While insurance claims for hurricanes don’t only happen in Florida, they are certainly more common in Florida than in other states.
Florida gets hit by more hurricanes each year than just about any other state, so it is critical that Florida homeowners and renters have some form of insurance.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, it is more important than ever to understand the steps you should take in order obtain fair compensation under your insurance policy.
Filing a hurricane insurance claim isn’t always easy. Trying to file an insurance claim after your house is destroyed or damaged in a hurricane is a process that many Floridians have to go through with but aren’t always ready for. Insurance claims are often complicated. Hurricane insurance claims are even more complex.
Because of the consistent danger of hurricanes in Florida, Floridian homeowners should know what to do when they need to file a hurricane insurance claim in Florida.
The team at Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon understands the legal complexities that Floridians face in these instances, so our hurricane lawyers prepared some tips on filing hurricane insurance claims in Florida.
For immediate assistance, please call (850) 433-6581 or send us an online message today.
The best thing that you can do for your hurricane insurance claim before filing it is to book a consultation with an experienced hurricane claim attorney. Many lawyers in Florida offer free consultations to potential clients, so you can get a risk-free assessment of your case.
An attorney with experience handling Florida hurricane clams can take the guesswork out of the claims process for you and help you to avoid costly mistakes. After all, they have expertise in handling such cases.
The team at Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon has helped Floridians with their hurricane insurance claims since the firm’s inception, so we know the rules from top to bottom. If you have a legitimate claim, we are here to help you.
In our consultation, we will listen to your story, account for the hardship you have experienced, and let you know how we can help you recover.
Aside from consulting with an experienced attorney, the best thing you can do for your Florida hurricane insurance claim is to understand your insurance policy.
Having an idea of what is covered and what is not covered in your insurance plan will help you immensely when you want to file a hurricane claim.
With that said, however, insurance policies are often written in complex legal jargon, so you may want to contact a hurricane damage lawyer to break down your insurance policy before you decide to file a claim.
If you have a hurricane insurance policy, it is essential that you document everything for it to be covered.
This applies both before and after a hurricane incident. Before a hurricane, you should document everything of value in your home. Ideally, back up each value you note with a receipt or listing that proves it.
After a hurricane, you need to document everything that suffers damage in the hurricane. If you did your homework prior to the incident, this could be an easy process, but if not, it is still possible.
If you didn’t account for a given belonging in your pre-hurricane assessment, just be sure to account for it in your post-hurricane assessment alongside a reasonable value.
Using your documentation, you can show the damages you suffered in an unequivocal manner.
If you have a hurricane insurance policy, you should document everything you own before a hurricane happens. One of the biggest hurdles to recovering damages after a hurricane is proving whether those damages are real and recoverable. To do so, you must show that a given piece of property existed before the hurricane.
Thus, before a hurricane happens, make a list of all the items you own that are worth something. With that list in hand, assign a value to all items. If you can, prove the value of said property by saving or otherwise documenting their value according to a trusted third party.
If it is an antique clock in your house that is worth $2,000, document it. If it is a family heirloom worth $5,000, document it. Whatever your belongings are worth, you should account for them in your insurance policy.
It is equally, if not more important, to document the damage that you and your belongings suffer during or after a hurricane, as it is to document your possessions before the hurricane.
Regardless of where damage occurs during a hurricane, to get compensation for it, you need to document it. With this in mind, write down all damages that the hurricane causes.
In addition, include an estimate of the cost of any relevant damages. It doesn’t matter how small or large the damage is, if you want compensation for it, you must document it.
Meticulously documenting your damages can mean the difference between a successful hurricane insurance claim and an unsuccessful one.
The worst thing you can do when you need to file a Florida hurricane insurance claim is to wait. In Florida, as in other states, there is a time limit for filing an insurance claim.
Under Florida law, you have three years after the hurricane to file an insurance claim or any supplemental claims.
It is important that you not hesitate to file a claim well before that deadline.
If a hurricane has impacted you in Florida, don’t wait to file a claim. Especially if your insurance company has denied your Florida hurricane insurance claim, reach out to an attorney as soon as possible.
The hurricane attorneys at Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon have you covered. We set ourselves apart from other law firms by investing in our local community and fighting for you.
We are here to help you no matter what aspect of your insurance claim you need help with, so contact us online or call (850) 433-6581 today for a free consultation!