Port St Lucie - Hurricane Irma - Roof Denied as Under Deductible - Full Roof Replacement Achieved
In late November 2017, a Port St Lucie homeowner (D.C.) contacted VIP Adjusting after having his Hurricane Irma claim denied as being under the policy’s deductible. He was told that the repair to his 5,000+ square foot roof would be minimal and would not exceed his high $10,000 deductible.
After VIP Adjusting was retained it did some investigation and learned from the manufacturer of the roof’s tiles that that both the color and type of interlocking tile had been discontinued and that a repair would not be feasible.
Not only did VIP Adjusting learn from the manufacturer that a repair could not be completed, but VIP Adjusting found out that the insurance company had retained a “tile expert” who advised them of this same information, but despite that conclusion, the insurance company had misrepresented that conclusion to the homeowner in their initial “under deductible” denial letter.
After a number of back and forth communications and exchange of documents, the insurance company agreed to pay for the insured’s full roof replacement, nearly $60,000.
Panama City - Hurricane Michael - Policy Limits
A Panama City Homeowner (L.C.) contacted VIP Adjusting in December of 2018 after receiving an initial payment of $31,000 from her insurance company. The property was owned by a member of the armed forces stationed across county, and at the time of Hurricane Michael, the property was being rented to a tenant.
With extensive damage to the roof and exterior, and water damage throughout the whole property, the damages were far more costly than the insurance company paid for. In addition, the property was uninhabitable and the insured lost their tenant
VIP Adjusting prepared an estimate of the damages that exceeded the policy limits and provided it to the insurance company. The insurance company scheduled an additional inspection and VIP Adjusting walked the new inspector through the property and explained the discrepancies in the estimates and the required repairs.
After some delays on the part of the insurance company, they agreed to pay the policy’s limits of 157,000, over five times the original payment!
From the time VIP Adjusting was retained to the final payment was just a little over three months for an added bonus.
Port St Lucie - Hurricane Irma - Policy Limits!
A Port St Lucie homeowner (J.B.) contacted VIP Adjusting several months after receiving a payment for his hurricane Irma damages. The payment of $6,500 was so low, the insured was stunned and unsure what he was supposed to do.
VIP Adjusting prepared an estimate for the damaged carport and exterior damage to the roof, as well as damage to the home’s multiple bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bathroom from the interior water damages that exceeded the policy’s limits. VIP’s estimate of the roof repair, alone, exceeded the insurance company’s original estimate.
After initially ignoring VIP Adjusting’s representation, the insurance company ended up paying its policyholder the policy’s limits, getting him the benefits he paid for.
Panama City - Hurricane Damage - $190,000+
A Panama City homeowner (J.B.) was referred by a friend to VIP Adjusting to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Florida’s panhandle.
VIP Adjusting handled the claim from the outset and after initial presentation of the damages to the insurance company, everyone was underwhelmed with the initial payment of 37,000.
VIP Adjusting prepared a comparative estimate and outlined the shortfalls by documenting the damages to the roof, exterior brick structure, and areas of water damage in nearly every room.
In response, the insurance company conducted an additional inspection, and agreed to a supplemental payment totaling $159,000.
VIP Adjusting was able to negotiate a final settlement at over $190,000 to allow the homeowners to rebuild their lives.
West Palm Beach - Water Heater Leak - 650% More!
West Palm Beach — A homeowner with a leaking water heater contacted VIP Adjusting to assist with damage caused by a hot water leak that damaged several adjacent rooms, the flooring, and subflooring. The water was turned off, and the water heater was repaired.
The insurance company’s initial evaluation was severely lacking and only paid $5,100. After VIP Adjusting prepared an estimate of the damages, the insurance company issued a supplemental payment, bringing the claim total up to $14,300, triple its initial valuation.
VIP Adjusting continued to press forward and the claim ultimately resolved for $33,000, 6.5 times the insurance company’s initial payment!
Port St Lucie - Bathroom Plumbing Leak - Multiple Supplements - Paid Full Estimate $23,000
A Port St Lucie homeowner (T.B.) made contact with VIP Adjusting about two weeks after having a leak inside the wall behind their bathroom shower. The water was turned off and the leak was repaired, but damage was caused by the water inside the wall, access was required to open the wall and repair the plumbing, and damage was caused in an adjacent bedroom to laminate flooring that runs continuously throughout the home.
The damages were presented to the insurance company and they made an initial evaluation of $8,900. VIP Adjusting finalized its estimate and provided it to the insurer, pointing out the deficiencies in the initial payment.
The insurance company conducted an additional investigation and issued a supplemental payment totaling 15,300. That payment was still insufficient.
After some additional negotiating, and a little legal help, the insurance company finally agreed to pay the full value of VIP Adjusting’s estimate, 23,000, including all of the bathroom damages and replacement for all the flooring.
Port St Lucie - Kitchen Plumbing Claim Denied - Final Settlement $13,000
In February of 2018, a Port St. Lucie homeowner (E.A) contacted VIP Adjusting after discovering water under his kitchen sink from a failed garbage disposal (or garburator if you’re Canadian) that caused damage to his builder grade kitchen cabinets. The garbage disposal was repaired and documented to be the source of the leak.
After inspecting, because of the dark color of the staining, the insurance company denied this homeowner’s claim, insisting that the damage was “long term” and therefore not covered by his insurance policy.
Unjust denials can cause the claim to take longer than expected, but after a few months of fighting, we were able to obtain the homeowners $13,000 to repair their cabinets.