Freshman Pollock Representative Gabe Firment warned there’s a lot of “disturbing” evidence that home insurance companies are shortchanging customers with hurricane damage on their settlement offers.
Firment said there’s a concerted effort by insurers to cut costs by giving you less than you are owed. It starts by replacing traditional adjusters with technology.
“With drones and smartphones, you just can’t handle hurricane claims remotely,” said Firment.
Firment is a 20-year veteran insurance adjuster who is in his freshman year at the Capitol.
He says another technique he’s seeing insurance companies employ is to send customers lowball settlement offers and then make the appeals process a nightmare.
“They just wear them down hoping they will take it,” said Firment. “I’ve got a little claim that was nothing but one shingle missing and trees down on fences and it has been a disaster.”
2020 was the most expensive year for Louisiana home insurers since 2005.
Firment said the problem is really prevalent once your claim moves from the local level up to corporate headquarters.
“I’ve got a long list here of ways that the desk adjuster intentionally minimizes the payout, and it is pretty disturbing,” said Firment.
One example he noted was insurance companies only compensating contractors pre-hurricane prices on materials purchased post-storm. He says everyone in a hurricane zone knows prices shoot up after a hurricane strikes.
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