Revised Predictions Forecasting A More Active Atlantic Hurricane Season Are Coming To Fruition

The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and runs through November 30, although Subtropical Storm Andrew made 2019 the fifth consecutive year to have a named storm form outside of that time frame. The Atlantic season includes the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea.

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Hurricane Dorian Claims: Spotlight On Independent Adjusters’ Liability

After devastating the Bahamas, Hurricane Dorian has moved up the Atlantic Coast and is now affecting the Canadian Maritimes. Dorian was the fifth Atlantic hurricane to reach Category Five status in four years and has already broken records with sustained wind speeds exceeding 185 miles per hour. Many are attributing Dorian’s strength and fury to climate change. Although Dorian was ultimately downgraded - it is now a Category 1 after impacting the Carolinas as a Category 2/3 - it has had wide-reaching impacts along the Eastern Seaboard, and early estimates suggest the cleanup and repairs will cost tens of billions of dollars.

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Governor Extends State Emergency in Florida in Advance of Hurricane Dorian

On August 29, 2019, Governor Rick DeSantis issued Executive Order number 19-190 that extended the state of emergency in Florida to cover every county in the state. Hurricane Dorian is now predicted to be a Category 4 hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida sometime this weekend. If that prediction is accurate, it would be the most powerful hurricane to strike the East Coast of Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Early predictions paint a potential insurance exposure that could approach $145 Billion. As with Hurricane Michael which struck the panhandle of Florida in October of 2018, our previous discussions related to business interruption and concurrent causation in Florida may be relevant to claims that arise from Hurricane Dorian.

Posted by Jonathan MacBride

Hurricane Dorian Approaches Florida

Hurricane Dorian is now predicted to strike Florida’s East Coast as a possible Category 3 hurricane. On August 28, 2019, Governor Rick DeSantis issued Executive Order number 19-189 declaring a state of emergency in a number of counties along the east coast. Attached is a checklist that provides some information for carriers that may be facing claims in Florida from Dorian.

Posted by William Zieden-Weber and Christine Renella

New Florida Case Alert: Retained Public Adjuster Was Not “Disinterested” Appraiser

First-party property policies typically include appraisal provisions requiring each party to appoint a “disinterested” or “impartial” appraiser. A Florida appellate court recently addressed the question of what makes a potential appraiser “disinterested” in a case involving a Hurricane Irma claim.

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Zelle CAT-Law Webinar Week Continues

Managing Insurance Claims in the Wake of Catastrophes
July 23-26, 2019

Zelle LLP invites you to join us for a week of webinars featuring insurance topics that are of critical importance to adjusters and insurance professionals. This series will cover managing insurance claims in the wake of catastrophes. All webinars will be offered free of charge and 1.0 of CE credit will be offered to attendees. These courses have been approved for CE credit in the following states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.

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Zelle Hosts CAT-Law Webinar Week

Managing Insurance Claims in the Wake of Catastrophes
July 22-26, 2019

Zelle LLP invites you to join us for a week of webinars featuring insurance topics that are of critical importance to adjusters and insurance professionals. This series will cover managing insurance claims in the wake of catastrophes. All webinars will be offered free of charge and 1.0 of CE credit will be offered to attendees. These courses have been approved for CE credit in the following states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.

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