The Florida hurricane damage lawyers at the Shochet Law Group work with homeowners who need help with their hurricane damage claims. If your hurricane damage claim has been denied, underpaid, or delayed, the Florida hurricane damage lawyers at the Shochet Law Group may be able to help. Insurance companies are often overwhelmed in the aftermath of a storm. Many hundreds or even thousands of people might be making claims at once. Despite these challenges, homeowner’s insurance companies have a responsibility to honor their responsibility and pay your claim in a timely manner.
Under the Homeowner Claim Bill of Rights your insurance company must meet certain timelines or deadlines when settling your claim, even after a hurricane. For example, your insurance company must acknowledge that it received your claim within 14 days after you submitted your claim. Within 90 days, you should be paid, and if the claim is disputed, the insurance company is required to send you the undisputed amount. If your claim is under dispute, you may be entitled to receive a free neutral evaluation and may have the right to appeal a denied or underpaid claim, and appeal the disputed claim through mediation.
In order for your hurricane claim to go smoothly, it is important that you submit proof of loss statements to your insurance company in a timely manner. It is also important that you complete these statements in a thorough way. Understanding your policy and your rights can be helpful.
Are you having trouble with getting the insurance settlement you believe you deserve after a hurricane in Florida? The Shochet Law Group is a hurricane damage law firm in Florida that works with homeowners who may be facing challenges in getting the insurance claim they believe they deserve.
How a Hurricane Damage Claim Denial Lawyer in Florida Can Help You
A hurricane damage claim denial lawyer in Florida at the Shochet Law Group may be able to help you if your hurricane claim has been denied. There are many reasons why a hurricane claim might be denied. The key thing to keep in mind is that after a hurricane in Florida, insurance adjusters may suddenly find themselves processing thousands of insurance claims at once. In the aftermath of a storm, insurance companies may find themselves having to pay out billions of dollars in damages. Adjusters and companies may be under pressure to pay the least amount possible while still honoring their contractual obligations. When homeowners don’t understand their rights or the value of their claim, they could lose out on money that could be essential to repairing a home and setting things right after a hurricane.
Here are some common reasons why hurricane damage claims in Florida get denied:
- Damage is Excluded. Standard homeowners insurance coverage doesn’t cover flood damage. In order to be covered for flooding, you’ll need to purchase additional coverage. If you live in a flood zone and have a mortgage, you’ll likely already have separate flood coverage through FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But if you don’t live in a flood zone, you may not have additional coverage for flooding. Flood zones can change over the years, but it can be difficult for official flood zone designations to keep up with these changes. If you don’t live in a flood zone, but your home was flooded, and you don’t have additional flood insurance coverage, you may not be covered for flood damage to your home. Water damage claims can also be more complicated when a home suffers flood damage as well as other types of water damage claims. For example, if your home was flooded but your roof was also damaged, your standard homeowner’s insurance may still cover you for water damage due to the damaged roof. But there are situations where standard homeowners coverage may even exclude this damage. Some policies include provisions and fine print that excludes all water damage if the home was damaged due to a flood or damaged in a way that includes excluded coverage. This is where a hurricane damage claim can get complicated. If your water damage claim was denied in Florida after a hurricane, the first step you may want to take is to check to see whether you have flood coverage or just standard homeowners insurance coverage. Even if you only have standard homeowners insurance coverage, sometimes insurance companies may wrongfully claim that water damage or damage in general was caused by flooding and not by wind or other kinds of damage. If your hurricane damage claim has been denied and you believe you should be covered, the Florida hurricane damage claim denial lawyers at the Shochet Law Group may be able to help you. If a homeowners insurance claims adjuster misrepresents your claim or says that something isn’t covered when it should be covered, you may be able to fight back or even claim insurance bad faith.
- Deductible not Met or Insurance Company Undervalued Damages. If your home was only damaged in a minor way in a hurricane, and if you have a high deductible, your claim could be denied if the value of your damages is below the deductible. The deductible is the amount of money you are required to pay out of pocket following damage. After you have paid this amount, the insurance covers the remainder of damages. Issues can arise with hurricane damage claims if your insurance company undervalues your damages. This can happen for many reasons. Sometimes insurance companies use formulas or computer programs to estimate the cost of repairs. These formulas or algorithms may not always take into account increased costs of labor due to inflation, increased cost of materials due to supply chain shortages, or other costs due to demand after a hurricane. Sometimes insurance adjusters fail to take into account hidden costs with repairs. If you believe your insurance company underpaid or undervalued the cost of your repairs, the hurricane damage claim denial attorneys in Florida at the Shochet Law Group may be able to help you with your claim.
- Additional Damages Happened After the Storm. If you don’t live in your Florida home and failed to secure the property after a hurricane, you could potentially face difficulties when seeking a settlement. If water got into your home because you didn’t put a tarp on your roof or failed to board up windows, your insurance company could claim that all or some of the water or wind damage was your fault. After a hurricane it is important to make temporary repairs or secure your property to protect it from further damage. But if your insurance company wrongly claims that damage that in fact happened during a hurricane happened after the storm, you may have the right to appeal that conclusion. The hurricane damage claim denial lawyers in Florida at the Shochet Law Group may be able to assist you.
- Adjuster Claims Damage Preceded the Storm. Sometimes, to avoid paying claims, an adjuster might claim that the damage happened before the storm or was due to normal wear and tear. It is important to keep in mind that some insurance companies may take into account the life of your roof or other components of your home when estimating the value of replacement. Understanding the fine print of your policy can be helpful when determining whether your insurance company is obligated to pay the full cost of repairs, or can take deductions if you have an older roof. The Shochet Law Group is a hurricane damage law firm in Florida that may be able to help you.
These are just some of the reasons why a hurricane damage claim might be denied. If you are struggling to get a hurricane damage settlement after a storm, the Shochet Law Group may be able to help. Our Florida hurricane damage attorneys work closely with homeowners whose claims have been denied, underpaid, or delayed.
Contact a Hurricane Claim Lawyer in Florida Today
If your insurance claim hasn’t been paid in a timely manner, if you believe your insurance claim has been wrongfully denied, or if you feel that the settlement amount insurance adjusters are offering is lower than you deserve, the Florida hurricane lawyers at the Shochet Law Group may be able to help you. Our hurricane lawyers can review the fine print of your homeowners insurance policy, review your damages and estimate the cost of repairs, and fight to help you get the best possible settlement under the law. Hurricane damage can be devastating and stressful. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the aftermath of the claims process alone. Reach out to our hurricane lawyers today.