Eight Florida claims, from first offer to final number.

The insurer paid nothing, and months of follow-up went nowhere. So we invoked the policy's appraisal clause and put the numbers in front of a neutral panel.

Mid claim, the insurer went insolvent and the file sat for months with Florida's guaranty fund. A regulator complaint and an independent contractor's estimate got it paid, nearly five times the first offer.

The insurer put the damage under the deductible and paid nothing. We demanded appraisal within days and, in writing, moved the other side's own appraiser from $36,000 to $68,000.

Our estimate, roof bids and kitchen photos moved the insurer twice before it dug in. With state mediation on the calendar, one phone call closed it, enough for a new roof.

After an early check, the insurer went quiet for three months. We worked the file line by line, down to the fascia the tarp crew nailed through and the insulation the wind pulled out of the attic.

The claim reached us nine months after the storm, and the insurer would not pay for the HVAC, code upgrades or roof underlayment. We countered, held out, and nearly doubled the offer.

A plumber's report, photos and steady follow-up did the work. The settlement even released money for code upgrades up front.

The insurer denied the leak before we were hired. We reopened it with photos and a line by line estimate, and it paid $10,000, the most the policy allowed for this water loss.