When engineer reports appear
- Roof claims after major storms
- Structural damage assessments
- Water loss cause-of-loss determinations
- Sinkhole claims
- Cosmetic-exclusion disputes
Common bias patterns
- Conclusions not supported by observations. Report describes specific damage but concludes it was caused by wear rather than the claimed event.
- Missing observations. Specific damage noted in the homeowner's photographs absent from the engineer's field notes.
- Selective chain-of-cause logic. Report attributes damage to pre-existing condition without addressing contemporaneous damage patterns.
- Generic language repeated across reports. Template patterns that don't engage with the specific property.
- Over-weighted conservative conclusions. Cautious when evidence would support the homeowner, definitive when evidence would support the carrier.
How to counter
- Obtain an independent engineer. Florida has professional engineers independent of carrier networks who will examine the property and produce an independent report.
- Document the observed damage thoroughly. Photos, video, dated timeline, witness accounts.
- Correlate to the claimed event. Weather data, storm tracking, neighborhood damage patterns (did other homes experience similar damage?).
- Review the engineer report critically. Identify what it concludes vs. what it actually observes.
- Consider cross-examination in appraisal or litigation. An engineer report is evidence, not verdict.