An attorney may be ready to defend an insurance claim, yet still be unable to reach the person whose account matters most: the insured driver. Phone calls go unanswered. A letter receives no response. The address in the claim file may be outdated. In these situations, locating an insured driver in Florida and establishing contact can become an important early investigative assignment.
At Optimum Investigations, we assist attorneys and insurance professionals with locate and contact assignments throughout Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, and other parts of Florida. The goal is to check the available contact information, make an appropriate attempt to reach the individual, and give the client a clear account of the outcome.
Why an insured driver may be difficult to reach
An unanswered call does not necessarily mean someone is avoiding counsel. The insured may have changed phone numbers, moved, missed a letter, or misunderstood who was calling. Sometimes the address was accurate when the accident occurred but is no longer current.
Those possibilities call for verification rather than assumptions. The assignment should begin with the information already available and clear instructions from the attorney or claims professional.
What a locate and contact assignment can include
Depending on the case, an investigator may review identifying details and last known contact information, check appropriate records for a possible current address, and make a planned visit. When instructed, the investigator may deliver a sealed letter or relay a request for the insured to contact the attorney.
The investigator then documents the date, time, location, people contacted, message delivered, and outcome. A database result alone cannot confirm that someone still lives at an address. A visit can help establish whether anyone was reached and whether the client’s message was conveyed.
Clear instructions make the visit more useful
Before making contact, the investigator should know what message may be delivered and what to do if the insured is not home. The client may authorize leaving a sealed envelope with another adult at the residence, or may require direct delivery to the insured. Those are different instructions, and the final report should reflect what actually happened.
If the insured has questions about the claim or legal documents, the investigator can direct them to the attorney or claims contact named in the letter. The investigator’s task is to establish contact and document facts within the scope of the assignment.
What the final report should say
A useful report separates the investigator’s observations from statements made by others. It should identify where and when the attempt occurred, who answered, what was delivered or communicated, and how the person responded.
If the investigator did not speak directly with the insured, the report should say so. If someone else accepted an envelope and promised to pass it along, that can be documented without claiming that the insured received or read it.
Some assignments end with direct contact. Others produce a new lead, an unsuccessful attempt, or confirmation that the original address needs further investigation. No investigator can guarantee that a person will answer the door or return a call.
Need help contacting an insured driver in South Florida?
Optimum Investigations has assisted attorneys, insurers, and claims professionals with locate investigations and insurance defense assignments for more than 30 years. If your office needs to locate an insured driver, deliver a letter, or document an attempted contact in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, or elsewhere in Florida, contact Optimum Investigations to discuss the assignment and receive a quote.
Oscar Santa Maria is the founder of Optimum Investigations LLC, Florida Agency License A9500084.
