Your hurricane insurance policy may differ vastly from your neighbors’ policies, making it difficult to speculate as to the compensation you might expect from a hurricane settlement. Some aspects of policies tend to stay somewhat consistent, though, in their coverage of losses resulting from fallen trees, wind, and other hurricane damage.
Examples of losses commonly covered by insurance include:
- Fence repair
- Garage/shed repair
- Wind damage to siding
- Broken window replacement
- Replacement or repair of roof
- Downed power line or tree damage
- Water damage caused from roof damage
- Building structural damage repair
- Door replacement or repair
- Debris clean-up
- Damage to personal property from flying debris
- Temporary relocation expenses
Working with Insurance Companies
Working with your insurance company to receive a settlement moves through two key phases. First, you need to gain a full understanding of the coverage afforded by your homeowner’s policy. Second, you need to prove your covered losses.
Simple as the process may sound, these two steps can confound even the most level of heads. A lawyer can walk you through your policy, explaining in clear terms what you can expect the insurance company to cover.
Understanding Florida’s Hurricane Deductible
It is important that you also appreciate the role that the deductible plays in your settlement. It is not uncommon for insurance companies to require that customers who live in coastal areas pay a special deductible for hurricane-related damage. As you might anticipate, this “special deductible” will most likely be higher than your standard deductible—possibly a percentage of your home’s property value.
The hurricane deductible is the amount you will have to pay out of pocket before your insurance company pays for any hurricane-related losses you have suffered. This amount is typically deducted from your claim payment before your insurer writes your settlement check.
You can find your policy’s hurricane deductible on your policy’s declarations page, which is often the first page of your policy.
Other Special Notes About Florida Hurricane Coverage
Typically, hurricane coverage will pay for losses resulting from windstorms during a hurricane. Any damage to a building’s interior or its surrounding property that is caused by the direct force of the windstorm should be covered. If the windstorm damages the structure of a building, permitting rain, hail, sand, or dust to enter the property, these losses are part of this coverage. Flooding, however, is not included in hurricane coverage.
Also, Florida insurers are required to give policy owners the option to exclude windstorm coverage from their policy. You will want to know whether you opted out of this coverage as you prepare for how much you can expect in terms of a settlement.
How a Florida Hurricane Lawyer Can Help
The first thing a Florida hurricane lawyer can do to help you is to take the entire messy process of getting a settlement off your plate, especially when a law firm like the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine is here and willing to go the extra mile to get you the compensation you deserve.
Our responsive legal team will go the extra mile to help you file your insurance claims and will stand steadfast in negotiations with insurance companies who might be trying to lowball a settlement offer. We know how these companies operate and will not fall for the tricks they might use to reduce your settlement.
When you hire the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, you can count on us to:
- Examine your insurance policy and your coverage
- Patiently hear your concerns, address them, and answer your questions
- Determine all relevant coverage
- Assess and document any and all losses
- File your claim on your behalf
- Negotiate for fair and complete compensation based on your policy’s coverage
If you carry FEMA insurance provided by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), our lawyers will help you file your claim for flash flood losses or for a storm surge.
We Can Help You with Your Property Damage Claim
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Florida boasts the largest share of hurricane damage when compared with the rest of the United States. CBO estimates around $15.4 billion worth of damage to Florida every year.
The very idea of tackling the complicated process of recovering losses can be overwhelming, especially as you compete with thousands of other homes, business, and property owners who are in the same boat as you. Insurance companies only add to the nightmare, with many insurers frustrating consumers with low and slow settlements. If you believe your insurance company violated your rights under the Florida Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights, contact us so we can get started working toward justice and the damages you need to repair your home.
Let the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine take the burden of filing your hurricane property claim off your chest. Call us today for a free case review: 1 (800) 747-3733.
