Claims Advocate

Our quarterly newsletter focuses on the rights and responsibilities of the policyholder. Each newsletter highlights current issues and trends in the insurance industry.

Claims Advocate – December 2019 Vol 13

Claims Advocate – December 2019 Vol 13

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM UNFAIR CLAIM SETTLEMENT PRACTICES
By Joshua Bochner, Vice President, GlobalPro
Not every claim is a GlobalPro claim. Some claims you may choose to handle yourself. For those occasions, you will want to be armed with the knowledge necessary to make sure that your Insurer is handling your claim fairly. The Florida Statutes successfully codified what constitutes unfair settlement in Section 626.9541. If an Insurer commits or performs certain acts with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice, they are guilty of committing an unfair claim settlement practice.

LEVERAGING ON-HAND TECHNOLOGY TO AID THE CLAIMS PROCESS
By Elliott Carter, Vice President Technology, GlobalPro
As an insured, it is very important to document the extent of your damages as part of the insurance claims process. Insurance carriers, adjusters, contractors and estimators will rely on these pictures to verify and fact check the damage as estimates are produced.It is therefore important to not only take good pictures and video of the damage, but also to be able to properly organize your information so that you can present it to your carrier or the public adjuster you’re working with.

GLOBALPRO LAUNCHES NEW BRAND LOOK, WITH FRESH INTERACTIVE WEBSITE!
By Daniel Odess, Founder & President, GlobalPro
With our client’s needs top-of-mind, the new site brings forth a more interactive space where current and potential clientele can learn, engage and access resources to help them get a better understanding of who we are, what we do and who we work with. We can now truly showcase our 360-degree signature process: Ready.Recover.Rebuild. by giving visitors access to more in-depth explanations of our capabilities, tips on best practices and client testimonials.

Claims Advocate – June 2019 Vol 12

Claims Advocate – June 2019 Vol 12

WIND DRIVEN RAIN AND COVERAGE ISSUES
By Joshua Bochner, Associate of GlobalPro
Generally, if the Insurer believes that the rain entered the interior of a premises through damage created by wind, then the Insurer agrees the damage is covered. However, it is becoming increasingly common to see Insurers restrict coverage for interior damage caused by rain by claiming that water entered the structure as a result of lack of maintenance and/or pre-existing damage, and not as a result of storm (or wind) damage. This issue is of particular importance when a hurricane hits and causes damage to insured property.

OLD ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFITS NOW DOA AFTER NEW BILL PASSES
By Craig Applebaum, Senior Vice President of GlobalPro
Florida’s Legislature recently passed HB 7065, now codified as Florida Statute §627.7152. The freshly minted statute makes large changes concerning the use of assignment of benefits (“AOB”) agreements. This has a widespread effect for the insurance industry as AOB’s have become commonly used by contractors doing work on behalf of an Insured. Important in understanding the statute is knowing what is covered.

HOW IT PAYS WHEN THE INSURANCE COMPANY DELAYS
By Allison Freidin, Vice President of GlobalPro
Despite the fact that we are approaching the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Irma, several Insurance companies maintain that they are still in the process of “investigating” these claims. Florida Statute §627.70131(5)(a) sets forth that Insurance Companies must pay or deny a claim within 90 days of the claim being reported. If they do not pay money owed within 90 days, the Insured is entitled to interest as long as (1) the policy covers a residence of any size or a commercial space less than 10,000 square feet, and (2) there are no factors beyond the control of the Insurer that are prohibiting payment.

Claims Advocate – March 2019 Vol 11

Claims Advocate – March 2019 Vol 11

IF THEY BUILD IT, THE DAMAGE WILL COME

By Craig Applebaum, Senior Vice President of GlobalPro
Everyone knows that South Florida is a large market for land development and new construction. It seems there is a new building added to the skyline every day. These new projects are built in very close proximity, some only a few feet away. Consequently, damages to the existing properties as a result of the new construction are unavoidable. Owners of damaged property have often turned to litigation to be compensated for their loss, however, the litigation process for cases such as these can require an immense investment in time and money. Thankfully, there is a better option.

WHEN THE WATERS RISE, YOU SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISED

By Allison Feidin, Vice President of GlobalPro
The FEMA flood policy commonly purchased by property owners strictly limits coverage if your property is located in one of those high-risk areas. There are several key elements that determine how comprehensive your flood coverage will be. Most of these are beyond the control of the property owners! It is imperative for policy holders to consider these factors when engaging in new construction in high risk zones.

RECAP GLOBALPRO’S INDUSTRY LEADING 2018

By Daniel Odess, President of GlobalPro In 2018, GlobalPro
Recovery set the bar high and achieved industry leading results. A number of factors, events and accomplishments fueled our continued growth and success. Our team tackled unforeseen challenges and rose to the occasion when various parts of our country suffered record breaking damages from storms and fires. Our success was further highlighted by a tremendous amount of charity, community outreach and a series of video testimonials from clients that we will continue to release in the coming months.