My Homeowners’ Insurance Company Requests a Sworn Proof of Loss (SPOL): What Is It and What Should I Do?
If your homeowners’ insurance company requests a Sworn Proof of Loss, commonly referred to as SPOL, after you file a claim, you may not know how to respond because you don’t know what SPOL is.
Submitting a Sworn Proof of Loss, or SPOL, is a fundamental part of the homeowners’ insurance claims process. When you submit a SPOL and what information you provide in this legal document can affect the outcome of your insurance claim.
For this reason, it is important to understand what Sworn Proof of Loss is and contact an Orlando homeowners’ insurance attorney if your insurance carrier requested a SPOL.
What is a Sworn Proof of Loss (SPOL) in Florida?
Basically, a Sworn Proof of Loss is a statement that you are required to make under oath to your homeowners’ insurance company. In the SPOL, the claimant must detail the damages they sustained as a result of a covered loss (e.g., hurricane damage).
A SPOL is an affidavit that you submit to your insurance company. As you can guess, the information you provide in this statement could be used against you to undervalue or deny your homeowners’ insurance claim. For this reason, you should ensure that your SPOL is accurate, complete, submitted promptly, and does not contain any incorrect information.
Insurance companies demand claimants to submit a Sworn Proof of Loss in order to evaluate the extent of damages to the claimant’s property. Also, insurers can use SPOLs to have legal grounds to dispute, devalue, or deny claims.
Your SPOL must be timely, accurate, and complete
Homeowners’ insurance companies set a deadline for claimants to submit a Sworn Proof of Loss. If you fail to submit a SPOL on time, the insurer may deny you coverage because you failed to fulfill your obligation under the insurance policy.
Usually, claimants are required to submit a SPOL within 30 or 60 after their insurance company requests the statement. You should review your insurance policy to find out how much time you have to make the statement under oath.
Since a SPOL is a statement made by you under oath, it is critical to ensure that the statement is accurate and complete. If you provide inaccurate or incorrect information when submitting a Sworn Proof of Loss, your insurer may accuse you of insurance fraud.
Under Section 817.234, Florida Statutes, a person is guilty of insurance fraud when their proof of loss or estimate of claim contains any “false, incomplete, or misleading information” about any material fact relating to the claim.
Contact a homeowners’ insurance attorney
As you can see, your SPOL can affect the outcome of your homeowners’ insurance claim. That is why you must ensure that you submit a SPOL in a timely manner and that the statement is accurate and complete.
It is advised to speak with an experienced homeowners’ insurance attorney to help you prepare a Sworn Proof of Loss. Contact our lawyers at HD Law Firm in Orlando to discuss your situation. Call at 813-964-7878 for a free case review.
https://www.hdlawpartners.com/what-to-do-when-your-homeowners-insurance-claim-is-denied-in-florida/
