As you likely know, the weeks after a hurricane can be emotionally and financially draining. You want a legal team who understands how you feel and knows how to handle your insurance company.
Depending on the details of your coverage, you may be eligible to recover the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home, cleaning up debris from your property, replacing your belongings, and even temporary relocation costs.
You have paid for property insurance for years, and now you are in a position to use that coverage. Our team can help you file a claim and hold the insurance company liable for your losses. Contact a Doral personal injury lawyer today to understand your legal rights and begin the claims process.
Damages You May Be Eligible for After a Hurricane Damages Your Doral Property
The damages you are eligible to recover will vary based on a wide range of details, including the amount of damage done to your property, whether the damage is a result of flooding, and whether your policy requires an additional hurricane deductible.
To understand the losses you are eligible to recover, consult a hurricane property claim lawyer in Doral who can review your specific coverage and case.
For most clients, we pursue the following damages:
The Cost to Repair or Rebuild Property Structures
If your home or ancillary structures are damaged in the hurricane, you may recover the cost of rebuilding or repairing them. In most cases, this includes your house, business, workshop, separate garage, barn, or an in-law suite.
You may also get compensation to repair or replace fencing and landscaping.
Personal Property Damage
Damage to your home may also result in the loss of personal property inside the home, such as a computer, television, washer and dryer, clothing, toys, and furniture. You may recover the cost of replacement for these items.
Clean Up and Board Up Costs
A damaged roof or busted windows can allow the elements inside your home, resulting in even more damage. Your policy may cover the cost of installing a temporary roof and boarding up windows to protect your property from further damage.
Relocation Costs
Your policy may reimburse moving expenses if you need to relocate temporarily due to storm damage. These include moving expenses, storage fees, and other related costs incurred while you wait for repairs.
Sometimes, you may receive money to pay for living expenses when it takes to fix your home. This is called “loss of use” and typically covers things including:
Temporary Housing Costs
If the damage to your property is so severe you cannot return home, your policy may cover the cost of temporary relocation for your family, including hotel stays and meals.
Keep in mind that your insurance coverage may vary. Call us to have a member of our legal team review your coverage and explain the next steps for filing your insurance claim.
Additional Deductibles
Your policy may require you to pay an additional deductible before your insurer pays out any money. If so, you may need to pay a portion of the total bill before your insurer does.
How Much Can I Recover?
The amount of recovery you receive depends on many factors, including the extent of the damage and the type of policy you purchased. Contact us today to learn more.
What Hurricane-Related Damages Can I Seek?
Property damage, loss of belongings, wage loss, and medical expenses are all damages that you can claim after a hurricane. If you own a business, you may also be able to claim the lost business income, contracts, or sales.
Common Types of Hurricane Property Damage in Doral
If you own residential or commercial property in Doral or the surrounding area, the recent hurricane may have caused significant damage. High floodwaters, downed power lines, and debris rendered many homes and businesses uninhabitable or caused severe damage, including:
Vehicle Damage
Vehicle damage can be caused by objects falling onto your vehicle or floodwaters entering it.
Electrical Damage
can occur when electricity travels through hurricane-damaged electrical wires. Electrical surges can cause fires, electrocution, and serious injury.
Broken Glass
Hurricanes often bring strong winds and heavy rains, breaking windows and doors. Broken glass can be dangerous because it creates a hazard for people and animals outside.
Landscape Damage
Trees and shrubs blown over by high winds can fall onto houses, cars, and other vehicles. Trees can also fall into swimming pools, causing water damage.
High winds can also blow away grass and lawns, exposing soil and roots. Roots can then enter drains and sewers, clogging them and causing backups. Flooding can wash away soil and expose underground pipes, causing leaks and flooding.
Hurricane Debris
After a hurricane, large amounts of debris must be removed from roads, yards, and buildings. Debris removal includes removing damaged items like furniture, appliances, roof shingles, and siding.
It also involves cleaning up broken tree limbs, fallen branches, and other hazards after the storm. Insurance companies should provide funds to help with this process; however, they may not cover all costs.
Flooding or Water Damage
Hurricane rains and high winds can cause flash floods, sewage back-ups, flooding, and cracked water pipes, all of which can lead to property damage.
This damage can cause mold damage, rotten wood, ruined belongings, and rusted metal inside and outside your home. Unfortunately, Florida insurance companies separate hurricane flooding from water damage caused by other factors.
Because of this, your homeowner’s insurance typically won’t cover hurricane-related flooding. Therefore, if you are in a high-risk hurricane area, it’s crucial to look over your insurance policy to determine if your flood insurance will cover your losses.
Wind Damage
Your Doral property may have suffered siding, roof, window, or structural damage from high hurricane winds. High winds can uproot trees and tear off shingles and siding.
Your insurance company may attempt to deny your hurricane damage claim. If they do, contact a Doral hurricane property claim attorney to discuss your options.
Tornado Damage
Hurricane wind speeds can reach 200 mph or higher and create small tornados, which can cause wind-borne projectiles and destroy cars, homes, and businesses.
In addition to damaging your home, tornado damage can include broken windows, doors, roofs, and walls. Insurance companies often try to deny claims related to tornado damage because it’s not considered “direct” damage from the storm.
We understand how difficult it can be to deal with a hurricane. That’s why we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn about your rights and allow us to deal with your insurance company.
How Our Firm Can Help With Your Doral Hurricane Property Claim
After a hurricane passes, you may be emotionally exhausted and worried about your financial future. You may have lost all your belongings in the natural disaster and are unsure where to turn for help.
Our team offers responsive legal care designed to make this process as painless as possible. When we take on your Doral hurricane damage case, we assist in the following ways.
Review Your Coverage
Our first step is to review your flood insurance coverage to find out what your policy covers. We may also look for additional policies that cover items such as artwork, expensive jewelry, and electronics. This will ensure we recover the maximum compensation possible.
File a Doral Hurricane Property Claim With the Insurer
If your insurer denies your claim, we file an appeal with them. We’ll work closely with our clients to gather evidence and prove their loss was due to a covered event.
Gather Evidence Damages and Losses to Build Your Claim
Our team will begin to collect evidence to calculate your total losses and build your claim. We may collect photos, videos, receipts, and other documents to show the extent of your damages. These records support your claim and help us negotiate a fair settlement with your insurer.
File Your Claim and Negotiate a Settlement
Once we calculate your losses and gather evidence to support your claim, we will file a claim with your insurance company. If necessary, we will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and ask for a reasonable settlement amount.
Represent You In Court
If your insurer refuses to pay your claim, we handle court proceedings on your behalf. During these proceedings, we argue your case before a judge or arbitrator who decides whether you deserve money for your losses. We represent you at hearings before judges and juries to get you the money you deserve.
Protect Your Rights
We would show the insurance company your losses and get a check. Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. The insurance company may try to bury you in paperwork or claim your policy is not valid.
They do this to pay out less and protect their profits. Our job is to ensure your rights are protected and that the insurance company does not take advantage of you.
Keep You Updated on Your Case
Throughout the process, we will keep you updated on your Doral property damage claim progress and be available to answer questions as they arise.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to get started filing your Doral property damage claim.
Types of Insurance You May Need to Be Compensated for Hurricane Damage
In Florida, several types of insurance will cover your hurricane damage. These are some examples:
- Flood policy: Flood insurance will protect you from flooding and water damage.
- An all-risk policy: This policy will cover any perils listed on the policy that are not expressly excluded. Most all-risk policies exclude wind and flood damage, so if you live in a hurricane-prone area like Florida, you may want to get separate policies to cover these damages.
- Wind policy: This will protect you from any damage caused by high winds.
- Contents policy: This will protect your personal possessions from water damage.
- Homeowners policy: This policy will protect your home from fire, theft, vandalism, and other perils. It will also provide liability protection for injuries sustained while at your residence.
It may be confusing to figure out which policy to use for the various types of damage, but your insurance provider will assist you in coming up with a system.
We Handle Hurricane Property Damage Claim Denials
Sometimes, the insurance company will try to deny your claim outright or say your policy is not valid. Or, they may try to undervalue your request to pay you less.
Our team is ready to fight on your behalf. If you believe your Doral hurricane damage claim was wrongfully denied, we can help gather additional evidence and file an appeal.
You’re probably counting on your insurance company to repair and replacement costs. You may even be unable to return home or reopen your business until the necessary repairs are completed. However, instead of being fully compensated shortly after filing your claim, you may discover that your claim is:
- Underpaid: You may discover that your insurance company only offers you a fraction of the cost of repairing your property. Insurance companies do this because they aim to pay as few claims as possible while making a yearly profit. They frequently use their own adjusters’ repair/replacement estimates to justify underpayments.
- Delayed: Your insurance company may intentionally place procedural barriers in the way of payment of the claim. This usually manifests in seemingly unnecessary requests for supporting evidence or repeated requests for redundant forms.
- Denied: Your insurance company may deny the claim entirely or partially because an uninsured loss caused the damage. Denials are especially common when the claim is based on hurricane damage because many insurance policies exclude or charge a separate deductible for hurricane damage.
If you suspect that your insurance company has unfairly denied your claim, contact us today. We’ll work hard to prove your case and ensure you receive full compensation for your losses.
What’s Involved in the Claim Filing Process
For filing a claim, different providers will have different procedures in place. Some may require you to call, while others may allow you to file online.
You may also be required to complete a proof of loss document as part of the filing process. The victim fills out a standard form provided by the insurance company. It requires you to list all lost or damaged items and how much compensation you expect to receive for each.
The insurance company is required to respond to you within 30 days after you file a proof of loss.
While completing the insurance company’s proof of loss form is not required, it is a good idea to submit a form that accounts for your losses.
Here are some additional items that may or may not be required by your insurance but are highly recommended.
- Photographs of all the damage that occurred
- Receipts for damaged items, if you have them
- Service technicians provide repair estimates.
- An inventory of everything that was ruined
- An account of what occurred in writing
- All documents about the case
Contact a Hurricane Property Claim Lawyer in Doral
You have a limited time to file a claim for hurricane property damage. Florida’s statute of limitations gives you four years from the date of the accident to file a claim. Do not wait to seek legal help and file your claim. Delaying your claim may make it more difficult to recover hurricane property damages.
After a hurricane causes damage to your Doral property, you want legal representation that is on your side. Let the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine help you. Call us today to start the process.
We Can Help.
