Insurance Claims And Issues

Level of Insurance Coverage Levels the Playing Field.

     Disputes between Insurance Companies and their Policyholders is nothing new.  In California, for example, there is a dispute brewing about who is responsible for maintaining levels of Insurance Coverage necessary to provide the money to rebuild after recent wildfires there, the Insurance Companies or the Policyholders, or both.  Marc Lifsher, "Wildfires Heat up Debate on Inadequate Insurance Coverage" (Los Angeles Times Online, Friday, June 6, 2008, a link which may or may not work if TypePad issues are not resolved, but available online at www.latimes.com.

     One thing remains certain.  Maintaining the level(s) of Insurance Coverage which provide payouts adequate to rebuild a home after a covered loss is a very good idea if the desired result is to rebuild a home after a covered loss.

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Florida O.I.R. Lifted Suspension of New Allstate Policies...

... The Same Day Florida's First District Court of Appeal Denied Rehearing of its Opinion Upholding O.I.R.'s Order Suspending New Allstate Policies.

     Press reports published on Saturday, May 17, 2008 made it appear that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (O.I.R.) lifted its suspension on new Allstate Insurance Policies on Florida on the day before, or Friday, May 16, 2008.  As you will recall, the O.I.R. issued its Suspension Order in the first place because Allstate failed to comply with O.I.R. subpoenas for various groups of documents including unauthorized Catastrophe Computer Models purchased by Allstate in connection with its Premium Rate Increase requests.

     According to the O.I.R., it announced a stay of its Suspension Order on Wednesday, May 14, 2008, immediately after the Florida appellate court denied rehearing of its Opinion upholding the O.I.R. Order.  The reason given by the O.I.R. was its receipt of a sworn affidavit from Allstate "certifying that it has complied with Florida law by freely providing all documents requested" by the O.I.R.  See Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Press Release, "Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty Stays Allstate Suspension, Continuing Compliance Required," Wed., May 14, 2008.

     Dennis Wall, Chair of the Insurance Law Committee, will speak at the Orange County Bar Association Center in Orlando, Florida about Preparing for Hurricane Insurance, on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 from Noon to 1:00 P.M.  The Orange County Bar Association Center is located at 880 North Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida.

    You are cordially invited to attend this free public event.  Hope to see you there. 

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Preparing for Hurricane Insurance.

    Dennis Wall, Chair of the Insurance Law Committee, will speak at the Orange County Bar Association Center in Orlando, Florida about Preparing for Hurricane Insurance, on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 from Noon to 1:00 P.M.  The Orange County Bar Association Center is located at 880 North Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida.

    You are cordially invited to attend this free public event.  Here  is a link to the "EVENTS" published about this presentation by the Orlando Sentinel on Monday, May 19, 2008 on page C3, col. 1, in "The Law & You" Section.

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Let Coverage (and a Smile) be Your Umbrella.

    The problem with Umbrella Insurance Policies is not that Policyholders do not buy them.   The Premiums are way lower on average than the Premiums charged for the same amount of Primary Insurance Coverage.

    Rather, the problem with Umbrella Insurance Coverage is that the vast majority of Policyholders are not insured with adequate limits on their Umbrella and other Excess Insurance Coverages over and above their Primary Homeowner's Insurance or Automobile Insurance Policies, for example.  Joseph B. Treaster, "Umbrella Coverage for Preventing Your Ruin" (New York Times.com, Tuesday, March 18, 2008).

    There is no time like the present to take the counsel of this respected reporter in the article linked above, and check on your own Umbrella Insurance Policy Limits, or to counsel others you may represent to do the same.

Please Read The Disclaimer.