When you have damage to your home from storms, fires, or other types of events, you may feel secure in knowing that you have homeowners insurance covering your property. So you document the home damage and losses and submit a claim to your insurer.
Nothing is more surprising than receiving a notice from your insurer that your claim has been denied or significantly reduced. What are you going to do? You have to repair your home, but the settlement they are offering is not enough to make a dent in the cost of the repairs.
Your next step will be to contact a home property damage lawyers so that you can fight the decision of the insurance company.
Having a home damage attorney manage your insurance claim will ensure that you get the best possible outcome for your claim. Your attorney will make sure that the insurance company abides by the terms of its policy and provides you with full and fair compensation for your losses.
Know Your Insurance Policy
Florida homeowners are encouraged to carefully review their homeowner’s insurance policy. It is important that you know exactly what is covered and the value of that coverage. Too often, homeowners discover that an event is not covered or their policy is way too low for their losses.
Some of the things you should review in your policy include:
- Storm damage – including wind damage and hail
- Fire damage – including fire caused by lightning
- Water damage from broken pipes or excessive rain (Most policies require a separate flooding policy)
- Smoke damage
- Fallen trees
- Mold damage
- Theft and vandalism
- Sinkholes (If you are in an area prone to this type of disaster)
- Accidents
You should also review what is covered under your policy, such as:
- Personal belongings
- Valuables and collectibles
- Electronic appliances, including computers and cell phones
- Furniture and decor
You will need to look at the type of coverage that these items have. Some policies are replacement value policies, while other policies only cover the market value for any item.
Verify the amount of coverage you have on your personal items and ensure that it is enough to cover everything in the event of a total loss.
When You Should Call Home Property Lawyers For Help
You may be wondering when is the best time to look for home property damage lawyers near me? You can look for an attorney for home damage claims before you file the claim or at any time during the process if you feel that the insurance company is being unfair.
If you have already filed a claim for your losses and you experience:
- Excessive delays in processing your claim
- The insurer has made an offer that is significantly undervalued compared to your losses
- The insurance company has denied your claim
- Confusion with the claims process caused by actions taken by your insurer to frustrate you into abandoning your claim
Your attorney will make sure that your claim is processed correctly and that the insurance companies abide by the terms of their policy and the deadlines set for claims by Florida law. Insurance companies know that they cannot get away with many of their tricks when a claimant has legal representation.
The losses you have suffered to your home have been devastating to you and your family. Depending on the extent of the damages, you may not even be able to live there while the repairs are being made. The chaos that this has brought into your life should not be enhanced by unethical practices by an insurance company.
If you need to make a claim for property damage from storm damage or any other type of event, contact a property damage attorney at Landau Law today for help right from the start. Your attorney can help you put together a solid claim in a timely manner. This will help you get the repair process started quickly so that you can start putting your life back together again.
Florida Property Damage Lawyers
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