Hurricane and Storm Damage Insurance Claims

Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Insurance Claims

Floridians are used to severe weather, such as hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy winds, rain, and hail storms. These natural disasters can often wreak havoc on homes in the Sunshine State and cause extensive property damage, which requires homeowners to file an insurance claim.

It’s important to act quickly when your property is damaged by a hurricane or storm. While you may expect your insurance company to assist you in repairing your home, the reality is that they often prioritize profit over loss. Claims can frequently be delayed or denied to minimize their payouts. Even when insurance companies do make payments, the adjuster may act in bad faith to reduce the amount you receive for your damages.

You want to ensure enough coverage to pay for the property damage. This is why you need to enlist the help of a property damage lawyer with experience handling insurance litigation. The Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Lawyers at Whittel & Melton have helped many property owners recover total losses from hurricanes, tropical storms, windstorms, and hail damage. We’re ready to assist your family too.

Do I Have a Florida Hurricane Property Damage Claim?

If your property was damaged by a hurricane, consider filing a claim for damages such as:

• Roof Lifting or other damages
• Broken windows
• Siding damages
• Garage door damages
• Water or moisture damages
• Fire damage
• Septic tank damages
• Vehicle damages
• Projectile damages
• Damages to the structure of the home or property
• Other types of property losses include furniture, clothing, valuables, etc.
• All other types of storm-related damages

What About a Hail Damage Claim in Florida?

In Florida, hurricanes and tropical storms receive the most attention, often overshadowing hail and the damage it can cause. The National Weather Service reports that hailstorms cause about $1 billion yearly damage. Hail is more unpredictable than other types of inclement weather, but when it occurs, the damage can be quite costly. Even five minutes of hail damage can destroy vehicles, windows, roofs, siding, screen doors, and other property types. Homes and cars damaged by a hailstorm need repairs, prompting homeowners to turn to their insurance companies for help. If your home or property has been damaged by hail, you may have an insurance claim. The following are damages that warrant a property damage claim:

• Damage to a car
• Roof damage
• Broken windows
• Damage to gutters
• Damage to siding
• AC repair or replacement
• Water damage
• Electrical damage
• Dented garage doors
• Other damages

If your insurance company has denied your claim, undervalued your losses, or is delaying a decision, consult our Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Lawyers at Whittel & Melton. Our experienced attorneys can help you secure necessary funds for hail damage repairs and fight for a fair settlement if needed.

How Do I File a Hurricane or Storm Damage Claim in Florida?

When you are filing a hurricane or storm damage insurance claim in Florida, there are very important steps that you must take to ensure that you can recover the full amount of monetary damages caused by the storm. By doing the following things, you can help prove the damages that have occurred to your home or property and thus reduce your odds of being denied or only given a partial settlement by your insurance company:

1. Take Pictures of the Damages: Photographic evidence is hard to deny. Before pictures definitely help back up your claims, so if you are a home or property owner then take pictures of your property often in case of an emergency, like a hurricane or storm.
2. Keep Your Receipts: Insurance companies are notorious for undervaluing people’s possessions when it comes time to replace them. Keep your receipts for big-ticket items like furniture, TVs, and other possessions. If your receipts have been subject to water damage, do your best to dry them out and submit them along with your claim.
3. Get a Professional Inspector to Investigate the Full Scope of Damages: Hire a certified inspector or engineer to thoroughly assess all damage to your home after a hurricane or storm. They can identify issues you may not see, as some damage may not be apparent right away and can take up to a year to show.
4. Do Not Delay in Filing Your Claim: It is essential to act quickly, as insurance companies will often do everything possible to avoid paying you what you are rightfully owed. There are strict deadlines for filing a claim with your insurance company, so do not give them any additional leverage to undervalue your claim.

Florida Hurricane and Storm Property Damage Attorneys Whittel and Melton can Help

Hurricane, wind, and storm damage are obviously acts of God that we, as property owners, cringe at the thought of—so much so that we all go out and purchase commercial or residential policies for such an event.

But What Happens When the Florida Insurance Company Won’t Pay?

If your claim has been denied for any reason, don’t panic. Welcome back to Florida. Florida has created laws insulating insurance companies from initially handling claims poorly. However, this perceived blanket of protection for bad behavior is only a perception. The earlier you can obtain competent legal counsel, the closer to the proper result you will be.

Unfortunately, in our current insurance climate, insurance companies commonly create paradigms where they never pay certain types of claims or pay them at such a minimal level that it’s offensive. Many Insurance companies would prefer to handle your claim in litigation, even paying their own legal fees on a perfectly valid claim, because they are willing to gamble you won’t hire an attorney for your claim.

This has basically become a war of attrition. The longer they hold out on your claim and all the others, the hope is that claims will just fall off the vine as folks become disinterested with pursuing what seems to be an immovable object. Well, you are reading this webpage because you obviously don’t want give up.

Is My Florida Hurricane or Storm Damage Claim Being Handled in Good Faith?

If your insurance company is acting in bad faith regarding your hurricane, storm, or wind damage claim in Florida, then you need to know that this is a serious violation and intolerable in the state of Florida. The following actions or omissions are unacceptable:

• Not investigating the damage to a property completely
• Delaying any payouts for unnecessary reasons
• Using biased inspectors or adjusters to under value or under assess property damage
• Making an unfair and seriously low-ball settlement offer

Why You Need to Hire Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Insurance Claim Lawyers Whittel & Melton

The knowledge and experience of our Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help with your claim tremendously. We know how difficult it can be to file a claim, have it adjusted correctly, and even have it handled in a timely manner, which is why we are here to help you. The tricks insurance companies often used to serve their best interests. However, admittedly, they come up with new deceptions every year as the legislature tinkers with the law instead of dealing honestly with their policyholders.

We can communicate with the insurance company on your behalf and work towards protecting your rights. Over the years, we have seen how insurance companies handle these claims and will put our knowledge to work for you, ensuring that you are supported throughout the payout process.

We know how to fight aggressively and what damages you are entitled to. Our Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Lawyers at Whittel & Melton are sensitive to how tough this time is for you and your family. That is why you have our word that we will do everything in our power to make sure you receive a full and fair payout for all of your damages.

Call us now at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for an immediate, free consultation.