Insurers say sinkholes impact Marion market

William “Chip” Merlin, president of Tampa-based Merlin Law Group, which specializes in sinkhole claims, said population growth and development is more to blame for rising sinkhole claims.


Steps for handling an insurance claim

 


Dolphin Tower's troubles stack up

Dolphin Tower homeowners also have hired the Merlin Law Group, of Tampa, to contest the anticipated insurance denial.


Florida Commissioner Intends To Survey Insurers About Sinkholes

In his blog, attorney William Chip Merlin said that a sinkhole problem exists for insurers in Florida because it is a natural problem in the state. The problem is not fueled by attorneys, he said.



Hurricane Katrina: 5 Years Later. How State Farm fought through the second storm

State Farm is known for taking a broader view of each disputed case than other insurers, said Chip Merlin, a Florida attorney who said he's handled hundreds of Katrina claim cases, including many State Farm customers.

"It's about what (the case) might mean not just today, but five years from now," said Merlin, who only has a half-dozen cases still pending. "They're very worthy adversaries."



AAPIA Talks to Chip Merlin

Part II of an audio interview with Chip Merlin. Listen Here


Tampa Tribune: Other side in sinkhole controversy responds

"The insurance industry does not like for sinkholes to happen because they hurt profits," William "Chip" Merlin, Jr., president and the founder of Merlin Law Group based in Tampa, remarked. The resident suffers a big drop in a home's value.


Houston Chronicle: Insurer won't pay Ike claim without documentation for lost items

After Hurricane Ike swept away the first floor of Donald Box's Bayou Vista home, he and his wife made a list of 376 missing items for their flood insurer, which quickly paid the claim.

A few months later, they compiled another list of things they'd missed or didn't have time to estimate values for the first time around: guns, a drill press and 126 other items. But the insurer wouldn't pay that claim unless the couple could provide receipts to prove they owned the items, Box said.


Merlin Law Group Announces Honors for Firm Attorneys

Merlin Law Group’s President and Founder William F. “Chip” Merlin, Jr. was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 in the field of insurance law.


Merlin Law Group Completes Lease in Houston

Merlin Law Group, P. A. leases 3,787 square feet of office space at Three Riverway.