National Preparedness Month: Adjustors say prep now for future emergencies?
With the primary hurricane season upon us and extreme weather hitting the nation, it is imperative that Floridians take initiative to prepare for any type of damaging event.
September is National Preparedness Month, and the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters encourages Floridians to take note of important procedures to follow before and after emergencies occur.
“Hurricane season is a time when many people start thinking about emergency plans, but the truth is, an emergency can happen at any time,” said Pasquale “Pat” Cuccaro, FAPIA president. “There is no home fire season, no season for devastating water damage, yet these events are far more common than hurricanes. Floridians must always be on guard and be prepared for how to respond when damage occurs.”
In addition to inspecting your home or business for potential hazards, there are several insurance-related precautions consumers can make to be better prepared in the event of property damage.
FAPIA suggests home and business owners turn to a public insurance adjuster as soon as possible after sustaining an insured loss. Public insurance adjusters are licensed by the State of Florida to advocate for and assist insured consumers in the preparation, presentation and adjustment of their property insurance claims.
“Public adjusters play a vital role in making sure that Florida consumers receive full and fair compensation on their insurance claims,” said Cuccaro, citing a 2010 report by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability that shows how customers of the state’s largest insurer received significantly higher compensation when working with public adjusters.