Hurricane Insurance Claims
Hurricanes wreak havoc to persons and
property in their path. During a hurricane, homes, businesses, public buildings, and
infrastructure may be damaged or destroyed by many different storm hazards:
- Debris can break windows and
doors
- High winds and rain enter the
home
- In extreme storms, the force of the wind
alone can cause tremendous devastation, as trees and power lines topple and weak elements
of homes and buildings fail
- Roads and bridges can be washed away and
homes saturated by flooding
- Destructive tornadoes can also be present
well away from the storm's center during landfall.
Storm surge alone poses the
highest threat to life and destruction in many coastal areas throughout the United States and
territories.
These threats are not limited to
the coastline -- they can extend hundreds of miles inland, under the right conditions. These events
can displace our families and disrupt our lives.
When we suffer these types of
damages, we can and should rightfully expect our insurance carrier – to whom we have paid our
insurance premiums religiously – to be there and help us during our time of need.
Unfortunately, insurance companies
today seem to be engaged in a war with their consumer policyholders whenever a claim is made. They
abandon us. The refuse to pay our property damage claims, wrongfully deny homeowners'
insurance claims.
When Your Insurance Company Abandons
You
Insurance companies often deny or
fail to pay fair compensation for legitimate hurricane damage claims. This may represent bad
faith conduct on the part of your insurance carrier. If so, you may be entitled to bring a separate
claim for their bad faith money damages directly against your insurance company.
f this has happened to you, then
contact hurricane insurance attorney David Hughes Harris to handle the claim on your
behalf.
Insurance Companies Often Deny or Minimize
Legitimate Hurricane Insurance Claims
Insurance companies are in the
business of denying claims. They love taking our premium dollars every month, year after year,
which we pay for protection. When we need that protection in the wake of a hurricane, we too often
find that we have entered a zone of excuses.
Some insurance companies attribute the damage to “flooding” and
therefore deny the claim. Others insurers hire cheap contractors who use the cheapest materials for
“repairs,” and take their time in completing these “repairs.”
Most insurance companies hire
temporary adjusters (called “emergency adjusters”), without training or without complying with the
adjuster’s code of ethics, in the wake of a hurricane.
Other examples of instances when your insurance company attempts to
hide from paying you what it owes you:
- If you need to stay at a hotel and / or
buy food because your home is not fit to live in due to the hurricane, your insurer should
reimburse you.
- Removal of trees and other debris may be
paid for by your insurer.
- If someone else’s tree did damage to your
home or property, your insurance should cover the cost of repair.
- Damage to your car should be covered by
your auto insurance.
- If you replace any damaged property – such
as your TV, computer, DVD player, etc. – your insurer should pay for the full cost of
replacement.
An insurance policy is a contract.
The consumer/homeowner agrees to pay the premiums, and the insurance company agrees to pay
hurricane damage claims.
We represent consumers – the
homeowners in hurricane damage claims. We want your insurance carrier to honor its contract, and
will fight to make them do so.
Post-Hurricane Damage
Suggestions
- Take pictures after the hurricane, if
possible from the same angles as those taken before the storm.
- Contact your insurer as soon as
possible.
- Keep a running diary – a LOG -- of
every contact with all insurance company representatives. Make sure to list date and
time and name of representative.
- Make a list of damaged interior
furnishings and personal property.
- Make temporary repairs to prevent
further damage.
- Keep all receipts for your expenses
and expenditures related to the hurricane damage.
- Save all paperwork.
Bad Faith
Lawsuit
If your insurance company has
abandoned you, delayed your claim, denied your claim, or otherwise not acted your best interests,
then your insurance carrier may have acted in bad faith. If so, then you be entitled to bring a
separate claim for money damages directly against your insurance company. Contact a
consumer injury lawyer at our law firm regarding your bad faith claim. You may be
eligible to receive compensation for your losses due to the insurer's
misconduct.
We may team up with, co-counsel, or jointly
prosecute, your bad faith claim with an insurance claims attorney whom we know and trust. We are
sensitive to your needs, share your values, and work hard for you and your family to secure
justice.
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