Port Charlotte sits adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, which exposes the city to high hurricane risk. When a hurricane blows through, it can cause catastrophic damage. Homes are often left unlivable in the aftermath of these storms. High-category hurricanes can force many Port Charlotte residents into tents or other forms of emergency housing.
Port Charlotte hurricane claims can support those who’ve lost their homes. These types of insurance policies can reimburse victims for flooding and wind damage. However, to secure a claim, you need to deal with insurance representatives. In some cases, insurers offer unfair settlements or outright refuse to offer any compensation at all. A Port Charlotte property claims lawyer from our firm can support you during the insurance negotiation process.
Working With A Port Charlotte Hurricane Claims Lawyer
Hurricanes can completely turn your life upside down. Your home may be destroyed, you might be without power, and amidst the chaos, the bills keep coming. To get your life back on track, you may need to pursue a hurricane claim. This sort of situation can try even the most resilient people.
Our team is here to shoulder part of this burden. You don’t need to handle your hurricane claim alone. This is how we can help you:
- File your hurricane claim
- Gather evidence and document the damage to your home
- Communicate with insurers on your behalf
- Protect your rights
- Aggressively pursue a fair settlement offer
With us in your corner, you can focus on what really matters, like:
- Taking care of family and friends
- Finding temporary housing
- Locating contractors to repair your home
When Should You Consider Hiring A Property Claims Attorney?
You aren’t required to hire a lawyer if you’re pursuing a hurricane claim in Port Charlotte. However, there are several situations where working with a lawyer could prove beneficial:
- You’re busy and need to delegate your claim to someone else
- Insurers aren’t offering you enough compensation
- Your claim is uniquely complicated
- You’re unsure of the type of coverage your insurance policies offer
You Can Afford To Work With Our Port Charlotte Lawyer
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the cost of 2021 weather and climate destruction was $145 billion. Some of these losses are sustained by individual homeowners. If you’ve experienced a hurricane before, you know that putting your home back together isn’t cheap.
We understand that your finances may already be tight. For this reason, we work on a contingency-fee basis. This approach puts the financial well-being of our clients first and means that:
- Hiring our team costs nothing upfront
- We only require payment if we win or settle your cas
How Much Is Your Port Charlotte Hurricane Claim Worth?
Hurricane claims differ from one another considerably. Some entail minor damage to a home, whereas others involve cases where a home is destroyed. These differences, among others, mean there is no average settlement for hurricane claims.
However, our team can work with you to estimate the value of your case. These are the factors that could be involved in this estimation:
- The number of losses you’ve suffered
- The amount of damage to your home
- The outcome of insurance negotiations
- The availability of evidence in your case
- The types of insurance policies you have
Keep in mind that there are two types of insurance that apply to hurricane losses. They include:
- Hurricane insurance: Hurricane insurance onlycovers wind damage in most cases. It’s rare that this type of policy will cover flooding damage. This insurance is typically bundled into a standard homeowners policy in Port Charlotte. This means that if you have a mortgage, you will likely have hurricane insurance.
- Flood insurance: Flood insurance is usually purchased separately from hurricane insurance. This type of policy will cover damage caused by storm surges. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Plan (NFIP). This program is a FEMA-managed network of private flood insurers.
Our lawyers can review the insurance policies you carry. Before beginning your claim, it’s important that you understand the type of coverage you have as this may affect the amount of compensation you can receive.
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Dealing With Hurricane Claims Insurers Can Be Difficult
When you purchase homeowners and flood insurance, you expect to receive financial support when the going gets tough. However, hurricane claims don’t always pan out this way. When a hurricane hits, insurers are usually inundated with claims. To keep costs down, they may try to reduce the amount they pay to each customer. Remember, insurers are usually more concerned with their profits than your recovery.
These are some tactics insurers use to reduce the value of your claim:
- Outright refuse to cover your losses
- Suggest that your home was damaged prior to the hurricane
- Use your recorded statements to poke a hole in your claim
- Review your social media to gather evidence
Our Lawyers Have Dealt With Insurers Before
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we’ve dealt with insurers in the past. We’re familiar with the tactics insurers use to dispute claims. As your lawyers, we’re prepared to negotiate for a fair settlement. If your insurer is operating in bad faith or lowballs your claim, we’ll know.
In addition, these are some measures you can take that could improve your chances of receiving a fair claim:
- Approach recorded statements with caution: After a hurricane, you need to cooperate with your insurer – refusing their demands could jeopardize your hurricane claim. However, you don’t always need to provide them with a recorded statement. Going on the record could provide your insurer with information that they use to lower your claim. If you have a lawyer, you can ask that they speak with them instead.
- Don’t reveal too much on social media: During the claims process, all public information is on the table. This includes your social media posts. For this reason, be cautious about what you reveal on your social media. An insurer could use the images you post to suggest that your home wasn’t damaged in the hurricane.
Insurance Customers Are Protected By Florida Law
Florida Statutes § 624.155 protects insurance customers from “bad faith” insurance practices. If your insurer is operating in “bad faith,” you may have grounds for a civil lawsuit.
Under Florida Statutes § 624.155, “bad faith” insurance practices are defined the following way, “[an insurer] not attempting in good faith to settle claims when, under all the circumstances, it could and should have done so, had it acted fairly and honestly toward its insured with due regard for her or his interests.”
Our team can review your case and inform you if “bad faith” practices are taking place. Typically, in a “bad faith” claim, you start by informing an insurer that you believe that they’re operating in “bad faith.” If they don’t rectify their mistakes within a certain time window, you could qualify for a lawsuit.
Contact The Law Offices Of Anidjar & Levine Today For Help With A Hurricane Claim
Securing hurricane claims can be difficult. A property claims lawyer serving Port Charlotte can assist you and dispute unfair compensation offers.
Contact our offices for a case evaluation today. A member of our team can answer any questions you have about your hurricane claim case.
