How Long Does an Insurance Adjuster Have to Contact You?

If you’ve filed a property insurance claim and haven’t heard back, you might be feeling uneasy. In Florida, insurance companies are not supposed to ignore claims or leave you guessing. There are clear timelines that govern how quickly they must respond, and delays can signal a deeper issue with how your claim is being handled.

Under Florida law, an insurance company must acknowledge your claim within 14 days of receiving it. This doesn’t mean they have to resolve it right away, but they must confirm they received your claim and begin the process. From there, they generally have 90 days to make a coverage decision and issue payment if the claim is approved.

If those timelines aren’t being met, or if communication is inconsistent, you may be dealing with more than just a slow insurance adjuster. Speak to one of our Florida first party insurance lawyers to learn if you have a case. All consultations with Levin Litigation are free and confidential.

Florida Insurance Adjuster Response Time: What the Law Says

Florida Statute § 627.70131 outlines how insurers must handle property insurance claims. While most policyholders focus on when they would get paid, the law also regulates how quickly insurers must engage with you after a claim is filed.

At a minimum, insurers must:

• Acknowledge receipt of your claim within 14 days
• Begin investigating the claim promptly
• Respond to communications within a reasonable timeframe
• Pay or deny the claim within 90 days (unless there are factors outside their control)

These deadlines apply to both homeowners and commercial property insurance claims. They are not optional. When insurers fail to comply, it can raise questions about whether they are acting in good faith.

Can I Sue My Insurance Company For Stalling?

Sometimes, insurance companies slow down the process in ways that are subtle but effective. For example, you might notice long gaps between communications or requests for documents that seem repetitive. You might also undergo property inspections that are scheduled and then rescheduled. Each individual delay may seem minor, but together they can stretch a claim out for months.

From a legal standpoint, delay serves a purpose. The longer a claim remains unresolved, the more pressure a policyholder feels to accept less than what the claim is worth. This is especially true after property damage, when repairs are urgent and out-of-pocket costs begin to add up.

Common delay tactics include:

• Failing to promptly assign an adjuster
• Repeatedly requesting the same info
• Delaying inspections or engineering reports
• Providing vague or incomplete responses
• Going silent after initial contact

If your insurance company is not responding to your claim in a meaningful way, it may not be a simple backlog. It may be an unethical insurance strategy. An experienced insurance claims lawyer knows the difference and can help you understand whether you should fight an insurance company that is stalling your claim. 

What to Do If the Insurance Adjuster Doesn’t Call You

A lack of communication early in the process can set the tone for the entire claim. If you haven’t heard from an adjuster within the first two weeks, it’s worth taking action:

• Start by documenting everything. Keep a record of when you filed the claim, who you spoke with, and any emails or letters you’ve sent or received. 
• Then follow up in writing. A phone call may not leave a record, but an email does. Ask for confirmation that your claim has been received and request a clear update on next steps.
• If the silence continues, you can escalate the issue internally within the insurance company. Most insurers have claims supervisors or escalation departments who might be able to speed up the process.

Can You Sue an Insurance Company For Not Responding?

There is a difference between a slow claim and a stalled one. A slow claim may still involve ongoing communication, even if progress is limited (and often happens after a catastrophic incident such as a massive hurricane). A stalled claim, on the other hand, often involves long periods of silence, missed deadlines, or vague explanations that don’t move the process forward.

In Florida, insurers are required to act in good faith when handling claims. This includes timely communication, reasonable investigations, and fair evaluations of damage. When an insurance company delays a claim without a valid reason, it may cross into bad faith conduct. However, Florida law is specific here. In most cases, a bad faith claim cannot be pursued until there has been a determination of coverage and damages. In other words, you typically need to resolve the underlying claim first (please note this doesn’t apply to Citizens insurance dispute claims). 

Can an Insurance Company Ignore a Claim?

No. An insurance company cannot legally ignore a valid claim. Even if there are disputes about coverage or the extent of damage, the insurer must still engage in the process and communicate with you. While not every missed deadline results in a lawsuit, patterns of delay are often taken seriously when evaluating how a claim was handled.

If your insurer has gone silent, it’s often a sign that the claim is not being prioritized. That’s when outside intervention becomes necessary.

When to Speak With a Florida Insurance Claim Delay Attorney

You can contact our insurance claim lawyers anytime for a case review, but you should definitely call us if your claim has been pending for weeks without meaningful communication, or if the 90-day decision window is approaching with no resolution. An attorney can step in and take over communication with the insurer. This often changes the pace of the claim immediately. Insurers tend to respond differently when they know the file is being reviewed by an experienced property insurance lawyer.

More importantly, a local attorney can evaluate whether the delay is justified under the policy and Florida law, or whether it reflects a larger issue with how the claim is being handled. At Levin Litigation, this is a core part of the work. Property insurance claims in Florida are not always straightforward, especially when carriers begin to delay, underpay, or avoid making clear decisions. Early intervention can prevent a delay from turning into a denial or a significantly undervalued claim.

Our Property Insurance Claims Lawyers Are Here to Help

If you’re asking how long an insurance adjuster has to contact you, you’re likely already dealing with uncertainty. The law provides some structure, but it doesn’t always prevent delays from happening. What matters is how those delays are handled.

One of the most common mistakes policyholders make is waiting too long to act. It’s understandable. Many people assume the insurer will eventually respond, or that delays are just part of the process. But insurance claims are time-sensitive in more ways than one. Policies often require prompt reporting and cooperation. Evidence can change over time. Damage can worsen. And once a claim stalls, it becomes harder to regain momentum without pressure.

If your insurance company is not responding, delaying your claim, or failing to give you clear answers, you don’t have to manage that process alone. Contact Levin Litigation – we know how to get results.