The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation did a great service for everybody by issuing rules and regulations relating to claims last July. Since I received another email request asking whether Florida has rules for “matching” regarding residential losses (the answer is “yes”) I thought it would be a good time to remind company, independent, and public adjusters as well as insurance remediation contractors and policyholders who might read this blog about the regulatory guidance provided:
[Click on image above for full document]
There is one “communication” point that is important to note—independent adjusters of insurers are the insurance company’s agents. It is a non-delegate duty in Florida as in most states:
A communication made to or by an agent with respect to a claim shall constitute communication to or by the insurer.
I would suggest that those in the property claims business keep this post available and remind others of their legal obligations regarding claims handling. The Windstorm Conference is taking place at the time of this post and certainly those attending it should be aware of each of these laws and regulations as a minimum Best Practice.
Thought For The Day
It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
