Why Is My Florida Insurance Company Ignoring to My Claim?

Can a Florida Insurance Company Ignore Your Claim?

Generally, no. Florida law establishes specific requirements for how residential property insurers must acknowledge communications, investigate claims, provide estimates, and make claim decisions. An insurance company may need time to investigate a complicated loss, but prolonged silence or repeated failures to respond deserve attention.

Under Florida Statute § 627.70131, an insurer generally must acknowledge communications concerning a property insurance claim within 7 calendar days. The insurer generally must also pay or deny an initial, reopened, or supplemental property insurance claim, or a portion of the claim, within 60 days after receiving notice, unless a statutory exception or tolling provision applies.

If your Florida insurance company has stopped communicating with you, the important question is not simply whether the adjuster has returned your latest phone call. The larger question is whether the insurer is complying with its obligations under your policy and Florida law.

How Long Does a Florida Insurance Company Have to Respond to My Claim?

Florida Statute § 627.70131 establishes several important deadlines for residential property insurance claims. When an insurer receives a communication concerning a claim, it generally must review and acknowledge the communication within 7 calendar days, unless payment is made within that period or the failure to acknowledge is due to factors beyond the insurer’s control. The acknowledgment must also be responsive to the communication.

If the communication is the initial notice of a claim, the insurer generally must also provide the necessary claim forms and instructions unless it reasonably advises the policyholder that the claim appears not to be covered. This means an insurance company generally should not simply receive your property claim and disappear.

Does My Insurance Company Have to Respond to My Emails and Calls?

Section 627.70131 generally requires an insurer to review and acknowledge communications relating to a claim within 7 calendar days. Florida law also states that communications made to or by an authorized representative of the insurance company concerning the claim are treated as communications to or by the insurer.

That does not necessarily mean the adjuster must answer every telephone call immediately or provide a complete coverage decision every time you send an email.

It does mean that repeated written communications disappearing without acknowledgment or meaningful action may raise legitimate concerns about how the claim is being handled. This is one reason we recommend keeping important communications in writing whenever possible.

How Long Does the Insurance Company Have to Investigate My Florida Property Claim?

Florida law also regulates portions of the investigation process. Unless otherwise provided by the policy or law, an insurer generally must begin the investigation reasonably necessary to evaluate the loss within 7 days after receiving proof-of-loss statements, unless factors beyond the insurer’s control prevent it.

If that investigation involves a physical inspection of the property, the insurer generally must conduct the inspection within 30 days of receiving the proof-of-loss statements. The adjuster assigned to conduct the inspection must also provide identifying information, including the adjuster’s name and Florida license number.

The insurer may use photographs, videos, video conferencing, drones, or other electronic methods as part of its investigation. Still, Florida law does not prohibit the insurer from assigning a licensed adjuster to inspect the property in person.

How Long Does a Florida Insurance Company Have to Pay or Deny a Property Claim?

Under Florida Statute § 627.70131, a residential property insurer generally has 60 days after receiving notice of an initial, reopened, or supplemental claim to pay or deny the claim or a portion of the claim, unless an applicable statutory exception applies.

The Florida Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights similarly states that homeowners generally have the right, within 60 days, to receive settlement payment, payment of the undisputed portion of the claim, or a denial, subject to applicable exceptions and policy interests.

The insurer must also provide a reasonable written explanation of the policy, facts, or applicable law supporting its payment, denial, or partial denial. If the insurer pays less than an amount contained in its own detailed estimate, it must provide a reasonable written explanation for that difference.

The 60-day rule does not necessarily mean the insurer must pay whatever amount the homeowner demands. It means the company generally must take action on the claim rather than leaving the policyholder indefinitely without a decision.

Can the Insurance Company Take Longer Than 60 Days?

In limited circumstances, yes. Under § 627.70131, Florida Statutes, an insurer generally must pay or deny an initial, reopened, or supplemental property insurance claim within 60 days after receiving notice of the claim.

The deadline may be extended when factors beyond the insurer’s control prevent compliance. These can include a declared state of emergency, a qualifying cybersecurity breach, or an information technology issue, all of which may prompt the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to issue an applicable order. An extension of the payment-or-denial deadline may not exceed an additional 30 days.

Fraud, lack of cooperation, or intentional misrepresentation by the policyholder or representative may also qualify when it reasonably prevents the insurer from meeting the statutory requirements.

The deadline is also tolled during certain mediation or contractual alternative dispute resolution proceedings. It may be tolled when requested material claim information is not provided within 10 days, provided the insurer requested at least 15 days before its payment-or-denial deadline.

For that reason, determining whether an insurer has missed the 60-day deadline requires reviewing the entire claim timeline and any applicable tolling periods or extensions.

What If the Insurance Company Keeps Asking Me for More Information?

Requests for additional information are not automatically improper. Property insurance companies are entitled to investigate claims. They may need photographs, repair estimates, receipts, proof-of-loss documentation, prior repair records, maintenance information, or other evidence relevant to determining coverage and the amount of damage.

Section 626.9541 identifies certain conduct as potentially constituting an unfair claim settlement practice when performed with the frequency required by the statute, including failing to promptly notify an insured of additional information needed to process a claim and failing to clearly explain the nature of the requested information and why it is necessary.

If your insurer repeatedly asks for documents you already provided, makes vague requests without explaining what is missing, or appears to move the finish line continually, an attorney can review the claim file to determine whether those requests are legitimate or whether they are contributing to an unreasonable delay.

Why Would an Insurance Company Stop Responding to My Claim?

There is no single reason. A claim may be delayed because the insurer is waiting for documents, an engineering report, an inspection, a coverage review, or information from the policyholder. Large hurricanes and other catastrophes can also generate substantial claim volume.

Adjuster turnover can cause additional problems. A homeowner may discover that the original field adjuster is no longer handling the file or that the claim has been transferred to another adjuster, examiner, or supervisor.

Other claims are delayed because the insurer disputes the cause of the damage, questions whether an exclusion applies, believes additional investigation is necessary, or disagrees with the homeowner on the scope or value of the loss.

The important issue is determining what is actually happening with your claim. An insurer should be able to explain what it is investigating, what information it needs, and ultimately what it has decided.

Is My Insurance Company’s Delay Automatically Bad Faith?

No. This distinction is important. A delayed response may violate a particular claim-handling requirement without automatically establishing a separate Florida insurance bad faith case.

Florida Statute § 624.155 addresses circumstances in which an insurer may face a civil remedy, including not attempting in good faith to settle a claim when it could and should have done so under the circumstances. Florida law now expressly provides that mere negligence alone is insufficient to constitute bad faith.

Florida Statute § 626.9541 separately identifies unfair claim settlement practices, including failing to acknowledge and act promptly on claim communications, denying claims without reasonable investigation, failing to provide required coverage information, and failing to provide a reasonable written explanation for a denial or compromise settlement.

Under § 624.1551, a claim seeking extracontractual damages against a property insurer under § 624.155(1)(b) generally may not proceed until the insured establishes through an adverse court adjudication that the property insurer breached the insurance contract and a final judgment or decree has been entered.

In other words, an insurance company ignoring or delaying your claim may be important evidence, but delay by itself should not automatically be labeled bad faith.

What Should I Do If My Florida Insurance Adjuster Is Not Responding?

Start creating a clear written record.

If most of your communications have been by telephone, follow up in writing. Identify your policy number, claim number, date of loss, the information you previously submitted, and the issue that remains unanswered.

Ask specifically what remains outstanding and whether the insurance company needs anything else from you.

Keep copies of emails, letters, estimates, photographs, repair documents, proof-of-loss submissions, inspection notices, and correspondence from every adjuster involved in the claim.

Also keep track of dates.

When was the claim reported? When did the insurance company acknowledge it? When was the property inspected? When did you submit requested documents? When did you last receive a meaningful response?

A well-documented timeline can be extremely important if the handling of the claim later becomes disputed.

Can I Request the Insurance Company’s Estimate?

Yes, when the insurer’s adjuster generates a detailed estimate. Florida Statute § 627.70131 requires the insurer to send the policyholder a copy of any detailed estimate of the amount of loss generated by the insurer’s adjuster within 7 days after the estimate is generated.

This can be extremely useful in an underpayment dispute. The estimate may show exactly what damage the insurer accepted, what repairs it included, quantities, labor, materials, depreciation, and other components of the company’s valuation.

Comparing the insurer’s estimate with contractor estimates and the actual damage may reveal important differences in the scope of the claim.

Can My Insurance Company Delay My Claim Because I Have Not Provided Documents?

Potentially. A policyholder has obligations during the claims process, and insurers are entitled to request material information that is reasonably necessary to investigate a loss.

Florida Statute § 627.70131 also contains a specific tolling provision that applies when a policyholder or representative fails to provide material claim information within 10 days of receiving a qualifying request. The request must satisfy statutory timing requirements for the tolling provision to apply.

This is one reason homeowners should not simply ignore an insurer’s request for information, even if they believe it is repetitive or unnecessary. If you are uncertain why information is being requested or whether you are required to provide it, speak with a Florida property insurance attorney before refusing to cooperate.

What If My Insurance Company Keeps Changing Adjusters?

Multiple adjuster changes can make a property claim frustrating, but the insurer remains responsible for complying with its obligations.

Florida law requires insurers to maintain records identifying adjusters who communicate with policyholders and to maintain records of claim-related communications, proof-of-loss receipt dates, requests for information, inspections, detailed estimates, applicable tolling periods, and the payment or denial of the claim.

If your claim has repeatedly moved between adjusters and no one appears able to explain its status, ask for the current adjuster’s information and a clear written update concerning what remains under investigation.

Should I Hire a Lawyer If My Florida Insurance Company Is Ignoring My Claim?

If your insurance company has stopped responding, repeatedly delayed the claim, or failed to provide a clear explanation for what is happening, it may be time to have the claim reviewed by a Florida property insurance lawyer.

An attorney can examine the policy, claim correspondence, estimates, photographs, reports, information requests, and claim timeline to determine whether the insurer is meeting its contractual and legal obligations.

Just as importantly, a lawyer can identify what is actually preventing the claim from moving forward. The issue may involve coverage, causation, the scope or value of repairs, missing documentation, or an unexplained delay in the insurer’s investigation or decision.

Once the source of the delay is identified, the policyholder can determine what additional evidence, response, or legal action may be necessary to move the claim forward.

What If My Florida Insurance Company Has Been Ignoring My Claim for Months?

Florida’s claim-handling laws were designed to prevent residential property claims from remaining indefinitely unresolved. An insurer generally must acknowledge qualifying communications within 7 days and pay or deny qualifying property claims, or portions of them, within 60 days unless a statutory exception or tolling provision applies.

If several months have passed, determine whether the insurer has formally requested outstanding information, invoked a process that affects the timeline, issued a partial coverage decision, or identified another reason the claim remains unresolved.

Florida Homeowners Do Not Have to Accept Silence from Their Insurance Company

You purchased property insurance so that coverage would be available in the event of a covered loss. When you report a claim, cooperate with the investigation, provide requested information, and still cannot obtain meaningful answers, you have the right to question how the claim is being handled.

Florida law establishes deadlines governing insurer communications, investigations, estimates, payments, and claim decisions. Those protections do not guarantee that every claim will be paid, but they do require insurance companies to follow specific claim-handling requirements.

We do not represent insurance companies. If your Florida insurance company has stopped responding, repeatedly delayed your claim, or failed to explain why your property insurance claim remains unresolved, contact Williams Law Association, P.A. to discuss your situation.

Call 1-800-451-6786 | Tampa: (813) 288-4999