Hurricane Florence

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The North Carolina Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey, gets an A+ grade for his recent bulletin requiring greater investigation of otherwise hidden areas behind walls to ensure losses are being adjusted properly. This bulletin will certainly help victims of Hurricane Florence with hurricane claims. …
Continue Reading North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Requires More Thorough Investigation of Hidden Water Damage and Hurricane Florence Claims

Managed repair is the rage of many insurance companies. To reduce claims costs and better compete on low price, some insurance company adjusters use various techniques to steer or pressure policyholders into using contractors the insurance company wants the policyholder to hire. Independent restoration contractors and public adjusters have legions of stories about how adjusters achieve these low-ball payment goals through pressure techniques of innuendo or threats of non-payment.
Continue Reading Adjusters and Insurance Companies Should Not Pressure Hurricane Florence Policyholders To Use Favored Contractors

The widespread devastation of Hurricane Florence brought to a recent discussion the question of whether assignment of benefits contracts for property insurance proceeds are enforceable in North Carolina. This is a great question. In a general setting, vendors, services providers and contractors begin their work with a down payment and receive additional payments as work progresses, with many jurisdictions recognizing a contractor’s lien or service lien against the benefactor if they are not paid in full.
Continue Reading An AOB? Can we do that? – Assignment of Benefits in North Carolina

After a disaster, United Policyholders is always a good resource to review for policyholders and family members of those with a home or business affected by the hurricane. This non-profit organization has many programs and services that may guide you in the aftermath of a storm when stress levels are high, and you have many questions.
Continue Reading Hurricane Florence Online Resources Available from United Policyholders

Prior to becoming an attorney, Shane played collegiate golf at Notre Dame and also competed professionally on a developmental tour for the LPGA

In addition to the beautiful beaches, one of the things for which Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is well-known is its golf courses. Because there is a year-round temperate climate, and Myrtle Beach has courses designed by world-famous architects, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, and Greg Norman, it is many golfers’ favorite golf destination. North Carolina is also known for many championship golf courses, several of which were designed by well-known golf course architect Donald Ross.
Continue Reading Repairing Hurricane Florence Flood Damage to Golf Courses

Flood insurance claims are different than regular property insurance claims because virtually all flood insurance claims have to follow federal regulations. The vast majority of all flood insurance policies are written through the National Flood Program. Even if a private company known as a Write Your Own (WYO) is listed as the insurer on the first pages of the policy, these insurers are merely participants in the National Flood Program and the ultimate payments do not come from them but out of the United States Treasury.
Continue Reading How Does a Flood Insurance Claim Work? Tips to Get Your Florence Flood Claim Quickly Paid

Florence battered the Carolina Coast with 90mph winds when it made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on September 14, 2018. Florence downgraded to a tropical storm Friday evening and is now crawling across South Carolina at a drastically slow rate of approximately 5mph. The Carolinas are now facing the devastating effects of catastrophic storm surge, flash flooding, and prolonged river flooding. Some parts of North Carolina are already inundated with over thirty inches of rain.
Continue Reading Hurricane Florence – What Does My Flood Insurance Policy Cover?

Historically September is one of the most active months during hurricane season. Policyholders should be prepared and informed before, during and after a hurricane. As I write this blog, many in South Carolina are experiencing the force of Hurricane Florence and while for some, the hurricane will end the next day, for others the following morning will be the beginning of a long process of recovery, from claiming damages to their insurance company to work on all repairs needed on their residential or commercial properties.
Continue Reading Claim Handling Requirements by State – South Carolina

Hurricane Florence insurance claims are the headache that starts after Florence damages your business or home. There is nothing easy about having your property destroyed—either emotionally or financially. It is going to hurt. I and a number of Merlin Law Group lawyers have been doing this work full time for as long as anybody in the business. We have seen the emotional toll from hurricanes and the insurance claim process. We have seen the financial stress caused when dealing with insurance company payments that are not fast enough and simply not enough. We are here to help policyholders get over this hurt and frustration.
Continue Reading Your Hurricane Florence Insurance Claim: Tips From an Experienced Policyholder Lawyer For Business and Homeowner Insurance Hurricane Claims