In 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit the state of Florida hard, with many homes and businesses sustaining severe damage. You'd think all the insurance claims resulting from that storm would have been long since settled, but a big one has only just stopped wending its way through the court system—and may yet be appealed.
According to the Business Observer, a Florida jury recently ordered FCCI Insurance Group to pay a whopping $6 million to a Florida business owner—$4.8 million in compensatory damages and $1.2 million in punitive damages. Debra Peters was the owner of a high-end furniture store damaged by Hurricane Wilma; when she filed with her insurer, though, FCCI tried to level criminal charges against her for making a fraudulent claim. Eventually, the Broward County state attorney dropped this charge for lack of evidence, but Peters “testified that the ordeal took a toll on her and her family, prompting the suit.”
This quote from the Observer dramatically contrasts the position of Peters vis-à-vis her insurance company: “Peters’ attorneys say the Peters family was able to borrow money from friends to fix the building they owned that housed their business, but they were not able to replace the equipment needed to continue operating. The building is now leased to another firm...FCCI is one of the largest commercial property and casualty insurance underwriters on the Gulf Coast, with revenues of more than $500 million in 2011. The company is in expansion mode, and opened offices in Maryland and Dallas in 2012.”
Are you a business owner in the Dallas–Fort Worth area who is fighting with your insurance company for a full payout on your property damage? Contact Texas denial-of-insurance attorney Jim Zadeh today at 888-713-5418 to find out what he can do for you!
