Have you or a family member experienced property damage because of a powerful storm or hurricane? Are you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed because even though you paid your premiums month after month, you are suddenly struggling to collect compensation to cover your losses?
You are not alone.
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we help families like yours to secure compensation to repair their homes after a storm. Call to speak with a member of our team today to learn about your options for recovering compensation for your covered losses by working with a storm loss property claim lawyer in Fort Myers. Call today.
Common Types of Property Claims After a Storm
Storms can cause serious damage to your home and property, resulting in dangerous living conditions that require immediate repair. Here are the most common types of damage we see to properties following a storm:
- Wind damage: a windstorm can last for minutes to days and may not even produce rain. Winds can blow in excess of 33 miles per hour, causing falling trees, downed power lines, and roof damage. If the wind was caused by a hurricane, it may be much stronger and cause far more losses. A Category 5 hurricane, for example, consists of storms with winds over 156 miles per hour.
- Water damage: water damage can result in major losses, not only because of the immediate damage to the property but also the likelihood of mold in the weeks and months that follow. Note that water damage is distinct from flooding damage, and your policy may treat these differently.
- Roof damage: strong winds during a large storm or hurricane can severely damage a roof, especially if it was not properly maintained.
- Flooding: flooding typically happens as a result of heavy rainfall, although the storm surge during a hurricane can also cause catastrophic damage, regardless of the amount of rain an area has received.
- Lightning: the state of Florida has an average of3,500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per day. Lightning strikes can cause damage to buildings and catastrophic fires.
- Smoke damage: smoke damage from fires can leave black marks or discoloration on walls and ceilings.
- Vandalism: vandalism involves the destruction or defacement of property and is, unfortunately, a common occurrence after a storm has left a property vacant.
If a storm has left you and your family devastated and suffering from your losses, our Fort Myers personal injury lawyer can help. For a free consultation, call to speak to a member of our team today.
Proving Losses After a Storm
One of the greatest challenges in a property loss cases after a storm is proving the full extent of losses after a strong storm or hurricane passed, which is why it is helpful to document all the storm damage right away.
- Carefully walk around the exterior of the home, examining and taking photos of the damage
- If your car has been damaged by hail, it is most likely that your roof was as well.
- Put all the photos in a safe place
- Do what you can to prevent further damage, including covering broken windows and holes in the roof with plywood or a tarp
- Save receipts, so you have proof of the costs you incurred immediately to prevent or reduce further damage
- Having before-and-after images or videos can help illustrate the extent of your losses
Liability After a Storm
While most property insurance companies in Fort Myers should cover hurricane losses, there are aspects of storms that may not be covered. For example:
- Your homeowner’s insurance policy may not cover losses from flooding
- You may be unable to recover compensation to cover losses from lack of power or mudslides
- You may have to have separate policies for flooding or hurricanes
In some cases, you may need multiple insurance policies to cover the different types of losses from the storm.
Do not leave the outcome of your claim to chance or the goodwill of the insurance company. Let a storm loss property claim lawyer in Fort Myers fight for your rights. For a free case evaluation, call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine.
How a Storm Loss Property Claim Lawyer in Fort Myers Could Help
Pursuing covered losses can be frustrating and confusing because of complex insurance contracts. In many cases, especially if your home is damaged or your family displaced, the result of your claim is time-sensitive.
From the very start of your claim to the end, our team is here to assist you. We have worked cases similar to yours before and are proud of the results we have achieved for our clients. Let us take on the burden of dealing with the insurance companies and stand beside you through any difficult situations.
Here are just a few ways we can help:
- Be available to you 24/7 to answer questions and provide guidance and support during what we know is a very stressful time.
- Review all of your insurance policies to figure out who is responsible for covering the storm damage.
- Take the burden of proof off of your shoulders by extensively documenting the losses you suffered as a result of the storm.
- Fight for your right to pursue compensation for your losses.
- Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.
A storm loss property claim lawyer in Fort Myers from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine is available and ready to get to work on your case today. Call us today for a free evaluation of your storm loss property claim and to find out what your options are for recovering compensation.
We Can Help.
