Filing a hurricane commercial claim

Florida business owners understand the importance of having hurricane insurance on their commercial properties.

Hurricanes, regardless of strength, can cause significant damage. Being prepared for any potential hurricane or tropical storm is essential to making a successful commercial hurricane insurance claim.

What you do before and after a storm hits can have an impact on your claim. Commercial property owners are encouraged to do the following to protect their properties and make a successful commercial hurricane claim.

Before A Storm

Before hurricane season starts, it is essential that you do the following:

1. Review your insurance policy, so you know exactly what is covered. Most policies only cover damage from wind and rain. If your property is flooded from storm surge, you will not have coverage unless you have specifically added flood damage to your policy. Make sure that you know your deductible and feel comfortable with the amount.
2. If a storm is coming, make sure that you take the necessary precautions. Cover windows, secure outdoor items, and clean up any loose debris. Damages to your property that happen because you did not take these precautions could result in a smaller or denied claim.

After A Storm Hits

Once the storm passes, and it is safe to go to your property, you will want to show up with a camera and something to document the damages in writing. To prepare for your commercial hurricane damage insurance claim, you are encouraged to:

1. Photograph the outside of your property as soon as you arrive and before you enter or do anything. You want to have an exact representation of the damages that you can see right away. Keep your camera handy; there will be a lot of photography to do today.
2. If there are holes in the roof or broken windows, photograph the damage and then make the necessary temporary repairs to protect the property from further damage. Cover the roof with a tarp and board the windows up. Do not make permanent repairs, and try not to change too much of the surrounding area when you make these changes. You must show that you are trying to protect the property from further damage while still keeping it in the damaged state so that the insurance adjuster can get a real look at what happened.
3. Document all of the damage. This includes damage to things in the interior of the business as well. You want to keep an accurate record of these damages and include photographs.
4. Do not start any clean-up until the insurance adjuster has been to the property. Even if this means that you have to rope off your property for a short time, do not start hauling away debris or making repairs. Your insurance company needs to see the full extent of the damages to your property.
5. Prepare your hurricane commercial claim and submit it with all your supporting documentation to the insurance company. Make sure that you keep an exact copy of everything that you submit.

Avoiding Problems With Your Commercial Hurricane Damage Claim

Although premiums for hurricane insurance in Florida are very high, most insurance companies offer very low compensation for the damages that you receive. For commercial properties, this could result in large losses of business and even a potential for permanent closure.

Avoid these problems by having a property damage attorney help you with your insurance claim. Your attorney can make sure that the insurance claims are prepared right from the start and that the insurance company acts in a fair and timely manner.

If you have already started the claims process and are now facing delays, undervalued offers, or even a denial of compensation from the insurance company, an insurance attorney can still help.

Your attorney can prepare an appeal for denial and can negotiate for fair compensation on low-ball offers. Additionally, your attorney can speed up the claims process by requiring the insurance company to adhere to state law requirements regarding the payment of insurance claims in Florida.

Hurricanes and tropical storms cause enough headaches. Don’t let the insurance company add to your burdens. If you need to make a commercial hurricane insurance claim, speak with an insurance attorney at Landau Law today. Contact us now!