Insurance Company Illegal? Actionable?

[scampf]

Texas:

Short and simple works best.

I am a GC in Houston TX. I am finishing a flood claim restoration that was dragged out by the Ins. Carrier for over 9 months. The original valuation after deductible was 15k. My estimate using the same industry normal software was over 100k for the same property. The good hands people went from assuring the homeowner it was a small thing and the difference would be straightened out speedily, to a concerted effort to disparage my reputation and drive a wedge between my customer and myself.

the 4th adjuster topped the cake. He called the customer, claimed that I was secretly trying to force the insurance into a number that was ridiculous and not based on reality and my real intention was to perform the repairs, then steal the home from the customer when the carrier denied any supplemental requests I might make.

What he did not know, was that I recorded our walk through, and that the homeowner saw through the lie because he had already heard the same adjuster request that I rewrite my estimate, dropping items he felt were not covered losses and raising my other costs so the claim looked more palatable for final approval.

I think someone owes me a big freaking apology. Is it not a crime to try and coerce someone to commit insurance fraud? To encourage a person to make false statements on an insurance claim.. oh yeah, a federal administered flood policy to boot? The homeowner was present and heard the entire thing besides it being taped.

All comments, snarky or not are welcome. Sour grapes aside, this is one of two that I taped where these snakes have tried to drive wedges between my customer and me, and succeeded in the other case. I lost that job and the customer stated it was the adjusters claims I was gouging that sealed my fate. Then he wrote his estimate $400 higher than my estimate? Claimed he was turning me into the Texas TDI for gouging, then pays more than my figure? how does that work?

Thanks for reading and your comments.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?