Insurance Claim Assessment • Florida Insurance Claim Assessment (2023)

What is an Insurance Claims Check?

Insurance appraisal is a means of binding alternative dispute resolution. Insurance claim evaluation is a process you can use to resolve an insurance claim against a disputed property damage! It's not just about accessing damage! An art appraisal and a real estate appraisal are not the same. It's not like an art appraisal where the appraiser determines a value of the artwork for heritage or insurance coverage! It's not like a real estate appraisal where a real estate appraiser, after looking at comparable home sales, comes to the conclusion that a bank might be able to lend you money.

The appraisal is not just about a damage estimate or a damage value determination!

If you have a disputed accident insurance claim, is insurance claim evaluation a process? It may be better to think of insurance valuation as an arbitrage. However, the assessment of insurance claims is very different from arbitration.

What should I consider before I go to the assessment?

After the insurance company has declared that your property damage insurance claim is a covered loss; and the insurance pays. Or the insurance company tells you that your insurance claim is less than your deductible. If (YOU) the policyholder disagrees with what the insurer (PAID) assessed for the indemnity claim (AGREEMENT), then it is time to make an assessment.

If your insurance company sends you a claim payment for your home, condo, or commercial property in Florida, you can still contest your insurance company's settlement offer. Receiving a payment from the insurance company does not mean that your claim has been properly settled and terminated or closed! How would Florida insurance companies have you believe? For Florida hurricane claims, you have three years from the time you made your hurricane claim to contest your insurance claim! In Florida, you have five years to dispute a regular non-hurricane insurance claim. Such as water/mold insurance claims, fire/smoke insurance claims, vandalism/theft insurance claims, lightning insurance claims, wind/tornado/hail insurance claims, etc.

How do I know if I can go for the assessment?

Many insurance policies have a valuation clause in the language of the insurance policy.

The insurance policy should be reviewed to determine whether the wording of the policy allows you to engage in this type of binding dispute resolution.Do we check your insurance policy for free?

Under Florida law, Florida insurers are required to inform you that you have the right to participate in arbitration by the Florida Department of Financial Services if you have a $500 dispute.

Download the Florida Division of Consumer Services consumer guide:

However, Florida insurance companies don't have to tell you, they also have the right to make an assessment as part of your insurance policy!

Who can ask the insurer to assess the damage?

A dissatisfied policyholder is the one who makes the appropriate decisions within the insurance policy to decide whether to request an assessment as a binding method of dispute resolution! Unless the policyholder has signed a benefit agreement to give that power of attorney to a remediation company such as a carpenter, general contractor, mold remediation company, etc.

Policyholders who have hired public insurance claims adjusters may have the option to use appraisal as a method of comparison.

Insurance companies may also require an expert opinion to settle an insurance claim!Florida insurers, when they find you are unhappy with your insurance payout, often want to go to an appraisal to settle a disputed insurance claim as well!

We have found that certain insurers, such as FedNET Insurance Company, First Protective, and Citizens Property Insurance Corp, frequently request an assessment of insurance claims for Hurricanes Irma and Michael in Florida.

Many judges in Florida courts also reviewed many lawsuits first. Despite the fact that you hired a lawyer to represent you and reach a reasonable settlement?

Review of an example insurance rating policy

First let me say that not all rating languages ​​are the same for all insurance policies. The valuation language changes from insurance policy to insurance policy.

For some insurance policies, the insured or insurer may request an expert opinion.

Some insurance policies state that both the insured and the insurer must agree in order to go for the assessment.

Some insurance policies state who can represent you as an expert. Some insurance policies also specify what can be assessed!

Some states have grading laws that the grading process must also follow!

A prudent policyholder would have an attorney, in conjunction with their prospective adjuster, answer the above questions before deciding whether an appraisal is the appropriate method of attempting to resolve their insurance claim. Like every insurance dispute, this one has its own facts!

How does the insurance claim evaluation process work?

1. Each party selects a competent and impartial valuer.
2. The two reviewers choose one reviewer.
3. If they cannot agree on an arbitrator within the time limit set by the negotiation language. The policyholder (or the policyholder's attorney) or the insurance company may request selection by a local judge.
4. What if the two experts cannot agree on the amount of damage? Differences that are disputed between the two judges go to the referee (neutral).
5. The assignment of the appraisal must be agreed by two of the three people involved in the valuation. These three people involved in the assessment are referred to as the assessment panel.
6. Any two subscriptions will make the trial premium mandatory.
   A binding assessment surcharge means that both the policyholder and the insurance company must accept the final surcharge! There are many moving parts to get into the judging, so there can be no guarantees of the result!
7. The insured pays for the services of his own regulator.
8. As part of the judging process, a referee must be selected, but not all judging use the referee! Sometimes two appraisers can reach an indemnity agreement without going through an arbitrator.
9. Is an appraiser used as part of the appraisal process?
   • The insured bears half of the arbitrator's costs (neutral) and the insurer bears the other half of the arbitrator's costs.
   • Arbitrator fees range from $250.00 per hour to $450.00 per hour.
   • Or an average total fee of $3,000 to $5,000
   • The arbitrator's fees depend on the complexity of the assessment, the loss of home or business, the size of the dispute, the arbitrator's qualifications (claims adjuster, contractor, engineer, retired judge), and the time the arbitrator pays for the loss and assistance spends on the negotiations .

In general, a Florida grading award cannot be overturned in court, except in the case of fraud or collusion by the grading board. I am not a lawyer and therefore do not prepare a legal opinion!

Example of splitting an appraisal award