Erik Barnard, Esq.

02/11/2020

If you've hired a public adjuster for your insurance claim and you are forced into appraisal, can your public adjuster act as your appraiser? To find out, read my latest blog post.

10/09/2015

Your insurance policy likely states that you are to receive the Actual Cash Value in the settlement of your insurance claim. But what is the "Actual Cash Value" on an insurance claim? Is $5,000 enough to fix your kitchen? $10,000? $20,000? Be sure to provide your insurance company an estimate from a qualified contractor that YOU trust in order to fix your home so you can be sure you're receiving the Actual Cash Value for your loss.

09/09/2015

Are we looking forward to fewer, weaker Atlantic Hurricanes? A new study conducted by scientists at Colorado State University seems to suggest just that.

A new but controversial study asks if an end is coming to the busy Atlantic hurricane seasons of recent decades.

08/29/2015

NOAA has declared that Tropical Storm Erika is now dead and isn't likely to be able to gain enough strength to cause serious damage to Florida at this point. At least you're now prepared in case another severe weather event occurs in the next month or so!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT5+shtml/291154.shtml

08/27/2015

Barry Gilway, CEO of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, states that due to the amount of "fraud" claims in Miami-Dade, they are looking to increase policy rates by 3.2 percent (on average) for all of its policy holders, next February, regardless of their claim history. Do you think this is fair?

A "disturbing" rise in water-damage claims in South Florida is driving Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to seek an average 3.2 percent increase in rates for many homeowners, the president of the state-backed insurer said Tuesday.

08/27/2015

Many Floridians are preparing in the event that Hurricane Erika touches ground in South Florida. You have your shutters, water bottles, canned goods, batteries, flash lights, and other things all in preparation of the storm. However, are you prepared for the storm AFTER the storm? Of course, I'm referring to filing an insurance claim with your insurance company. If not, here are some tips that'll help you recover the amount necessary to put your home or business in the condition it was before the loss:

1. Document your property - Make sure you take photos of the inside of your home. Specifically, the ceilings, walls, floors. Also, you will want to take photos of the outside of your property such as the walls, fences, roof, windows, and doors.
2. Document your personal property - Take photos of the valuable electronics, jewelry and other personal items in case they are damaged or lost during the storm.
3. Back up your documentation - Take these photos and store them in the "cloud" or somewhere safe.
4. Be sure your policy information is correct and up to date.
5. After the storm passes, take photos of the damage to your property.

If you follow these steps, you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration that sometimes follows when filing an insurance claim. If you have any questions or need any help recovering the fair amount from your insurance company, please contact me at any time.

08/27/2015