By
Marc Wites
Ready to hire a lawyer? Complete the form below and we’ll connect you with a hurricane damage lawyer.
Insurance companies in Florida are just like every other type of insurance company. If they can get away with denying your claim or paying the minimum, they will do so. When the adjuster comes out to assess your hurricane damage, their mission is very often to find reasons to attribute the damage to your home to a cause that is not covered under the policy so the insurance company can reject your hurricane claim. If they can’t find that, they will look for other reasons to deny your claim, such as by saying that you failed to mitigate your damages (i.e., prevent further damage) after the storm. The most frequent explanations given by insurance companies for rejecting storm damage claims are listed below.
Ready to hire a lawyer? Complete the form below and we’ll connect you with a hurricane damage lawyer.
Insurance companies may deny your claim by saying that it’s not covered under the policy. Sometimes a homeowners insurance company will deny claims by saying that the damage was caused by flooding, which is typically not covered under homeowner insurance policies. It is important to have both homeowners insurance and flood insurance and work with lawyers that are experienced in both areas. Our attorneys actively take on Hurricane Ian flood damage claims.
Without proof and documentation, your insurance company may try to deny your claim. It is very important to take pictures and videos of your home before and after the storm and keep receipts for the purchase of your personal property.
If your house has an older roof, and it does not leak, and your insurance company issues you an insurance policy, the insurance company is obligated to insure your roof. If a hurricane damages your roof, your insurance company may claim that it does not have to pay to fix or replace your roof because it’s old, even though it was not leaking before the hurricane. They will claim the damage was caused by wear and tear due to age, and not related to the hurricane. Don’t let your insurance company do this to you. If your insurance company agrees to insure your home, they must honor their contractual promise to do so.
Your insurance company may deny your claim by saying that the damage was caused after the storm, or worsened after the storm because you did not do anything, or enough to prevent further damage. This is known as mitigating your damages. Don’t let them get away with this. Take pictures and video immediately after you discover the damage. And, make sure you take reasonable steps to prevent further damage.
Another one of their favorites is to wrongfully deny your claim based on faulty construction or materials. So, even though you did not have leaks in your roof for the many years prior to the storm, the insurance company may claim that the leaks that first started after the hurricane were caused when the roof was first put on your house, even though it had never leaked before.
Do you see your insurance company below? It’s a list of some of the insurance companies our lawyers have sued for clients. Have they denied coverage for your hurricane claim? Reach out today! We can help you through this process and get you the money you are entitled to.
Ready to hire a lawyer? Complete the form below and we’ll connect you with a hurricane damage lawyer.
Don’t see your insurance company? It’s likely we have filed claims and lawsuits against your insurance company in the past. We will file claims and lawsuits against any insurance company that wrongfully denies or underpays a claim. Reach out today at (239) 758-7577 to find out if we can help you with your underpaid or denied claim. The call and consultation are FREE!
A Florida hurricane damage lawyer should be retained before you consider filing an insurance claim. The insurance procedure is a game; if you don’t keep up with the latest strategies, you risk being taken advantage of and not receiving the full value of your claim.
When property damage has already occurred from a storm, it is essential to contact a Florida hurricane damage lawyer to handle your case. Attorneys for hurricanes have performed this procedure countless times and have a precise approach to follow. Contact one of our Florida hurricane attorneys immediately for a free case evaluation.
Marc A. Wites is a founding shareholder of The Wites & Rogers with over 28 years of trial experience and has achieved great results for his clients. Marc has a natural talent for litigation and a passion for representing policyholders in their disputes against major insurance corporations.
