NU Online News Service, May 19, 11:12 a.m.EDT--Four Florida homeowners have filed prospective classaction lawsuits against three insurance companies over claims madein the wake of Hurricane Ivan.

Two of the complaints were filed against Allstate, with theother two naming USF&G Specialty Insurance Co. and State Farm.In their complaints, filed by attorneys in Escambria and Santa Rosacounties, the homeowners are seeking to be paid the full value oftheir insurance policies to replace homes that were destroyedcompletely by the storm.

"The plaintiffs simply are asking that the insurance companiesfollow the law," said attorney Samuel Bearman. "They're not askingfor anything extreme or outrageous-- just what the law says they'reentitled to.
Unfortunately, many other Florida residents are in the same boat.That's why we've filed
these suits as class actions."

A spokesperson for Allstate, Deb Clouser, said the company wouldnot comment on the lawsuits.

Current Florida law requires an insurer to pay the full amountof a policy in the event of a total loss.

As a result of a decision issued by the Florida Fourth CircuitCourt of Appeal last year in the case of Mierzwa v. FloridaWindstorm Underwriting Association, an insurer can be required topay the full policy amount even if the total loss was due onlypartially to windstorm damages.

As an example, an insurer could be required to pay full policyvalue for a home that was damaged by hurricane winds and also byflooding, which would only be covered by federal floodinsurance.

The state legislature included a "Mierzwa fix" in recentlypassed hurricane insurance reform legislation that would requireinsurers to pay for only covered losses. Governor Jeb Bush has saidthat he intends to sign the bill, known as Senate Bill 1486.