Deductible

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The Problem: Waiving insurance policy deductibles (“you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”) has been common place in Texas since 1989 and came about as the result of a poorly worded statute passed that same year that contractors have basically ignored. Contractors who have broken the 1989 law by waving deductibles (primarily roofing contractors) are known as “deductible eaters.” Homeowners were lured into signing contracts with the deductible eaters based on promises, for example, of a “free roof.” And then, homeowners/policyholders were duped into committing insurance fraud when in submitting a request pursuant to their policy for replacement cost (RCV) hold-back, they failed to tell their insurance company that the deductible part of the claim had not been incurred. What this means, again for example, before the new law, is that the roof job a homeowner got where the $2000 deductible was waived or “forgiven” and buried in other ways in the contractor’s paperwork, will now be required as payment out-of-pocket and proof that it was paid before the insurer will pay the RCV hold-back.
Continue Reading No Waving of Deductibles Bill: Texas HB 2102

Named Windstorm deductibles are fairly common in areas prone to hurricanes. Instead of a policyholder being responsible for deductibles which can regularly rise to several thousand dollars, in the event of a named storm, which tropical storms and hurricanes become, a higher Named Windstorm Deductible applies and usually results in a very high deductible. Many Named Windstorm deductibles are on a percentage basis.
Continue Reading Why Do I Have To Pay A Large Named Windstorm Deductible? Confusion With Named Windstorm Deductibles Versus Flood Deductibles In Hurricane Scenarios

A relatively inexperienced attorney from another law firm asked in an open forum whether a Category 5 hurricane mandates that no hurricane deductible can be applied and if Hurricane Michael policyholders can get a return of their hurricane deductible. Corey Harris has been involved in hurricane work with our firm since 2005. He quickly replied that the deductible is going to be returned only if the Easter Bunny is bringing a present.
Continue Reading Hurricane Michael Rumor—Category 5 Status and Deductible Refunds

Louisiana’s Department of Insurance, through its Commissioner, James J. Donelon, issued an Advisory Letter No. 2018-01 on June 18, 2018, to inform all property and casualty insurers how the separate named storm deductibles or hurricane deductibles are to be interpreted and applied to claims resulting from a subtropical storm named by the National Hurricane Center of the National Weather Service.
Continue Reading Insurance Department Guidance on Application of Named Storm / Hurricane Deductibles

Recently, the Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the dismissal of a class action against Omega Insurance Company in which the policyholders asserted that Omega improperly required them to pay a deductible when Omega invoked its right to repair the property.
Continue Reading Policyholder Must Pay Deductible When Insurance Company Invokes Right to Repair a Partial Loss

Many commercial property owners and investors hit by Hurricane Matthew may insure multiple buildings under one policy. Depending on the insurance coverage form, one or multiple deductibles may apply. I was thinking about this while reading a recent case indicating that multiple deductibles applied.1…

Continue Reading How Many Deductibles for Multiple Loss Locations–Using FC&S to Help Judges Make the Correct Decision

For those of us that practice in the area of property damage in Colorado, June 6, 2012, is a day with much notoriety. A large wind and hail storm passed through the state, causing extraordinary damage. Even though it was classified as a catastrophic event, many insurers still challenged damages, so I represented a high volume of clients from this storm. However, this was not the only thing that happened on this date in Colorado. Governor Hickenlooper also signed into effect Senate Bill 12-038, “Concerning Measures to Protect Consumers who Engage a Roofing Contractor to Perform Roofing Services on Residential Property.” The full act is available online, but I wanted to draw your attention to certain parts of it as they have been topics of many recent phone calls.…

Continue Reading Who pays the deductible? Requirements of roofing contracts in Colorado

Commercial insurance policies are as varied as they are numerous. One thing they all generally have in common is coverage exclusions and high hurricane deductibles. New Paradigm Underwriters, LLC is offering a new insurance product called Hurricane PM. Hurricane PM is part deductible buyback policy part gap coverage that gets the insured paid from dollar one. The coverage is triggered by “a named storm exceeding a pre-determined wind speed.” In other words, where traditional wind insurance policies would have a named storm or hurricane deductible kick in, the Hurricane PM coverage activates to cover the out of pocket loss that might ordinarily be the insured’s to deal with.…

Continue Reading New Insurance Product May Help Cover Gaps in Traditional Commercial Policies for Hurricanes