embrace “some kind of estimate” of damages. In so ruling, the trial courtroom relied upon our sister courtroom’s determination in Goldberg v. Common Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 302 So. 3d 919 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020).
Upon our de novo evaluate, we maintain that the plain and unambiguous language of part 627.70132 doesn’t require that an insured present an estimate of damages with a view to adjust to the statutory requirement for offering an insurer with discover of a supplemental or reopened declare. We disagree with the Fourth District’s determination in Goldberg to the extent it holds in any other case, and reverse the trial courtroom’s order within the instantaneous case.
What’s the lesson from this holding, and does this imply that the discover doesn’t have to incorporate an estimate of harm? “Higher secure than sorry” is the lesson. Estimates and full descriptions of loss needs to be offered. The courtroom famous that its holding is opposite to a different appellate courtroom, which raises the chance that the difficulty may very well be resolved by the Florida Supreme Courtroom. Different appellate courts might discover by hook or by crook till this authorized tie is damaged.
The Windstorm Insurance coverage Convention is a serious annual convention for the property insurance coverage claims business. Panelists’ views from the insurance coverage business and policyholder views are mentioned and respectfully debated. There isn’t any different convention prefer it in the USA. If you’re a participant concerned with windstorms, together with hail-related claims, it’s a should attend convention.
The title of the publish, Invoice Berk and John Pappas Present a Distinctive Perspective About Insurance coverage Unhealthy Religion Claims Dealing with and Claims Ethics Discovered Solely on the Windstorm Insurance coverage Convention, sums up that view. I made the next remark in that publish, which nonetheless holds true:
Going to seminars and discussions…assist these desirous to be the perfect get there sooner. It’s not a straightforward street, however one all people has to climb. Training is the quickest means and much superior to the college of laborious knocks realized in your consumer’s dime.
Here’s a hyperlink for registration.
Thought For The Day
Training is the important thing to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.
—Oprah Winfrey
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