What was your experience when you filed an insurance claim for your home or business?
We would like to know, but more importantly, we would like Florida lawmakers to know.
Help us carry your message to media, lawmakers and others about the experience you've encountered as a policyholder during your claim process by lending your voice.
Florida Policyholder
Transcription
Good afternoon my name is (Redacted) and I am speaking on behalf of my father, who is 86 years old and currently on dialysis. He was also on dialysis when we, we got the question from the adjuster regarding the managed care insurance program through (Redacted) my father, and I thought that it would be best as we thought (Redacted) would ensure that we were properly and well taken care of. He has been a policy holder for close to 50 years. We experienced workers not showing up. We experienced fraud as the construction company signed some type of statement saying that we were pleased with the work. We were not. We have been in constant, constant contact with (Redacted) with no answers. I felt as though my father had been neglected. I felt as though he was being abused as a senior citizen and as the representative for him. It was really hard watching my father go through frustration, trying to get answers. The contractor left work unfinished. The ceilings in both bathrooms are cracking. The tile is sinking in and this has been maybe a year. I was disappointed and surprised at the treatment, we eventually ended up having to secure a lawyer. The contractor would no longer answer our phone calls. It has been... It has been hell, and it has also taken a toll on my father's health. I would never recommend this program to anyone, and I have also voiced this in my community. If you are working with (Redacted) if they offer you, please do not. While I understand fraud is running rampant, to feel as though your insurance company was in on it is a feeling that cannot be explained. I pray, I pray that the program is abolished, and I pray that those who have had to go through what I have gone through with my father receive the retribution that's due to them some $10,000 later that my father had to pay while staying in a hotel, being promised that the work would be done in three weeks. Two months later, ravaged him. I would love to stand in front of anyone and tell them, do not utilize that program. It is not worth it, it is not worth the frustration, and there is no savings. Thank you. -Florida Policyholder 
Florida Policyholder
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e had damage from Hurricane Irma, and the adjuster came out. We had hardwood floor damage and damage to a ceiling from water, and they didn't even look at the floor at all. They disregarded the floor and they gave us a $2,500 check to fix all our damage. Period. All this would have covered was just to repaint the ceiling. That's it. So it wouldn't cover the mold. It wouldn't cover the flooring, and it wouldn't cover anything with the roof. So we've been fighting them now since Irma and getting nowhere, and two companies have already been bankrupt since then, and we haven't received a dime. So... these companies take advantage of huge premiums on my part and they pay out very little when we actually have to use them. It's tragic. -Florida Policyholder |
Florida Policyholder
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Hello my name is (Redacted) my insurance issue starts back just over a year before hurricane Ian on Labor Day weekend 2021, when my family experienced a chemical house fire from a lithium battery charger malfunction that forced us out of our home. I was insured through (Redacted) Insurance company out of Tampa and started the claim process the next morning. (Redacted) poorly handled my claim until they filed for bankruptcy in (Redacted), this halted the ALE coverage I was receiving for my rental payments, and I had to begin paying both my mortgage and my rent on my own, which exhausted my entire savings. My claim was picked up by (Redacted) and I believe July of this year, and I was told that they would take care of settling my claim. They have not. I feel like I've been ignored. Myself and my two children ages ten and eight have been out of our homes for more than a year now and have now suffered damage from hurricane and with no current homeowner's insurance on the house because nobody would ensure it after the fire without the repairs being done. This caused my lender to force place insurance on my loan so that they would be covered. However, I am not. My mortgage then went up by $550 a month just to cover their insurance, which is straining me financially. I am a single mom of two young children. I have had to move my family back into my mother's house in order to continue to pay my mortgage and not lose my home that sits untouched, for more than a year later. Now, with additional damage from hurricane Ian. I have an attorney that has worked tirelessly to come to an agreement with (Redacted) but they are not returning calls and have had minimal contact with my attorney for months. We lost everything in the fire. We were never given our check for our contents that I was covered for. They have not reimbursed me for the rental money that I had to pay out of my pocket since March, that I was covered for, and they have not settled with me for the repairs of my home that I so desperately need. My children lost everything and (Redacted) seems to have forgotten about us. I have reached out to (Redacted), governor DeSantis. My state representative Mike Gio Lombardo and the Insurance Commission and have yet, yet to receive a result on my claim. It's a mess and I'm tired of being ignored. I'm not asking for more than what I was covered for, and I don't think that keeping my family's health should not be one of the top priorities when fixing my home that I was insured for, which is now even more damaged from Hurricane Ian with no current coverage. That's my story. Thank you. -Florida Policyholder 
Florida Policyholder
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Hi my name is (redacted), My insurance company is (redacted). After 47 days they sent me an estimate on how many, how much they're going to pay for. The estimate was a total of $9,300 and some change, and it doesn't even cover the roof damage. Total roof replacement screen porch roof torn off. Screen porch torn off. Sheds displaced, trees on sheds. Foundation unlevel. Leaking roofs, cracking. I mean way more than they're willing to pay. $9,000 won't even pay for the roof. They come up with an estimate that has three different prices for the same thing, and then they have excuse after excuse after excuse, why they can't pay it or my policy doesn't say it, when I read them that the policy does cover it, then they have another excuse. Still, this is 47 days I still have not been paid, my roof is still tarped, my porch is still torned off, my yard is still a wreck, tree still on the shed, trees are down in the front yard, leaning, going to fall. No help from anyone, especially not (redacted) thank you. -Florida Policyholder |
Florida Policyholder
Transcription
My name is (Redacted) I am the daughter of two victims, well victims. Two folks who had hurricane damage to their home. My parents are 83 and 88, and my father who is 88 has some mild cognitive impairments. They are insured by (Redacted) and my parents wisely contracted with a public adjuster to assist them in their claim. They lost a good piece of their roof from a tornado that was on the leading edge of the hurricane and also sustained some other damage. (Redacted) has repeatedly refused to or neglected to contact the public adjuster who was hired by my parents, and despite the fact that they knew there was a public adjuster, their adjuster contacted my parents directly, ignoring many calls from the public adjuster. They were very unhelpful and have been very unhelpful with regard to helping them find somebody to tarp the roof. They gave them no assistance whatsoever and it was the public adjuster who assisted them in that. In addition, despite their knowledge of the public adjuster, they continued to communicate with my mother with no public adjuster involved, and despite the fact that the public adjuster had prepared a claim document and the damage to the roof requires a complete roof replacement and the estimate of damages is about $60,000. Without communicating again with anybody, (Redacted) sent a check for $14,000 to my parents with no information, no communication, nothing, and basically said that was the settlement of the claim. Of course, I instructed my parents and I do have their power of attorney. I instructed them not to cash the check and we are still negotiating or I hope that they will negotiate with the public adjuster. (Redacted) behavior is unconscionable, when they act with knowledge that there is somebody representing my elderly and very, very upset parents and I wanted to make sure that their experience was noted, and that somebody would perhaps be able to hold (Redacted) accountable. Thank you. -Florida Policyholder 
Florida Policyholder
Transcription
Hi my name is (Redacted) and I have had damage from hurricane Ian my insurance company (Redacted) so far since September, the only thing that my insurance carrier has done for me is call me on my phone asking me for a valid phone number, leaving me messages. I've sent her (Redacted) things saying that my house needs to be gutted and I'll be displaced. I have mold growing in my house. I'm cutting off my walls currently in my house because the mold is coming down. I live with a child that is special needs. He has Asperger's. He is an adult, but there is no help. She has not helped. The only thing she has done has ignored me and not answered any questions about what I'm supposed to do or are they going to come and help me? They sent somebody out to tarp my house three times. Still, my house is not tarped, my roof is still open. So the amount of mold that I'm getting in my house is unbelievable because it's Florida and it rains and my roof is open. Not to mention the fact that rodents can get up in my roof and eat all my wiring. It's all open, and I keep sending emails and phone calls asking for her to help me, and there is no help. It's so frustrating. I just don't know what to do. So I reached out to a public adjuster to help me. I don't know what else to do. I just want my house back to normal. Please, please, I pay for insurance. I mean there's a reason that I pay for insurance so that I can have help if something happens and they're not helping. I'm living in a house covered in mold, waiting and waiting to hear from my insurance. I really don't know what to do... I really don't know what to do... I thought if you pay for insurance, they help you, But they really don't. If you need to reach me or ask me any questions, my phone number is (Redacted) Thank you. -Florida Policyholder |
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Hearing from you directly will help build awareness about the challenges policyholders face each day.
Voices of policyholders is an initiative to help gather data and real life stories about problems policyholders are encountering during the insurance claim process. We will be sharing your stories with the media, lawmakers and regulators to help effect positive change. By recording your story you are agreeing to allow us to share your recording online, and via other digital media to help build awareness and improve the insurance claim process. Thank you.
