Types of Property Damage That Plague Florida Homeowners
While your homeowner’s insurance policy should compensate you if your home suffers significant property damage, it doesn’t always work out that way. It can sometimes be difficult to obtain the money you need from your insurance provider. As a result, you might have to hire an attorney for your property damage claim.
Attorney Arye P. Corbett will be here to help if you’re having problems with your property damage insurance claim. We’ll listen to the details of your situation and let you know what your legal options may be. Contact us online or call us at (561) 948-3700 for a free consultation.
Here are just some of the more common forms of property damage that occur in Florida, and some of the issues that can arise when trying to file an insurance claim.
Hurricane & Wind Damage
As beautiful as the weather in Florida can be, we always have to contend with the threat of hurricanes. These storms can cause catastrophic damage. And they’ve recently been increasing in numbers. As a result, hurricane coverage is quite a bit different from other types of losses property owners can face.
For example, homeowner’s policies don’t have the typical fixed deductible you’ll find for damage not related to weather. Storm damage policies carry a percentage deductible. That means you can easily pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket before your policy pays a dime. If you have a $500,000 policy, you may have to pay the first $25,000.
Because insurers have faced an overwhelming number of claims related to hurricane damage in recent years, many of them have resorted to bad faith practices. They will routinely make unfair settlement offers. In some instances, they won’t pay claims at all. For instance, if your roof is damaged in a storm, your insurer may claim the damage wasn’t due to the storm but rather typical wear and tear. You may also encounter ridiculously long delays in your claim being processed.
Roof Damage
There are a lot of reasons a roof can experience damage. It could be due to a falling tree branch during a storm. Or the reason could be hail and high winds. This kind of damage regularly requires a complete roof replacement that could easily cost $10,000 or much more.
In addition to the wear and tear example mentioned above, insurers may deny a roof damage claim for other reasons as well. These are just a few:
The insurer claims you caused the damage because you didn’t hire a professional to perform regular maintenance.
Insurers may claim that the roof doesn’t need to be replaced and can be repaired instead. The insurance company may make this claim even though a repair would not help the structural integrity of your home.
The insurer doesn’t cover the specific cause of the damage.
Water Damage
Most insurance policies will cover water damage due to events such as a leaking roof or appliance. However, in many cases, policies will not cover flood-related damage related to an extended period of heavy rain or a hurricane.
You simply have to purchase flood insurance if you live in Florida. The vast majority of homeowner’s policies will not cover damage due to above-ground water that flows through your foundation or into your home.
Fire Damage
As bad as storm and water damage can be, damage from a fire can be even more devastating, often resulting in the complete loss of a house and all of a family’s possessions. The fire itself is horrible enough. But smoke and soot damage are terrible as well. Efforts to fight the fire can also result in extensive water damage.
Filing a claim after a fire will often be far more complex than most people think. Homeowners will not just have to repair or replace their home and belongings. They’ll also have to factor in staying at a hotel or other shelter. An insurance company may decide it won’t pay for damage caused by firefighters.
Hail Damage
Even though hail doesn’t occur in Florida as often as in many other states, we can still get our fair share of hailstorms each year. Hail can damage not only a roof but also cars and other property.
Insurance adjusters will often try to minimize the amount of damage due to hail. They may, for instance, only offer to repair your roof when you might need your roof totally replaced.
Know Your Rights
Regardless of the type of property damage you’ve suffered, it will always be critically important to remember that you have rights. You don’t need to simply accept an insurance company offer you feel is unfair. You can appeal that offer and even take the insurer to court if need be.
Contact an Experienced Florida Property Damage Lawyer
If your insurance company undervalues or denies your claim altogether, you’ll need the help of a skilled property damage attorney. Your lawyer can open an investigation into your claim and then work to produce the evidence you’ll need to obtain the fairest settlement possible.
Get in touch with The Law Office of Arye P. Corbett as soon as you can if you are struggling with a homeowner’s insurance property damage claim. We will negotiate with the insurer on your behalf to get you maximum compensation. We’ll even take the matter to court if necessary. We’ll make the strongest argument possible to convince the court you deserve far more than what the insurance company is offering.
Our firm has years of experience representing Florida homeowners whose claims have either been undervalued or flat-out denied. You can choose us with complete confidence because we know how to deal with insurance companies. We will leave no stone unturned in an effort to help you get the money you deserve.
If you’d like to learn more about how we may be able to help, use our online form or give us a call at (561) 948-3700 for a free review of your case.