Proudly Serving the Entire State of Florida
PREVENTING WATER DAMAGE IN YOUR HOME
Often, the damage caused by a storm, water leakage, flooding, etc. end up being the least of your problems. Dealing with the insurance company, scheduling damage appraisals, documenting your claim, and responding to insurance company questions and settlement offers often is far more irking, and burdensome. Let Pinnacle take the burden off your shoulders, co-ordinate all the scheduling and review, and document the damage and the reasons for a suggested settlement amount. Lastly, you are likely to see a far more equitable settlement than if you deal with the insurance company yourself.
When you hire us, we will totally commit to getting you the best resolution of your claim possible, will dedicate ourselves to your claim, and be available at all times to answer your questions and handle interaction with the insurance company and its representatives. Our professional staff have the expertise and focus to achieve the desired results. We never work for insurance companies, just for claimants who are looking for a fair settlement on their claim.
New Leaf services FAQs
What services does New Leaf offer?
New Leaf offers ‘direct cremation’ services at an affordable price. Forms are filled out online or over the phone. We provide efficient, quality service at a clear, reasonable price.
Arrangements are made online or over the phone.
We provide efficient, quality service at a clear, reasonable price.
How does the process work?
-A call to New Leaf or a visit to our website is all that is needed to start the process
– You choose your package and receive a quote, complete the online forms, and provide payment.
-We then dispatch our licensed funeral directors to transport your loved one from the place of death to our climate controlled holding facility for care and storage.
-We then register the death with the local municipality. Forms, certificates and authorizations are completed according to New York State laws before the cremation can take place.
-Once the forms and authorizations have been signed and filed with the local health department, the decedent is transferred to a third party crematory (as required by New York State law) for cremation. Usually this takes place within 3-7 days.
-The ashes are then shipped to the family or a hand delivery/pickup is arranged.
How long does the process usually take?
The overall cremation process, from notification until the family receives the ashes, will take an average of 7–15 days (you said you would hold body for five days when we spoke; can you hold a body more than that without cremation; should note that if there is a delay, as outlined below, body must be cremated). (We can’t cremate until the forms are filed. If the delay is longer than 5 days we charge a storage fee per day) Funeral homes are at the mercy of the medical examiner and others, though, so delays can and do occur.
The overall cremation process, from initial arrangements until the family receives the ashes, will take an average of 10–15 days.
Delays may occur when local, state or federal agencies, police, county coroner, or medical examiners become involved and investigate the circumstances surrounding a death, or the attending physician delays signing the death certificate.
You can rest assured that New Leaf will keep you informed every step of the way should a delay occur.
**Note: Should a delay in obtaining the death certificate require us to store your loved one in our care beyond the standard 3 day window, a daily ‘custodial care’ of $150/day will apply.
Is the memorial service included?
No, New Leaf handles the cremation allowing you to plan your own memorial service. If you would like to have a memorial service at one of our partner funeral homes we will be happy to arrange.
How are the ashes delivered?
Your loved one’s ashes will be either shipped through USPS Priority Mail, or hand-delivered by one of our representatives. They come in a rigid plastic container unless an urn is purchased through our website.
Does low cost mean low quality?
When it comes to a traditional funeral, yes, you get what you pay for- nicer facilities, nicer livery vehicles, etc. Direct Cremations are different however. New Leaf offers an efficient service and we pride ourselves on quality customer service. We believe that a person’s financial standing should not preclude them from a dignified end, and that every life should be celebrated. We treat our clients like family, just as we have for over 100 years at our partner funeral homes.
Here is a more detailed outline of what the Pinnacle, as a public adjuster, will do to relieve your burden:
- Save You a Lot of Time. While the claim after the loss is important, everyday life often imposes other priorities: business, life, children, etc. Keep from having to respond to the insurance company, documenting the claim, and meeting with the insurance adjuster and contractors. It can be hard to believe how much time is needed to cover all the details, as well as the importance of timely responses and documents to keep the flow moving.
- Use Our Expertise to Evaluate Your Claim, File Documents Supporting Your Claim, and Interfacing With the Insurance Company’s Reps. Do you really know how much it will cost to replace the shingles; and, to evaluate the substructure? Do you really understand your policy terms, limits, application of deductibles, and exclusions? Can you evaluate an offer from the insurance company to determine if it is adequate for proper repair/restoration? The answer to all these questions is likely to be resounding “No”. Pinnacle representative do and can provide the support in all areas of claim development and settlement to see that you received the most equitable settlement. (In Florida, contractors are barred from also acting as public adjusters. The reason being that while they may be adequately able to do construction and repairs, their viewpoint is narrow; and, their expertise doesn’t lie in filling out paperwork or talking to insurance company representatives. This is what a public adjuster does.
Expedite and Resolve Your Claim. Providing the correct, complete documentation, filing in a timely manner, and negotiating with the insurance company all will help get a speedier and more equitable settlement for you. Without the involvement of a public adjuster, you will most certainly receive a :low ball” offer as the first settlement offer. Why? Because the insurance company has all the knowledge, has some time pressure to make the first offer, i.e., 90 days, and is aware that the game is stacked in their favor. They lose nothing by delay, in fact it puts more pressure on you; and, they are set up to negotiate with a staff of claim reps, adjusters, and lawyers. Who do you have watching your back?
- Select, Deal With, and Hold Contractors to Terms. Money is nice, but if the repair/restoration isn’t done right, you will still not be happy. Pinnacle can advise on who to hire having worked with and seen the results for multiple contractors and know who can perform. While you can hire a contractor yourself, are you capable of understanding whether the contractor is giving you the best price, using the best materials, and applying the best workmanship; and, when the work is done, evaluating if the work was performed well. Pinnacle can do all these things on your behalf.
- Insure Your Rights Are Protected. The insurance company is looking for a reason to deny or modify your claim. They know their policies inside-out, know what exclusions and limitations they can apply, and are looking to find you at fault for the damage so they can deny the claim. Pinnacle will also intimately know your policy terms, exclusions, deductible, and other foibles that the insurance company is seeking to hide behind. They also can talk to the insurance company reps with knowledge and expertise so that a quicker “meeting of the minds” can occur. Pinnacle will not allow the insurance company to assert any rights or limitations they are not absolutely entitled to. In the event of a denial, if a court suit is needed, the Pinnacle rep can act as an expert witness on your behalf to assert your rights.
- Get You a Fair Settlement. There was a recent study by a government agency, Office of Program and Policy Analysis & Government Accountability, in Florida that found that public adjusters negotiated up to a 747% higher settlement when involved in a claim settlement. Are you likely to see this much improvement in the insurance company’s offer? Probably not, but you can reasonably expect to get an offer that will allow you to get the job done right and restore your home to the level that it was before the damage occurred. A fair settlement is harder to get for larger claims and claims after a natural disaster, like a hurricane occur, when the insurance company’s reps are looking harder at the claim and cannot keep up with claim volume. Our services can really help overcome the issues with the insurance company to smooth the path and secure the earliest possible settlement.
When you add up the total amount of work, aggravation, scheduling, and communication that can be avoided, for a claim of any magnitude, hiring Pinnacle to do your hands-on work involved in the claim settlement makes sense.
Should you hire an attorney first? Probably not because the first thing the attorney is going to do is hire a public adjuster to review your claim! Save the expense and unnecessary step. If it gets to the point that we are unable to get you a fair settlement, then its time to bring on the attorney.