Message to FEMA: Move faster on storm claims

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Melissa H. Luckman, practitioner in residence at the Touro Law Center’s Disaster Relief Clinic, added, “Senator Gillibrand’s Flood Insurance Transparency and Accountability Act of 2015 is a crucial step forward for all those homeowners who were defrauded following Superstorm Sandy, as well as those homeowners who are future potential victims of a flooding event. Homeowners faithfully paid yearly flood insurance premiums and trusted that they would be paid correctly following a flood, yet, inexcusably, three years later, [they] remain fighting for what is rightfully theirs. Our homeowners deserve the transparency from FEMA that Gillibrand’s legislation calls for. The National Flood Insurance Program reformation created by this legislation is a vital step in restoring the faith of our Sandy survivors in FEMA as a government agency, and those policies backed by FEMA. This legislation provides hope to so many who felt their voices were never heard.”

According to court records and stories, in the Herald and elsewhere, insurance companies denied many homeowners’ flood insurance claims based on fraudulently altered engineering reports, and underpaid others. In the wake of these allegations, thousands of claims were resubmitted for another review process to determine whether they were properly handled. More than 17,000 claims are still under review.

‘Earth movement’ not covered

The new legislation would remove the “earth movement” exclusion, which states that flood insurance policies do not cover damage and loss to property caused by earth movement — even if that movement was caused by flooding. This exclusion has led to the denial of claims filed by many Sandy victims, including Bay Park resident Rachel Sumerson.

“As a homeowner affected by Sandy, and as a founding member of the South Shore Recovery Coalition,” Sumerson said, “I am in full support of legislation that aims to improve the means by which FEMA handles future NFIP claims.”

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