Case studies
First offers, denials and lowball checks — and what they became after we took over. Every claim below was worked by Joe L Ford IV (FL License #W026874). No client names, ever.
Selected claims, not typical results. Every claim is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Fort Myers condo association: $3,055.68 first offer → $551,611.71 total recovered.
Tap a video to hear how each claim turned around. Carrier names are shown where we can share them.
Showing 24 of 24 claims
Hurricane Ian · condo association · Fort Myers
First offer
$3,055.68
Total recovered
$551,611.71
The insurance company's first number was $3,055.68 — for an entire association. Joe re-documented the full building loss and pushed the claim far past that first number.
Associations: read your carrier's estimate line by line.
Citizens · Hurricane Ian · roof · West Palm Beach
First offer
$5,588.21
Appraisal award
$112,797.11
Citizens offered $5,588 for the roof. That wasn't close, so we invoked appraisal — a clause already in most Florida policies that settles the number outside of court.
Before you accept a roof offer, ask about appraisal.
Tower Hill · Hurricane Ian · home · Punta Gorda
First offer
$2,500
Total recovered
$117,543.10
Joe sent a full estimate and negotiated with Tower Hill's desk adjuster for months.
If your hurricane offer feels low, it probably is. Get a second opinion.
State Farm · Structure, contents & living expenses
First offer
$21,000
Total paid
$212,814.67
We went through the claim line by line: the structure, the contents, and the cost of living somewhere else while the home was repaired. About ten times the first offer.
Go line by line.
Frontline · Hurricane Ian · home, other structures & contents
Carrier estimate
$42,870.78
Appraisal award
$179,045.14
Award amount (replacement cost), not cash paid.
We sent our estimate and an engineer's report, demanded appraisal, and took the claim through a full appraisal with an umpire.
Keep every repair receipt — held-back depreciation is only paid when you prove the work was done.
Citizens · Already-paid claim
Already paid
$123,002.18
Appraisal award
$150,631.87
Citizens had already paid six figures. We went to appraisal, and Joe served as the homeowner's appraiser.
Even a six-figure check can leave money on the table.
Chubb · Hurricane Ian · stucco · Port Charlotte
Carrier estimate
$61,089.57 · stucco denied
Settled
$85,000
Chubb's engineer said the stucco cracks weren't from the storm. We brought our own engineer's report, corrected the estimate and demanded appraisal. Chubb settled — no lawsuit.
Get your own expert.
Citizens · Fire + roof · Fort Lauderdale
First payment
$9,113.38
Settled
$74,113.38
Citizens paid $9,113 on a fire claim and refused to pay for the roof. We pushed the claim toward appraisal, working with our partner law firm.
On a fire claim, smoke and soot travel further than you think.
ASI / Progressive Home · Hurricane Ian · rental home roof · Royal Palm Beach
First check
$211.76
Settlement
$64,000
Their engineer said the wind wasn't strong enough to crack the roof. We documented every cracked tile and every water stain and built the full claim file; our partner attorney took it to the insurance company.
If your first check feels low, get a second opinion before you accept it.
Tower Hill · Roof · West Palm Beach
Denied
Denied · $0
Settled
$55,000
Tower Hill denied the roof claim. We sent our file to our partner attorney, and about two weeks later it settled.
A denial letter is the insurance company's opinion. It is not the final word.
Tower Hill · Hurricane Ian · cracked tiles & leaks · Tamarac
First payment
$4,347.67
Settlement
$55,000
Settlement for repairs, with the water mitigation bill paid on top.
Cracked roof tiles and leaks in several rooms. We built the case file, and when the carrier wouldn't play fair our partner attorney took it from there.
Build the file.
FIGA (insolvent insurer) · Insolvent-carrier claim
Already paid
$25,895.23
Total
$105,895.23
$80,000 in new money.
The insurance company went insolvent and FIGA, the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, took over. FIGA recommended about $64,000 more. We countered.
FIGA claims still pay.
Heritage · Reopened claim
Paid & closed
$4,457.16
Settled
$65,000
Heritage paid two small checks and called it done. We reopened the claim, and our partner law firm filed a notice of intent.
A closed claim isn't always a finished claim.
Citizens · Water loss
Denied
Denied · $0
Settled
$38,500
Citizens denied the water claim. Our partner law firm filed suit, built on our claim file.
If your water claim was denied, have it looked at.
Slide · Hurricane Ian · roof, stains, garage, stucco · Punta Gorda
First payment
$70,708.52
Appraisal award
$109,000+
Roof, interior stains, garage and stucco. We invoked appraisal, and the award came in over $109,000 — about 54% more, with no lawsuit.
Ask about appraisal.
Hurricane Ian · home · Venice
First number
$823.64
Total recovered
$82,870.84
Joe re-scoped the entire loss, and three more payments followed — about a hundred times the first number.
Re-scope the loss.
Progressive · Home · North Port
Paid
$3,582.59
Settled
$41,000
We documented the full scope and negotiated. No lawsuit. No appraisal. Just the whole claim, done right.
Document the whole claim.
Hurricane Ian · home · Winter Haven
First number
$259
Total recovered
$41,015.67
Then we took over the claim.
If your check looks like a typo, get a second opinion.
Hurricane Ian · home 1 of 2 · Port Charlotte
First number
$555.82
Total recovered
$35,159.72
Two Port Charlotte homeowners, same storm. We took both claims.
Never take the first number.
Case study
Two homes. Two lowballs.
Hurricane Ian · home 2 of 2 · Port Charlotte
First number
$1,650
Total recovered
$40,006.68
The second Port Charlotte home from the same storm.
Never take the first number.
AC leak from unit above · condo office · Miami-Dade
“Undisputed” payment
$29,893.65
Total paid
$44,893.65
An AC unit in the condo above leaked into this office. We went through the carrier's estimate line by line with the adjuster and negotiated $15,000 more.
Undisputed doesn't mean done.
Nationwide · Pipe burst · Kissimmee
First offer
$34,000
Total recovered
$44,000
A fair-sounding first offer. We negotiated a supplement — $10,000 more toward the repairs.
Check the scope.
USAA · Cast iron plumbing
First payment
$5,170.21
Replacement cost paid
$29,662.99
Our numbers were far apart, so we requested appraisal. USAA re-reviewed and paid the full scope, including the cost to get to the pipes.
Cast iron? Get it checked.
TypTap · Kitchen leak
First check
$8,177.48
Total
$15,400.38
They left off overhead and profit, so we got it added. Then they tried to drop their offer — we held firm. Almost double.
Read every line.
Selected claims, not typical results. Every claim is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Appraisal awards are shown as awarded (replacement cost) and may differ from cash paid where depreciation is held back until repairs are complete. Some settlements involved our partner law firm. Case-study narration uses an AI version of Joe Ford's voice. Footage is illustrative, not the client's property.
9-part series
Their first check is an opening bid, not a final number.
One report, from someone they hired. Bring your own expert, photos and weather data.
They pay part, call it undisputed, and hope you stop. Undisputed is their floor.
Do the repairs, keep every receipt, and ask for the held-back depreciation in writing.
Sometimes a denial is a bet that you'll go away. The letter looks final. It isn't.
A phone call leaves no record. An email does.
Florida law puts deadlines on insurance companies. Ask which ones apply to your claim.
Fix part of a roof or floor and call it done? Florida has a matching rule for exactly this.
The biggest lever on a stuck claim — and sometimes just demanding it moves the number.
Joe Ford, Licensed Public Adjuster W026874. Some narration uses an AI version of Joe's voice.
60-second videos
The insurance company has adjusters. A public adjuster is the only one who works for you.
The lower their findings, the higher their profits. A claim is one big negotiation.
Each side picks an appraiser, an umpire decides if they disagree — and it settles the number outside of court.
Joe's own hurricane claim was denied despite timestamped video. Here's what a reopened claim looks like.
A $10,000 water sub-limit can cap a burst-pipe claim — even on a $300,000 policy.
File a water claim without knowing the cause and it can be denied. Cause first, claim second.
Mismatched lower cabinets aren't pre-loss condition. Small leak, whole kitchen.
On two-story homes the drone finds the cracks, chips and loose tiles a ladder can't reach.
Claim number in the subject line, ask for a settlement, attach every receipt — and get it all in writing.
Joe Ford, Licensed Public Adjuster W026874. Some narration uses an AI version of Joe's voice.
Send it to us. We'll review your claim for free and tell you straight whether there's more on the table. No recovery, no fee.
