Commercial Business Interruption Claims in Florida
A business-interruption claim is a number, not a repair — and the number is where carriers fight hardest
Business interruption is the most valuable and most contested commercial claim there is. It turns on the period of restoration, the actual loss of income sustained, extra expense to keep operating, and contingent interruption when a supplier or customer is hit — each a forensic-accounting argument. Carriers compress the restoration period and dispute the figures, because they know most businesses can’t build and defend the calculation the policy actually owes. That is exactly the gap we close.
Florida property insurance claims: the deadlines and the fee cap
- Notice of a claim
- Under Fla. Stat. §627.70132, a property insurance claim or reopened claim is barred unless notice was given to the insurer within 1 year after the date of loss. A supplemental claim is barred unless notice was given within 18 months after the date of loss. — Fla. Stat. §627.70132(2)
- Time to bring a court action
- An action for breach of a property insurance contract must be brought within 5 years, running from the date of loss. This is a separate clock from the notice deadline, and §627.70132(5) states that the notice statute does not affect it. — Fla. Stat. §95.11(2)(e)
- What a public adjuster may charge
- A public adjuster’s compensation is capped at 20 percent of the amount of insurance claim payments or settlements, exclusive of attorney fees and costs, paid to the insured by the insurer. For claims based on events that are the subject of a declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor the cap is 10 percent, and that limit applies to claims made during the year after the declaration of emergency. — Fla. Stat. §626.854(11)(b)
- Which deadline applies to you
- Which of these applies to your claim depends on your policy and your date of loss.
Public Loss Adjusters, LLC — Robert Mack, Florida public adjuster, Lic. #A161638. The review is free and carries no obligation. Call 352-353-4556.
Business Interruption Insurance Claims in Florida
When disaster forces your business to close its doors, every day of lost income matters. Public Loss Adjusters, LLC helps Florida business owners prepare, document, and pursue business interruption (BI) insurance claims so operations can resume as quickly as possible and financial losses are minimized.
Understanding Business Interruption Coverage
BI coverage compensates for lost net income and continuing operating expenses caused by a covered physical loss. It bridges the gap between property damage and full recovery. Our job is to make sure the insurer measures your loss fairly under §626.854 and responds promptly as required by §627.70131, Florida Statutes.
We coordinate with accountants and contractors to prove the cause, duration, and financial extent of the interruption — ensuring your claim aligns with both policy language and Florida statutory deadlines.
Common BI Claim Challenges
- Dispute over the “period of restoration” — insurer shortens the time needed for full rebuild or re-opening.
- Understated continuing expenses — payroll, utilities, or rent overlooked.
- Partial-suspension arguments — insurer claims business wasn’t fully closed, reducing payout.
- Inventory or spoilage losses excluded from calculation.
- Delayed payments extending financial strain.
Our Documentation Process
- Collect financial statements for 12 months before the loss.
- Compare projected vs. actual revenue during closure.
- Work with CPAs to verify net income and continuing expense calculations.
- Track mitigation costs and temporary business-continuity expenses.
- Maintain written communication logs under statutory response deadlines.
Timelines & Compliance
Under §627.70131, insurers must acknowledge your BI claim within 7 days and issue payment or denial within 60 days unless factors beyond their control exist. We ensure these timeframes are met and escalate to appraisal or mediation when needed to resolve disputes efficiently.
⏰ Underpaid or closed out on a past commercial claim? Florida law may still give you a window.
Separate from the §627.70131 response deadlines, Fla. Stat. 627.70132 gives a policyholder a running window to reopen or supplement a property claim. The clock starts on the date of loss, not the day you discover the shortfall — so on older hurricane and water losses you may have far less time than you think.
Your policy’s own notice terms can be shorter, and every claim is different. Whether a past loss can still be reopened — and what the carrier left unpaid — is exactly what we assess. Call 352-353-4556.
General information about Florida claim deadlines under Fla. Stat. 627.70132, not legal advice. Windows run from the date of loss and vary by claim and policy; your policy’s prompt-notice terms may be shorter — contact us to confirm specific deadlines.
Questions we get about business interruption claims
Why do business interruption claims come in low?
Because the loss is a number nobody can see. Physical damage can be photographed; interrupted trading has to be reconstructed, and it is reconstructed by whoever builds the model first. If that model understates how long you were really disrupted, or treats a partial shutdown as no shutdown, the figure that comes back will look defensible and still be wrong. That is worth a phone call before it is settled: 352-353-4556.
We kept trading at reduced capacity. Does that count against us?
It should not, but it frequently does, because partial disruption is easier to overlook than a closed door. Whether yours has been properly accounted for is not something to take on trust. One call is how you find out: 352-353-4556.
The insurer’s adjuster has already been out. Is it too late to get help?
Usually not, and this is the most common reason people wait too long. An adjuster having visited is not the same as the loss having been fully described, and what was written down that day tends to become the version of events everyone argues from afterwards. Whether anything can still be done depends on your policy and where the claim has got to. Call 352-353-4556 and we will tell you.
Our contractor’s number and the insurer’s number are a long way apart. Which one is right?
Neither, on its own. They are answers to two different questions, priced off different assumptions, and the gap between them is not usually about arithmetic. Working out which parts of that gap are arguable is the job, and it is not something to guess at from a spreadsheet. One call is how you find out: 352-353-4556.
What does this cost us?
The review costs nothing and carries no obligation. If we take the claim, the fee is a percentage of the claim payment and is capped by Fla. Stat. 626.854 — 20% ordinarily, and 10% for a claim arising from a declared state of emergency within the first year. No recovery, no fee. Call 352-353-4556 and we will tell you.
All commercial property damage · Hotel & hospitality · Office · Multi-family · Condo/HOA · Business interruption · Water · Fire · Appraisal & mediation
Notice: This page provides general information for Florida policyholders and does not constitute legal advice. Public Loss Adjusters, LLC, License A161638. Consistent with §626.854 and timelines under §627.70131, Florida Statutes. Supporting documentation and exhibits are provided under separate cover upon request. Please confirm receipt in writing.
Talk to a Florida Public Adjuster
Public Loss Adjusters, LLC (License A161638). Statute-compliant representation under §626.854 and §627.70131, Florida Statutes.
PO Box 560404, Montverde, FL 34756 • 352-353-4556 • rmack@placlaim.com
Supporting documentation provided under separate cover upon request. Please confirm receipt in writing.
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This sits within our work on commercial property damage claims in Florida.