Florida attorney general subpoenas Velocity over public-adjuster clauses

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has opened an investigation into whether Velocity Risk Underwriters and other insurers coordinated to restrict homeowners from hiring licensed public adjusters. His office subpoenaed records from Velocity, including communications with other insurers and trade groups, as it examines policy clauses that may allow insurers to deny an entire claim when a homeowner hires an adjuster. Public adjusters represent homeowners by assessing damage, estimating repair costs and helping negotiate claims, while insurers use adjusters of their own. The inquiry is especially relevant to owners of higher-risk properties covered by surplus-lines policies, including some coastal homes and houses with older roofs. Uthmeier says homeowners should be able to hire an advocate and his office says adjuster-assisted claims can result in higher payouts, though outcomes vary; a civil lawsuit over the policy restrictions is also pending in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.