Thank you for visiting us. At Combined Underwriters of Miami, our goal is to meet all your insurance needs and make the process as easy and convenient as possible. With highly competitive rates and superior customer service, we’ll find the policy that is right for you. Located in the heart of South Florida, we are conveniently located to offer you personal, one-on-one assistance. Let’s work together to determine the insurance program that is both effective and economical, while offering you security and peace of mind.
Hurricane Preparedness
Hurricanes can shatter lives as well as damage property. Being prepared can help you, your family or your business minimize the impact of the storm. The best time to start is before the threat is imminent.
www.ready.gov explains what actions to take on this page when you receive a hurricane watch or warning alert from the National Weather Service for your local area. It also provides tips on what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.
Combined Underwriters has taken precautionary steps and has contingency back-up plans to serve our clients through a catastrophic events. We want to assure you that we will be ready to serve you should you suffer a loss to your insured property. The following information will be helpful as you prepare and plan for the effects of a Hurricane.
- Most importantly, remain safe and do not take any unnecessary risks.
- Review Coverage limits and deductibles.
- Have policy number(s) available.
- Make note of time & date of incident and assess damages.
- Make temporary repairs as necessary to protect your property from additional loss and keep detailed receipts.
- Take photos of any damage before any temporary repairs are undertaken and later provide them to the claims adjuster.
- Report claims as soon as safely possible using one of the methods listed below
- Obtain written estimates from only licensed and insured contractors for permanent repairs which include details of the scope and cost of the work.
- Provide the estimates to the claims adjuster.
- Do not sign any contracts or documents for any permanent repairs or begin work without first communicating with the claims adjuster. Be especially wary of “Assignment of Benefits” forms that many contractors and restoration companies use.
Combined Underwriters will be staffed and working immediately once the storm passes and the authorities have deemed it safe to return.
To report a claim
Phone reporting to agency:
Combined Underwriters (305) 477-0444
Online: www.combinedmiami.com
Direct to the Insurance Company: Refer to your policy documents for claims reporting instructions via phone or online.
Thank you for your trust and please remember to be safe.
To our valued clients and partners:
We are all settling into what everyone is calling “our new normal” during this pandemic crisis. Even though none of us can foresee how long we’ll be facing this challenge, we can feel secure in the fact that our country is resilient and we will come through this stronger than ever.
Even though most of us have set up shop remotely, we are working together and staying connected to ensure that we stay in contact with our clients, companies and brokers to seamlessly provide the caliber of service you have come to expect from our agency.
Staying safe and informed should be a priority for every one of us, but we take our responsibility to you seriously and will continue to be available by whatever means is convenient. You can call, email or fax and we’ll be there without fail.
Thank you for doing business with Combined Underwriters. We won’t let you down.
Sincerely,
- Ronald M. Laster
- Susan Sanchez-Armengol
- Rosa M “Nia” Yasher
Loss of Business Income Coverage
Policyholders may be questioning whether their property insurance policies have coverage for business interruption losses that may exist even if there is not physical loss or damage to covered property.
In most property insurance policies, business interruption coverage is triggered when the property at issue suffers “direct physical loss or damage.” For coverage there must be Structural damage to the property. Other reasons that Companies may suffer a loss of income could be from contamination or other relatively intangible conditions like bacteria, gases, and fumes that “rendered the insured property temporarily or permanently unusable or uninhabitable. Losses for communicable disease are likely excluded from coverage, however we always recommend for the insured to review their policy for terms and conditions. Additionally, a few insurance policies may include civil authority coverage, which covers losses that occur when government authorities restrict access to the area where a business is located or that the business depends on for its operations.
Workers Compensation
Workers compensation insurance policies generally cover occupational diseases and injuries, i.e., those that: (1) are due to causes and conditions that are characteristic of and peculiar to a particular trade, occupation, or employment; and (2) are not an ordinary disease to which the general public is equally exposed outside of employment.
There are, however, instances in which “ordinary diseases” may be covered if it is possible to establish a direct connection between the workplace and the circumstances through which the disease was contracted. For example, if an illness is triggered by an event at the workplace and directly flows from the work that is being performed, it may be argued that the resulting disease has been the result of an accident causing bodily injury. The coronavirus is spread by respiratory droplets and is so highly contagious that health care workers are wearing full hazmat suits while treating those infected. Accordingly, if it is determined that an employee contracted the virus at work, it is quite likely that workers compensation insurance would respond to the injury. Of course, in such a situation, the business’s primary concern would be protection of its employees and the public from any other contraction of the disease, with insurance issues to be resolved in due course.
It is important for policyholders to consider all potentially applicable insurance policies when evaluating coverage for coronavirus- related claims and losses. Consulting with Combined Underwriters of Miami, your trusted insurance expert can put policyholders in the strongest position to maximize their insurance recovery in the event of a loss or claim resulting from the coronavirus.