FLORIDA 3-20 PUBLIC ADJUSTER EXAM
OUTLINES QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
UPDATED 2024 - 2025
There,are,several,important,statutory,requirements,pertaining,to,contracts,made,by,public,adjusters:,AN
S,-Must,state,the,type,of,claim,,including,an,emergency,claim,,non-
emergency,claim,or,supplemental,claim.
Requires,the,signatures,of,all,named,insureds.
If,the,signatures,of,all,named,insureds,are,not,available,,the,public,adjuster,must,submit,an,affidavit,sign
ed,by,the,available,named,insureds,attesting,that,they,have,authority,to,enter,into,the,contract,and,settl
e,all,claim,issues,on,behalf,of,the,named,insureds.
An,unaltered,copy,of,the,contract,must,be,remitted,to,the,insurer,within,30,days,after,execution.,This,m
eans,the,contract,provided,to,the,insurer,must,also,contain,the,agreed,upon,fee,percentage.
True,or,False:,Both,mediation,and,sinkhole,neutral,evaluation,are,non-
binding.,Neither,the,insured,nor,the,insurance,company,is,legally,obligated,to,accept,the,outcome,of,the,
mediation,conference.,ANS,-True
The,______________,is,intended,for,use,by,parties,who,are,beginning,the,process,of,filing,suit,against,an
,insurer,,when,a,party,feels,they,have,been,damaged,by,specific,acts,of,the,insurer.,The,Notice,is,intende
d,to,meet,a,portion,of,legal,requirements,set,forth,in,Section,624.155,,Florida,Statutes,,which,requires,a,
party,to,file,Notice,with,both,the,insurer,and,the,Department,of,Financial,Services,(DFS),at,least,60,days,
prior,to,bringing,an,action,against,the,insurer.,The,DFS,does,not,involve,itself,in,the,pre-
suit,negotiations,or,communications,related,to,Notices,as,such,actions,are,not,within,the,scope,of,its,stat
utory,authority.,ANS,-Civil,Remedies,Notice
Mediation,Statute,627.7015,ANS,-
The,department,shall,adopt,by,rule,a,property,insurance,mediation,program,to,be,administered,by,the,d
epartment,or,its,designee.,The,department,may,also,adopt,special,rules,which,are,applicable,in,cases,of,
an,emergency,within,the,state.,The,rules,shall,be,modeled,after,practices,and,procedures,set,forth,in,me
diation,rules,of,procedure,adopted,by,the,Supreme,Court.,The,rules,shall,provide,for:(a),Reasonable,requ
irement,for,processing,and,scheduling,of,requests,for,mediation.(b),Qualifications,,denial,of,application,,
suspension,,revocation,of,approval,,and,other,penalties,for,mediators,as,provided,in,s.,627.745,and,the,F
lorida,Rules,for,Certified,and,Court-
Appointed,Mediators.(c),Provisions,governing,who,may,attend,mediation,conferences.(d),Selection,of,m
ediators.(e),Criteria,for,the,conduct,of,mediation,conferences.(f),Right,to,legal,counsel.
,(5),All,statements,made,and,documents,produced,at,a,mediation,conference,shall,be,deemed,to,be,settl
ement,negotiations,in,anticipation,of,litigation,within,the,scope,of,s.,90.408.,All,parties,to,the,mediation,
must,negotiate,in,good,faith,and,must,have,the,authority,to,immediately,settle,the,claim.,Mediators,are,
deemed,to,be,agents,of,the,department,and,shall,have,the,immunity,from,suit,provided,in,s.,44.107.
(6)(a),Mediation,is,nonbinding;,however,,if,a,written,settlement,is,reached,,the,policyholder,has,3,busine
ss,days,within,which,the,policyholder,may,rescind,the,settlement,unless,the,policyholder,has,cashed,or,d
eposited,any,check,or,draft,disbursed,to,the,policyholder,for,the,disputed,matters,as,a,result,of,the,confe
rence.,If,a,settlement,agreement,is,reached,and,is,not,rescinded,,it,is,binding,and,acts,as,a,release,of,all,s
pecific,claims,that,were,presented,in,that,mediation,conference.
(b),At,the,conclusion,of,the,mediation,,the,mediator,shall,provide,a,written,report,of,the,re
Code,of,ethics,(FAC,69B-220.201),ANS,-
The,work,of,adjusting,insurance,claims,engages,the,public,trust.,An,adjuster,shall,put,the,duty,for,fair,an
d,honest,treatment,of,the,claimant,above,the,adjuster's,own,interests,in,every,instance.,...,(b),An,adjuste
r,shall,treat,all,claimants,equally.
Florida,Insurance,Guaranty,Association,ANS,-establishes,and,maintains,a,service-
oriented,operation,for,processing,covered,claims,of,insolvent,members.,FIGA,is,a,nonprofit,corporation,c
reated,by,the,Florida,Legislature,in,1970.,FIGA,services,pending,claims,by,or,against,Florida,policyholders,
of,member,insurance,companies,which,become,insolvent,and,are,ordered,liquidated.
The,Residential,Property,and,Casualty,Joint,Underwriting,Association,originally,created,by,this,statute,sh
all,be,known,as,the,Citizens,Property,Insurance,Corporation,ANS,-
The,corporation,shall,provide,insurance,for,residential,and,commercial,property,,for,applicants,who,are,
entitled,,but,,in,good,faith,,are,unable,to,procure,insurance,through,the,voluntary,market.
Business,auto,coverage,form,Section,3,Physical,Damage,Coverage,ANS,-
We,will,pay,for,"loss",to,a,covered,"auto",or,its,equipment,under:
,a.,Comprehensive,Coverage,From,any,cause,except:,(1),The,covered,"auto's",collision,with,another,obje
ct;,or,(2),The,covered,"auto's",overturn.
,b.,Specified,Causes,Of,Loss,Coverage,Caused,by:,(1),Fire,,lightning,or,explosion;,(2),Theft;,(3),Windstorm,
,hail,or,earthquake;,(4),Flood;,(5),Mischief,or,vandalism;,or,(6),The,sinking,,burning,,collision,or,derailmen
t,of,any,conveyance,transporting,the,covered,"auto".
c.,Collision,Coverage,Caused,by:,(1),The,covered,"auto's",collision,with,another,object;,or,(2),The,covered
,"auto's",overturn.
, Part,D,-,Coverage,for,damage,to,your,auto,ANS,-
the,insurance,company,agrees,to,pay,an,amount,in,excess,of,your,deductible,for,direct,and,accidental,los
s,to,your,covered,car,or,any,other,car,specified,in,the,agreement.,Thus,,it,pays,for,damage,or,theft,to,you
r,car.
627.70131,Insurer's,duty,to,acknowledge,communications,regarding,claims;,investigation.,ANS,-
(1),Upon,an,insurer's,receiving,a,communication,with,respect,to,a,claim,,the,insurer,shall,,within,14,calen
dar,days,,review,and,acknowledge,receipt,of,such,communication,unless,payment,is,made,within,that,pe
riod,of,time,or,unless,the,failure,to,acknowledge,is,caused,by,factors,beyond,the,control,of,the,insurer,w
hich,reasonably,prevent,such,acknowledgment.,If,the,acknowledgment,is,not,in,writing,,a,notification,ind
icating,acknowledgment,shall,be,made,in,the,insurer's,claim,file,and,dated.,A,communication,made,to,or,
by,an,agent,of,an,insurer,with,respect,to,a,claim,shall,constitute,communication,to,or,by,the,insurer.
(2),Such,acknowledgment,shall,be,responsive,to,the,communication.,If,the,communication,constitutes,a,
notification,of,a,claim,,unless,the,acknowledgment,reasonably,advises,the,claimant,that,the,claim,appear
s,not,to,be,covered,by,the,insurer,,the,acknowledgment,shall,provide,necessary,claim,forms,,and,instruct
ions,,including,an,appropriate,telephone,number.
(3),Unless,otherwise,provided,by,the,policy,of,insurance,or,by,law,,within,10,working,days,after,an,insure
r,receives,proof,of,loss,statements,,the,insurer,shall,begin,such,investigation,as,is,reasonably,necessary,u
nless,the,failure,to,begin,such,investigation,is,caused,by,factors,beyond,the,control,of,the,insurer,which,r
easonably,prevent,the,commencement,of,such,investigation.
(4),For,purposes,of,this,section,,the,term,"insurer",means,any,residential,property,insurer.
(5)(a),Within,90,days,after,an,insurer,receives,notice,of,an,initial,,reopened,,or,supplemental,property,ins
urance,claim,from,a,policyholder,,the,insurer,shall,pay,or,deny,such,claim,or,a,portion,of,the,claim,unless,
the,failure,to,pay,is,caused,by,factors,beyond,the,control,of,the,insurer,which,reasonably,prevent,such,pa
yment.,Any,payment,of,an,initial,or,supplemental,claim,or,portion,of,such
Valuation,of,Mobile/Manufactured,Homes,ANS,-
If,the,manufactured,home's,homeowners',policy,has,a,value,on,it,,and,you're,in,a,valued,policy,state,,the,
insurance,company,will,pay,up,to,the,limit,listed,on,the,policy,if,the,home,is,deemed,a,total,loss.
Some,manufactured,home,policies,will,have,a,provision,that,allows,for,homes,less,than,a,certain,age,(10,
years,for,example),to,be,valued,at,replacement,cost.,This,has,been,done,in,part,because,some,companie
s,recognize,that,construction,methods,have,changed,over,the,years,and,that,the,home,is,newer.,It's,kind,
of,like,getting,new,car,replacement,on,your,auto,policy,,but,only,for,late,models.
DP-1,Basic,Form,ANS,-Perils,insured,against,are,fire,,lightning,,and,internal,explosion.