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Florida court upholds insurer fee win after Hurricane Ian appraisal
Safepoint Insurance paid roughly $200,000 in policy limits, and the appellate court found it did not admit liability by paying after litigation.
A Florida appeals court affirmed summary judgment for Safepoint Insurance Company in a fee dispute tied to Hurricane Ian property damage, after the insurer paid the policy limits following the appraisal process, according to Insurance Business.
After Safepoint inspected damage in Lee County and accepted coverage, it paid roughly $200,000. The homeowner filed a statutory notice of intent to sue seeking more than $200,000 in additional damages and $10,000 in attorney's fees.
The insurer invoked the policy's appraisal clause, with both sides appointing appraisers and agreeing on an umpire. The umpire later issued a policy-limits award, and Safepoint paid within sixty days as required by the policy.
Insurance Business reports the court ruled there was no basis for a fee recovery under a doctrine that treats payment after litigation as an admission the insurer should have paid sooner. The decision was affirmed by Florida's Sixth District Court of Appeal on October 2, 2026.