The Florida fire damage claim lawyers at the Shochet Law Group may be able to assist you if your fire damage claim has been denied or if your fire damage claim has been underpaid. Whether you are a homeowner with homeowner’s insurance, or an owner of commercial property with property insurance, if your property has been damaged by a fire and you are insured, your insurance company may have legal obligations to pay your claim. You may be entitled to seek compensation for smoke damages, fire damages, the cost of lost property, and additional costs like hotels, clothes, and food if you had to relocate due to a fire.
Every situation is unique and policies can differ. When a fire damage claim is denied, homeowners and property owners may not always know whether the claim denial was legitimate or whether it was in bad faith. The Shochet Law Group is a Florida fire damage claim law firm that assists individuals who need help navigating the fire damage claim process or who need help appealing a denied claim.
Why Fire Damage Claims Get Denied in Florida
Fire damage claims might be denied for a variety of reasons. Fire damage can result in the complete destruction of your home, requiring that your entire property be rebuilt. Fire damage claims in Florida might be denied or may not cover the total cost of rebuilding your property. Here are some reasons why a fire damage claim might be denied.
- Coverage Limits Don’t Cover Rebuilding. Sometimes insurance limits only cover the potential sale price of your home, not the cost to rebuild. Given current inflation and costs of construction, it is entirely possible to find yourself in a situation where your home is completely destroyed in a fire and the amount your insurance pays isn’t enough to cover the rebuild. This is a situation where it is very important to understand your insurance policy and its limitations. Some policies specifically cover the cost to rebuild, while others do not.
- If your insurance company believes your home was set on fire intentionally, a criminal investigation may be opened. However, if the criminal investigation found that arson wasn’t the cause of your fire, an investigation alone shouldn’t result in a denied claim. Only if the investigation finds that the fire was due to fraud or arson should it be denied.
- Sometimes insurance companies may deny a fire claim if they believe neglect may have played a role. If your home is vacant and a fire happens, your insurance company may not cover the loss. And if your insurance company believes the fire occurred because you didn’t hire a proper electrician to perform work and this resulted in a fire, your claim could also be denied. If your insurance company believes your fire happened because you were doing illegal activity in the home, this could also result in a denial.
- Unable to document lost belongings. In a fire, your property can be damaged, burned, and destroyed. If you are unable to properly document belongings when making a claim, your insurance company may refuse to cover payment for certain belongings. Furthermore, if you owned expensive items and failed to include a rider for these items, your insurance company may also not cover these losses. In a fire, it is possible that receipts and records can also be destroyed. This is why many groups suggest that you keep records of your belongings either on the cloud or in a safety deposit box elsewhere.
These are just some of the reasons why a fire damage claim might be denied. If your claim has been denied, you may want to speak to the fire damage claim denial lawyers in Florida at the Shochet Law Group today. Our fire damage claim denial lawyers can review the details of your insurance policy, estimate the value of your damages, and negotiate with insurance adjusters to help you get the maximum possible settlement permitted under the law.
If your claim has been denied and you disagree with the denial, keep all records and all denial letters. Keep your policy and take notes of any contact you have with insurance adjusters or people at the insurance company. Finally, you may want to reach out to a Florida fire claim denial attorney at the Shochet Law Group today. Our firm can review your situation, and may be able to help you with the next steps.
How Can A Fire Damage Claim Denial Lawyer Help Me?
A fire damage claim lawyer can help you by reading your policy and helping you understand your rights under the policy. Sometimes insurance adjusters act in bad faith and misrepresent the language of the policy to homeowners or property owners. The is illegal. Sometimes insurance adjusters fail to offer homeowners or property owners guidance when making a claim, resulting in homeowners or property owners not providing the full documentation needed to make the full claim. This is not illegal, necessarily, but failing to understand your rights or failing to document your losses could result in a big loss to you.
For example, if you need to stay in a hotel because your home was damaged by a fire, you may be able to make a claim for this stay. If you need to buy new clothes, or need to get meals takeout because you don’t have a kitchen, your insurance company may be able to cover some of these costs. Yet, not all victims of fires understand their rights or their ability to make a claim. And some may not properly document these details or tell their insurance companies about these losses. Ultimately it is the property owner’s responsibility to provide the insurance adjuster with the information to settle the claim. Sometimes insurance adjusters take advantage of the fact that homeowners and property owners don’t understand the claims process as intimately as they do.
A Florida fire damage claim lawyer at the Shochet Law Group may be able to help. Our fire damage claim lawyers understand the insurance settlement process and can help guide you through it. We can read your fire policy or insurance policy to help you understand everything that is and isn’t covered, and we can help you gather information or present information to your insurance company so you can get the best possible settlement under the law. If your insurance company is underpaying or denying your claim, the fire damage insurance claim denial lawyers in Florida at the Shochet Law Group can negotiate with insurance adjusters or take the insurance company to court for bad faith. We are here to help.
If your life has been devastated by a fire, the last thing you want to think about is trying to deal with insurance companies. But in order to get the settlement you deserve, you’ll need to make a claim and go through the process. The Shochet Law Group is a fire damage claim law firm in Florida that may be able to help you. We fight insurance companies when they engage in bad faith and when they fail to honor their obligations. We are here for you.