Court Denies Recovery of Public Adjuster Fees in Breach of Contract Action

In Kingshill Hospitality, Inc. v. American Economy Insurance Company,¹ the policyholder’s hotel was damaged by a fire. Three days later the policyholder hired a public adjuster to assist in submitting its insurance claim. A dispute arose regarding the amount of loss and the policyholder filed suit for breach of contract.

As part of the damages claimed, the policyholder sought recovery of the public adjuster fee as consequential damages. The insurance carrier moved the court to strike the claim for consequential damages, which the court granted.

The policyholder argued that “it had to retain the services of an insurance claims professional (Public Adjuster) to pursue its claim.” The court disagreed, reasoning that consequential damages are “[l]osses that do not flow directly and immediately from an injurious act but that result indirectly from the act,” and here, the policyholder hired the public adjuster only three days after the fire occurred and before the insurance carrier made a coverage determination. The court concluded:

Because these costs were incurred in May – before the alleged breach occurred when American Economy partially denied coverage on June 1 – Kingshill’s public adjuster expenses cannot be categorized as consequential damages.

While not relevant under the facts of this case, the court noted:

If an insured believes that its insurer is not attempting to settle a claim in good faith and hires a public adjuster to refute the damage estimate or coverage determination proferred by an insurer, such expenses could be considered consequential damages. And under those facts, the consequential damages would be extracontractual damages that could only be recovered in a bad faith action, pursuant to QBE Ins. Corp. v. Chalfonte Condominium Apartment Ass’n, Inc., 94 So.3d 541 (Fla. 2012).

It should be noted that courts in Florida have found that consequential damages can be recovered in a breach of contract action.² Here, however, where the public adjuster was hired before a dispute arose regarding the loss or coverage, the public adjuster fees were not recoverable.
________________________________
¹ Kingshill Hospitality, Inc. v. American Economy Ins. Co., No: 5:18-cv-520, 2018 WL 6427681 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 5, 2018).
² See e.g., Trident Hospitality Florida, Inc. v. American Economy Ins. Co., No.: 6:08-cv-289, 2008 WL 11334515 *2 (M.D. Fla. May 30, 2008) (“Plaintiff is entitled to consequential damages if it can prove that damages ‘were within contemplation of the parties when the contract was formed.’” Citing Martin v. Monarch Life Ins. Co., No. 94-1182, 1995 WL 127157, at *1 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 21, 1995)).