Insurance costs likely due to hurricane claims

Regarding the Feb. 13 editorial, but I'm not sure if you have ever been through an insurance claim or if you have had a personal claim experience. Not all claims are the same.

Being the only public adjusting firm in Citrus County, we see and hear most of the challenges consumers face when filing an insurance claim. If the claim is paid fairly to the homeowner, we usually do not get involved or would a public adjuster be needed.

Public adjusters are usually brought into the claim when the homeowner is overwhelmed, stressed and the claim is being delayed, denied or underpaid.

Let's face it, the claims process can be overwhelming if you are attempting to navigate it for the first time. If you feel you need someone on your side you should call a public adjuster.

Our group has seen claims in Citrus and surrounding counties that leave the homeowner holding the bill for something they believe should be covered by their insurance policy.

Roof claims are just one type of claim we see consumers have challenges with. We have also seen Citrus County homeowners who have had challenges with pipe breaks, lighting strikes, mold, water damage, fires, tornados, floods and tree falls denied or underpaid.

Roofs just seem to be the most common claim. Several homeowners have told us they would have had to sell their home and move had we not assisted them in getting the money they needed to get them back to where they were before the event happened.

It is a difficult balancing act needed by the Legislature. Given the new regulations recently, now would seem to be a good time to pause, to see how the many recent laws will affect the consumer.

Last year, there were additional changes made to the fee structure for attorneys assisting with insurance claims. Keep in mind recent hurricane costs — Irma, 2017, $77.16 billion, and Michael, 2018, $25.5 billion. This may be what started the rate hike discussions the first place given the enormous total from those two storms alone. For comparison Hurricane Andrew reached damages of $27.3 billion in 1992.

I agree, the cost of homeowner's insurance is rising rapidly. But it may be due to the enormous amount of claims paid during hurricanes Irma and Michael over $100 billion from those two events alone.

Rocco Foley

Public Adjuster

Crystal River