If your property in The Villages was damaged or destroyed in a hurricane, it could be in your best interests to seek out legal counsel. Your insurance company must provide you with financial benefits according to the language of your policy. However, getting an insurer to pay those benefits can be more complex.
Insurance carriers frequently work to avoid their obligation in these cases. This is especially common when a homeowner files an insurance claim on their own. Contact a personal injury lawyer serving The Villages from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to get assistance with your claim.
How an Attorney Could Help With Your Claim for Hurricane Damage
Navigating the claims process alone can be challenging. If you are unsure if you need a hurricane attorney, it is helpful to understand how legal counsel could benefit you and your insurance claim. Some of the primary benefits include:
Documenting Your Damage
An attorney could help you understand and document the extent of your property damage following a hurricane. After all, it is impossible to know what your claim is worth without first evaluating your property and documenting your losses. When our law firm assists you in these efforts, we could photograph your damaged property as evidence. We could also help you catalog your personal property and determine what could be salvageable.
Reviewing Your Policy
To make the most substantial claim possible, you must clearly understand what your policy will cover before filing a claim. Our law firm could review your policies to determine the type of benefits you might be entitled to recover. These could include not only homeowner’s insurance policies but also flood insurance or wind damage coverage.
Ensure You Obtain Compensation
The terms of your insurance policy or policies will determine the extent of your available coverage. While you are entitled to those benefits, the insurance company might not make things easy. Insurers frequently deny claims or offer benefits less than what you are entitled to. Our hurricane claims attorneys could help ensure that you get what you deserve.
The benefits from your insurance coverage could pay for many types of losses. While your benefits should pay to repair your home and surrounding property, many other losses could also be covered. These include:
- The cost of cleaning up and removing debris
- Expenses related to water and mold remediation
- Living and relocation expenses
- Tree damage
Dealing With Denials
It is not uncommon for insurance companies to initially deny or vastly undervalue these claims. The good news is that it could be possible to negotiate with insurance carriers to ensure they change their minds. In some cases, pursuing legal action could be an option. Our firm is ready to work tirelessly to ensure you get the benefits you need to rebuild your home and life.
How Much does a Hurricane Lawyer Cost?
It is not unusual for homeowners to hesitate before contacting a lawyer when their property is damaged in a hurricane. For many people, the cost of an attorney on top of hurricane-related expenses can seem too much to carry. While the thought of additional expenses can be difficult, it is helpful to consider the cost of an attorney as an investment in your claim.
In addition, you have the opportunity to pursue your claim without any upfront legal costs. Instead of paying a flat fee to hire a hurricane lawyer, our firm takes hurricane damage claims on contingency. That means we recover our fee by retaining a portion of your claim if we are successful.
This approach means we do not get paid unless you do. It offers you the opportunity to pursue your claim for benefits with the assistance of an attorney without worrying about the cost upfront.
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The Hurricane Insurance Claims Process Is Guaranteed By Law in Florida
You have certain rights guaranteed by law when you file a claim with your insurance company for storm damage. State law guarantees these rights, referred to as the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights. According to Florida law, your insurance company must provide you with an acknowledgment that they received your claim. This acknowledgment must reach you within 14 days of filing your claim.
Next, your insurance company also faces a deadline for advising you of the outcome of your claim. Within 30 days of filing your proof of loss, the insurance company must give you an update on their handling of your claim. This update must inform you that they will pay your claim in full, make a partial payment, or deny your claim. In addition, if the investigation is ongoing, the insurance company must also advise you of that.
The outcome of your case must occur within 90 days of filing your proof of loss. In that window of time, the insurance company must pay your claim in full, provide you with partial payment, or explain their reasons for a denial of your claim.
Despite these guarantees, it is helpful to rely on the skill and experience of an attorney from our law firm. Every step of the insurance claim process is important, from the initial application to how you respond to a denial. Let our firm serve as your advocate while you pursue the insurance benefits you deserve.
Contact Our Law Firm for Hurricane Claim Help in The Villages
Some risks come with pursuing your property damage claim on your own. Insurance companies do not always deal fairly with homeowners, and their adjusters understand how to work against you aggressively. Hiring an attorney could help you even the odds.
The Villages hurricane claims attorneys from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine are here to help homeowners pursue compensation after a hurricane. Our legal team could assist you with dealing with the insurance company while protecting your rights as a homeowner. Contact our law firm today for a free consultation.
