What Florida law requires
- Reasonable investigation (Fla. Stat. 626.9541)
- Good-faith claim handling
- 627.70131 inspection obligations
- Basis for denial must be fact-supported
What counts as investigation
Physical inspection
- On-site adjuster visit
- Drone or aerial imagery
- Third-party inspection services
- Commonly required for property claims
Documentary review
- Policy review
- Prior claim history
- Policyholder-submitted documentation
- Expert reports
Statement / EUO
- Recorded statements
- Examination under oath
- Interview with witnesses
When denial without inspection is problematic
- Coverage dispute requiring physical assessment
- Facts disputed
- Cause of loss questioned
- Scope unclear
When denial without inspection may be appropriate
- Clear policy exclusion applies based on submitted documentation
- Late notice with prejudice
- Non-compliance with clear policy condition
- Prior adjudicated dispute
How to challenge a no-inspection denial
- Request specific basis for denial
- Cite 626.9541 unfair practices
- Demand inspection before final denial
- Supplement with your own documentation
- Consider CRN
Florida bad-faith implications
- Failure to reasonably investigate is an unfair practice
- Supports CRN filing
- Supports bad-faith litigation
- Pattern across claims is regulatory concern