The state has said that insurers were responsive to their customers because they were ready.
State officials have said that Florida hurricane insurance companies have been responsive to customers. This responsiveness to the damage from two hurricanes this year was the result of preparation. Those hurricanes caused hundreds of millions of damage in that state alone.
That division received only 375 calls regarding the way Florida hurricane insurance claims were handled. When taking into consideration that Hurricane Matthew led to over 100,000 property damage claims in the state, that is a small number of calls.
According to David Altmaier, the Florida Insurance Commissioner, “I know that there are individual circumstances of people that may not be pleased with the response, but overall I think we have seen the constant preparation that both the industry and our office and (the Florida Department of Financial Services) have put into being prepared for these circumstances has paid off.”
This was the conclusion following the hurricane insurance company response to both Hermine and Matthew.
These two storms were considered important tests of the preparedness of the hurricane insurance industry as it had been over a decade since the last time the state had been directly hit by a hurricane. Though Hermine missed most of the state, it did make landfall in the northern portion. That said, Matthew stomped its way along the majority of the length of the east coast of the state. The 2016 hurricane season came to a close with the end of November.
The 375 calls made to the Division of Consumer services with regard to the insurance claims from Matthew damage were recorded above and beyond the more general calls consumers typically make in order to obtain guidance and an understanding of their rights following a hurricane. This, according to Tasha Carter, the Division of Consumer Services Director.
Carter stated that “At this point, we are pretty comfortable that the process is working.” She also said that hurricane insurance companies did respond within an acceptably timely manner when the Division of Consumer Services reported received complaints to them.
