Claim Stories

Water Damage

Client: Mark W.

Location: Miramar, FL.

Type of claim: Burst Pipe.

Situation: Mark and his family were away for the weekend. Upon returning home, they discovered that their refrigerator supply line had ruptured and water had been flowing from it all weekend and their laminate floors were already buckling.

Problem: Mark called his insurance company and they made him an offer of $5600. They tried to tell him that $5600 would pay for the portion of the floor that was damaged in the kitchen. Mark had a feeling that he was being short changed so he called East Coast.

Solution: East Coast examined the house, analyzed his policy and wrote an estimate for $54,000. After presenting the estimate and the reasons why a $54,000 estimate was justified, eventually a settlement was made for just over $46,000.

Final Analysis: Without ECPA, $5600. With ECPA, $46,000. ECPA got them an increase of over %X. Mark’s comments: “I had never used a public adjuster before. East Coast handled everything for me and got the insurance company to give me what I was entitled to receive. Never again will I even think about filing a claim without East Coast in my corner.”

Fire Damage

Client: Anonymous

Location: Miami, FL

Type of claim: Fire

Situation: A roofing company was doing some work on a commercial property. One of the roofers accidentally started a roof fire with his blow torch. Claims were filed for damage to the property and loss of use. The insurance company made an initial payment of $296,607.53. The insured, who had used East Coast on a previous residential claim felt he had not been paid enough.

Problem: Mark called his insurance company and they made him an offer of $5600. They tried to tell him that $5600 would pay for the portion of the floor that was damaged in the kitchen. Mark had a feeling that he was being short changed so he called East Coast.

Solution: East Coast determined that the damage was much more extensive than the insurance company had first estimated. Additional damage was found not only in other parts of the building, but smoke, soot and water had done damage to some air conditioning units and other electrical items. Additional loss of use coverage was also claimed.

The insurance company paid almost $250,000 more which brought the total settlement amount to $547,173.89.

Theft

Client: William P

Location: Theft and Vandalism

Type of claim: Lightning

Situation: William and his family were away on vacation. While they were away their house was broken into, vandalized and several items were stolen. The crooks who did this were excessive in every way. They broke holes in the drywall, spray painted inside the house, destroyed almost all of the furniture and really didn’t leave a stone unturned. William’s home was not suitable for his family and him to live in upon their return from vacation.

Solution: William had heard ads for East Coast on the radio and had been told about East Coast by a few of his friends so he gave them a call. Upon reading and analyzing the policy and reviewing the damage at the home, East Coast helped William and his family file a property damage claim, a contents claim and an Additional Living Expenses (ALE) claim. Through an orchestrated effort on all three claims, East Coast was able to help William and his family recover over $85,000. Not bad, considering that the insurance company had originally offered less than $10,000.

Don’t get ripped off twice. Get East Coast in your corner so you can rest assured knowing that you will collect the maximum possible settlement because someone is looking after YOUR interest!

Lightning

Client: Martin G

Location: Coral Springs, FL

Type of claim: Lightning

Situation: Living in the “lightning capital of the world” makes us easy targets for lightning damage. This was the case for Martin at his small business location. During a storm, lightning hit his building and caused damage to his main electrical board. Naturally, his insurance company tried to deny the claim by telling him that “stuff like this just isn’t covered by your policy”.

Solution: Martin called East Coast and sent over a copy of his policy. The policy was reviewed and a licensed public adjuster went to the property to assess the damage. East Coast took over the claim on behalf of Martin and contacted his insurance company. By doing what East Coast does best, the insurance company eventually admitted that the damage was, in fact, covered by Martin’s policy.

Martin received a check for just over $21,000 from his insurance company to pay for the damaged electrical board. Martin did not have to settle for less.

Business Interruption

Client: Small, Family owned business

Location: Miami, FL

Type of claim: Business Interruption

Situation: A family owned and operated business’ roof collapsed which left the building unable to serve its purpose. Of course, a property damage claim was filed (with the help of East Coast), but also filed was a business interruption claim. Every day that the company could not use the building as it was meant to be used, was a day without revenue for the firm. The biggest problem with this claim was that the adjuster for the insurance company simply wasn’t able to do the math and figure out exactly how much money was being lost on a day to day basis. Additionally, the insurance company tried to deny that coverage even existed for business interruption.

Solution: The company brought in East Coast Public Adjusters. East Coast brought in a team of forensic accountants to help accurately determine the true value of the business lost by the company. Additionally, East Coast thoroughly analyzed the policy and found that the policy did include coverage for business interruption.

The company got a SEVEN figure property damage settlement AND over $300,000 for their business interruption claim.

Loss of Use

Client: Scott, a Landlord

Location: Kendall, FL

Type of claim: Loss of Use

Situation: Scott is the owner of a duplex in Kendall. A major plumbing issue caused significant damage to both units. During the claims process and throughout the reconstruction, his property was not in rentable condition. Scott was losing rental income every day that the property was not habitable.

Solution: East Coast was already handling the claim for the actual damage to the property. At the strategically right time in the process a Loss of Use claim was filed as well. As you may imagine, the insurance company offered absolutely nothing at first. East Coast was able to present all of the proper documentation and prove that Loss of Use coverage did exist under the policy.

The insurance company finally agreed to a settlement that East Coast offered and Scott collected a large percentage of his “lost” rent.

Dropped Objects

Client: Craig T

Location: Coral Gables, FL

Type of claim: Dropped Object

Situation: Craig was cooking in his kitchen when he accidentally knocked a large, heavy pot off the countertop which cracked a couple of tiles on his floor. It was an older home and the tile had been installed many years earlier. The tile ran throughout the majority of the first floor including the kitchen, living and dining room, foyer and family room. Initially, his insurance company offered him $301.67 after his deductible had been covered.

Solution: East Coast was hired to help Craig collect the full amount he was due based on the coverage in his policy. Because the tile could not be matched and that it ran throughout the majority of the first floor, East Coast fought to have the entire floor replaced. After all, Craig had a matching tile floor before the accident. Insurance is meant to get people back to where they were “pre-loss”. Craig was able to stay focused on running his business and taking care of his family while East Coast handled the details and negotiations with the insurance company.

In the end, Craig received a check for almost $20,000! Quite a difference from the original $300 and change he was offered before East Coast was involved with the claim. Craig’s new floor was installed shortly thereafter. The “matching statute” will almost always favor you, the insured. Don’t settle for a patchwork repair job.

Sinkhole

Client: Mario F

Location: Coconut Creek, FL

Type of claim: Sinkhole damage

Situation: One of the hardest claim types to prove and one of the most denied claims involve property damage caused by sinkholes. First, take the images that you see on the news out of your head. Those giant craters that swallow homes and cars are, in fact fairly rare. However, even a minor sinkhole can be the cause of major damage and aggravation. This was the case for Mario. He noticed cracking in the floor and separation along joints at walls and ceilings. He had no idea at the time that his house was sitting on a sinkhole. As the earth continued to shift, Mario’s home moved as well.
Solution: Before he even called his insurance company, Mario called East Coast Public Adjusters. East Coast inspected the damage, then brought in structural engineers and other industry specialists to assist with the damage diagnosis. All the while, Mario’s policy was undergoing a thorough analysis to help determine his coverage.
Sinkhole repair is not easy, nor inexpensive. Often times, insurance companies will insist on repairing your property with less than perfect strategies. Don’t fall for these. More than likely you, like Mario, are entitled to receive enough money to pay for a complete, proper repair. East Coast helped Mario collect over $216,000 to cover his damage. $216,000 was also the policy limit. In this case, there truly was no settling for less!