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If FIGA owes you $100,000, they should not send you a $50,000 check that says “full and final payment.”  As we have explained here before, cashing that check would allow FIGA to argue you accepted the $50,000 (as the check states) in full and final payment on the claim.  This legal principle is k...

When insurance companies try to hide critical evidence, TWWH fights back.  Many Florida homeowners have experienced this: Your home is damaged by a fire, water loss, or storm but the insurance company denies, claiming the damage is pre-existing (not covered)—i.e., wear and tear, deterioration, fa...

If you think State Farm will treat you like a good neighbor, think again and read on.  The takeaway from this tragic story is to always be aware of your insurance coverages and limits, make sure copies of your declarations page(s) and policies are readily available to you and loved ones, and neve...

November 2, 2023 was a good day for Florida policyholders.  The Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of a passenger who was tragically injured in a car accident by refusing the at-fault insurer—GEICO's—attempt to claim an unfair offset.  As is common in many car accidents, multiple insurance comp...

      Under Florida law, insurance carriers are responsible for paying the cost required to match materials when repairs are made.  Meaning, to the extent possible, your insurer must pay for repairs and replacements necessary to maintain uniformity so that the repairs don't look like...

As insurance attorneys who have been helping policyholders with their property damage claims for decades, we have seen insurance companies demand an examination under oath (“EUO”) many times.  EUOs are usually requested only in cases where the insurer suspects fraud or some sort of illicit report...

Five Florida property insurance companies collapsed (went bankrupt) in the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022, with United Property & Casualty Insurance Company following suit in 2023.  In Florida, when insurance companies fail, the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (FIGA) steps into the shoes of...

If People's Trust selected its Rapid Response Team to repair your Hurricane Ian or other damage, this means People's Trust has created a new contract with you, in place of the insurance policy—one in which you have become obligated to pay People's Trust your deductible and People's Trust has beco...

In the wake of Hurricane Ian and the resulting collapse of numerous insurance companies, including United Property and Casualty Insurance Co. (“UPC”) in February 2023, we've seen FIGA begin to deploy the same bullying and delay tactics as UPC did when it was wrongfully adjusting claims.  Recently...

For UPC policyholders, the strikes keep coming.  On February 27, 2023 United Property and Casualty Insurance Co. (“UPC”) filed for bankruptcy, leaving thousands of policyholders—many with extensive damage from Hurricane Ian—scrambling to get their claims paid as well as secure insurance from anot...

From our decades of experience helping homeowners with their fire claims, we have learned from experience over the years that sometimes your insurance company can cause you as much (if not more) grief and anguish than the fire itself.  Processing your claim without unnecessary delay is required b...

One year ago, our attorneys interviewed and hired an intelligent, eager third-year Alabama Law School student, Shelby Savage.  In May 2022, Shelby graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law.  She spent the summer swamped in studying for the Florida Bar Exam, and in September, 2022 She...

If you have an open Hurricane Ian or other property damage claim and your insurance company goes bankrupt (insolvent), Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (FIGA) will likely be responsible to pay your claim, but you need to know your rights and the full amount you are entitled to recover.  Sim...

Studies show, the sales of eBikes grew by 240% between 2019 and 2021 and that by 2023, around 300 million eBikes will be in use around the world.  However, as eBike popularity continues to grow, both in Florida and nationwide, so will the likelihood of accidents involving eBikes.  As experienced ...

When passing the most sweeping insurance reform bills in history—Senate Bill ("SB") 76 in 2021 and SB 2A in 2022 which severely limited policyholders' rights—insurance companies and Florida legislators blamed the need for such harsh regulation on “out of control” claim litigation, i.e., lawsuits ...

If you have an open homeowner's insurance claim from Hurricane Ian or another loss and your insurance company goes bankrupt, the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (FIGA) will likely be responsible to pay your claim, but you need to know what to do to file a timely claim with FIGA so you can ...

“These people knew my walls were broken and crumbling, and they put me through hell,” our client, Kestra Brown, said in this watershed Washington Post article, revealing the aggressive tactics United Property and Casualty (UPC) took to deny and underpay claims before collapsing when Hurricane Ian...

With the recent collapse of numerous insurance companies in Florida (St. Johns, Avatar, Southern Fidelity, United P&C, etc.), particularly in the wake of Hurricane Ian, we've been fielding a lot of questions from our clients and policyholders wondering what happens now?  Who is going to pay my cl...

With sales of eBikes in Florida and the United States soaring and little to no regulation on required safety equipment, licensure, or traffic operations, medical experts are seeing more traumatic injuries resulting from eBike crashes, particular in teen riders, as well as fatalities.  It is becom...

You purchased insurance in order to protect your home against wind.  You paid insurance premiums for this very reason.  Insurance works when the insurance company honors its promise by paying you promptly and fairly. Insurance does not work when the company delays or wrongfully denies your claim....

As hurricane season unfolds, it is important for Pensacola homeowners to know what coverage you have in place before a storm forms in the Gulf of Mexico. When storms are heading towards land, most insurance companies stop selling new policies or won't allow coverage increases — or both.  That's w...

The best time to prepare for a hurricane in Pensacola is before a hurricane ever forms in the Gulf of Mexico. It is vital to document the condition of your home, understand your insurance coverages and limits, protect your property as best you can, and have an emergency plan and kit in place.  He...

As summer unfolds, we are likely to see tropical storms develop along the coast that can bring hot moist air, as well as heavy winds and rain.  These conditions can also cause tornados to develop, like the tornados that formed and struck west Pensacola and Pensacola Beach on June 16, 2023 and the...

On June 14, 2023, the Florida First District Court of Appeal (“DCA”) ruled in favor of our client, Joseph Silvia, and against Castle Key Insurance Company, finding Castle Key's attempt to avoid having a jury determine how much it owed on the claim—by invoking appraisal too late—failed under the l...

As insurance attorneys who have been helping policyholders with their hurricane claims for decades, we get this question a lot, currently from south Floridians whose homes are still damaged from Hurricane Ian: What if I have unrepaired damage from a prior hurricane and another hurricane strikes...