Florida Property & Casualty Association offers Tips on Staying Safe, Getting Help and Making Claims

Tallahassee, FL – The Florida Property & Casualty Association (FPCA), an industry trade group comprised of 19 Florida-based homeowners insurance companies, offers these tips for homeowners that have experienced property damage as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

First, make sure you and your family are safe, and then do what you can to survey property damage and secure your home to protect your family and belongings from further risk or damage. The FPCA recommends that you follow the American Red Cross Hurricane Preparedness Checklist “What do I do after a hurricane?” http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4340160_Hurricane.pdf.

Once your property is secured and your family is taken care of, the FPCA recommends that you immediately contact your insurance company to open a claim and arrange for an adjuster to inspect and document any damage. In some cases, the adjuster can also help bring in the contractors and materials necessary to make repairs.

Policyholders should call their agent, or insurance company’s claims hotline, prior to signing any repair contract, and be wary of giving away their policy benefits and proceeds to a third party vendor.

“Our member companies’ adjusters are on the ground and ready to respond and serve the needs of their policyholders,” said William Stander, FPCA’s Executive Director. “Meanwhile, FPCA representatives continue to work together with government officials including the Florida Department of Financial Services and the Office of Insurance Regulation to coordinate the recovery process.”

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About the Florida Property & Casualty Association

The FPCA was established in 1997 to represent Florida-based home insurers to foster and promote a healthy and competitive Florida insurance market. Through its lobbying and communications teams, the FPCA works to educate Florida lawmakers, regulators and homeowners on issues and policies that affect property and casualty insurance. The organization is recognized as a source for timely information on insurance legislation and regulation, as well.  www.fpcaonline.org