Devastation is usually a guarantee when hurricanes make landfall. During these storms, homes, businesses, and municipal structures are blasted by high winds and storm surges. After a hurricane makes landfall, residents work to pick up the pieces. Many are forced to spend time away from home as contractors repair windows, roofs, and damaged floors.
Securing an insurance claim could offset the costs of repairing a damaged home. Depending on your insurance coverage, you could receive compensation for the water and wind damage your home sustained. However, securing this compensation can be complicated. If you are dealing with a disputed claim or your insurer is lowballing your hurricane claim in Palm Bay, the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help. A Palm Bay personal injury lawyer can support you throughout the process.
What Can a Hurricane Lawyer Do for Me?
Natural disasters, like hurricanes, can alter the trajectory of your life. Normal concerns, like commuting to work, or picking kids up from school, often disappear. In their absence, you may be faced with the following:
- Finding a contractor to repair your home
- Securing temporary housing for you and your family
- Ensuring that your family and friends are safe
These concerns can be all-consuming. So, when you add a complicated hurricane claim into the mix, you may feel overwhelmed. This is where a lawyer could give you some breathing room. With our help, you can avoid haggling with insurers over hurricane claims.
These are the services we provide:
- Communicating and negotiating with insurers
- Protecting your rights
- Pursuing fair compensation
- Documenting your damaged home
- Preparing and filing your claims
- Ensuring you understand your insurance policies
- Identifying and protecting you from unfair insurance tactics
Common Challenges Hurricane Claimants Face
Florida law does not prevent you from pursuing a claim without a lawyer. However, you could struggle to access compensation. Common challenges hurricane claimants face are:
- You do not understand your insurance coverage
- Your insurer is refusing to offer you compensation
- Your insurer is offering you less than you deserve
- Your case is complicated
Hiring an attorney makes sense if these are challenges you face.
The Cost of a Property Claims Lawyer
Hurricanes, by nature, are expensive. They can uproot property and cause other lasting damage. Repairing a home after a hurricane is not cheap, nor is securing temporary housing.
We recognize you might be going through a difficult financial time. Contingency fees allow us to keep your finances simple. This payment plan benefits clients in several ways, including:
- No upfront fees are required
- You do not need to pay unless we secure compensation for you
How Much Will I Receive for My Hurricane Insurance Claim?
It is normal to wonder about compensation during your claims. After all, for the average person, it is almost impossible to completely repair a home without an insurance payout.
Assessing the value of a claim is difficult as several factors might impact your case, including:
- The outcome of insurance negotiations
- The type and severity of damages your home suffered
- The type of insurance coverage you have
- The amount of evidence you provide to an insurer
- Whether or not you hire a lawyer
During the documentation process, we can assess the potential value of your case. This could prove helpful during negotiations, so you do not go in blind. Knowledge is power, and you could have a higher chance of success if you know how much you deserve in compensation.
The Type of Insurance You Have is Important
Anyone who has dealt with insurers will know that policy coverage can be finicky. This rule applies to hurricane claims. Technically, there is no singular hurricane insurance policy. For complete coverage, you must carry the following:
- Hurricane insurance: Florida mandates that homeowner’s insurance includes hurricane insurance. However, this type of insurance only covers wind damage. Therefore, if you have purchased a homeowner’s insurance policy, you probably have wind damage coverage.
- Flood insurance: Flood insurance covers repair costs associated with flooding and storm surges. This type of insurance is not required for homeowners in Florida but can be purchased separately to cover water damage. Typically, those in hurricane-prone areas rely on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), an insurance network curated by the federal government.
Understanding the limits of your policies can be difficult. However, if you retain our firm, we can review your insurance policies.
Securing a Fair Claim for Hurricane Damage May Be Difficult
After a hurricane, insurers usually deal with hundreds or thousands of property claims. This inundation of insurers is not great news for those seeking compensation. Paying out claims for insurers is expensive, meaning they might attempt to dispute your claim to keep costs low.
Common strategies insurers might use during the claims process are:
- Outright dispute your claim
- Offer you lower than you deserve
- Argue that your home was already damaged
- Ask that you provide a recorded statement and use said statement to devalue your claim
Our lawyers are familiar with the strategies insurers use. With our assistance, you do not need to stress over the details of the insurance negotiation process. We will not act without your approval but can otherwise handle the extent of your claim.
What Should I Do After a Hurricane in Palm Bay?
Taking the following steps could ensure that your hurricane insurance claim runs smoother:
- Document your home’s damage: Take images and videos of your home’s damage. Similarly, you should keep track of your receipts and expenses – this information could prove helpful if insurers refuse to offer you compensation.
- Secure your home to prevent further damage: Once you have documented the damage to your home, spend some time securing your property. This could entail using tarps or boarding up windows.
- File a claim: You must contact your insurer as soon as possible. For the most part, you should cooperate with their requests. However, if you are unsure about the legitimacy of an insurer’s request, consult with a lawyer.
- Consider legal aid: You could run into roadblocks which could prevent you from securing fair compensation. If you have encountered a roadblock, or are experiencing unfair treatment, consider seeking a law firm that serves your area. You are entitled to legal representation during hurricane claims.
Contact a Palm Bay Hurricane Claims Attorney for Help Today
We care deeply for residents of Palm Bay and are here to support you as you get your life back on track. In addition, we can be your legal guide and representative. So call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to start your claim for hurricane damage in Palm Bay.
We Can Help.
