The Boca Raton, Florida hurricane damage lawyers at Bernstein Polsky can assist you if your hurricane insurance claim has been denied or underpaid. The aftermath of a hurricane can be a stressful time for families in Florida. Your home may have sustained damages due to the storm and you may have submitted a claim with your homeowner’s insurance. Insurance companies may be flooded with claims all at once and sometimes individuals struggle with the claims process. If your hurricane damage claim was denied or if you believe the settlement was underpaid, the Boca Raton, Florida hurricane damage lawyers at Bernstein Polsky may be able to assist you with your claim. A denied claim doesn’t always have to be the final word. The Boca Raton, Florida hurricane damage lawyers may be able to help you appeal a denied claim, fight a delayed or underpaid claim, and help you get the money you need and deserve to repair your home and move forward with your life after a storm hits.
What Are My Rights Regarding a Denied Hurricane Claim in Boca Raton, Florida?
If your hurricane claim has been denied, you may have the right to appeal the denial, ask for mediation, and fight your insurance company either inside or outside of court to receive the settlement you believe you deserve. Hurricane claims may be denied for many reasons. Sometimes hurricane claims are denied for legitimate reasons, for example, when a person seeks compensation for damages that are explicitly excluded by a policy. Standard homeowner’s insurance may, for instance, not cover damages for flooding, and this type of insurance typically needs to be purchased separately. Sometimes damages need to exceed the deductible before insurance will pay a claim. If the damages to your home are less than the deductible, then your hurricane insurance claim might be denied. In other instances, a claim might be denied because the claim was made too late or insufficient documentation was provided. Yet sometimes claims are denied for the wrong reasons. Mistakes are made, or insurance adjusters might intentionally mislead claimants about their rights. If you believe your hurricane insurance claim was denied for the wrong reasons, you may want to reach out to a Boca Raton, Florida hurricane insurance lawyer at Bernstein Polsky. Our hurricane lawyers can review your policy, look at the documentation you submitted, evaluate the damage to your home, and fight your insurance company either inside or outside of court.
Under Florida law, homeowners are entitled to certain important protections. Florida’s homeowner bill of rights outlines some of the rights that claimants have after a hurricane. These rights outline how long your insurance company has to give you an answer on your claim and how long your insurance company has to pay a hurricane claim. Here are some key rights you should know:
- You have the right to receive an acknowledgement of your insurance claim within 14 days of making the claim.
- Your insurance company must tell you whether your claim is covered, partially covered, or under investigation within 30 days of your submission of proof of loss and a written request.
- Your insurance company has 90 days to pay your claim. If your claim is under dispute, your insurance company must pay the part of the claim that is not under dispute. If your insurance company fails to pay your claim within 90 days, you may be entitled to receive interest on a late payment.
- If you don’t agree with your insurance company’s denial or settlement, you have the right to ask for mediation, or ask to have a neutral evaluation performed if damage to your home was caused by a sinkhole. You can also speak to a Boca Raton, Florida hurricane damage lawyer at Bernstein Polsky to help you appeal your denied claim.
If your home has been damaged by a hurricane, it is important to begin the insurance claim process as soon as possible. You may also need to make temporary repairs to prevent further damage. For example, if there is a hole in your roof, you may need to put on a tarp, or board up damaged windows to prevent further water damage. Failure to take these steps could result in difficulty with your claim or a denial of water damage claims at a later time. If you do need to make temporary repairs, you’ll want to document these repairs and costs so that you can be reimbursed later. You’ll also want to document estimates contractors provide you and provide these to your insurance company, as well as provide any other documentation your insurance company requests.
The insurance claims process following a hurricane can be stressful. Adjusters understand their rights and they know your homeowner’s insurance policy inside and out. In this way insurance adjusters have an advantage when it comes to negotiating a settlement for damages.
If you have questions about your rights or about your policy or believe your hurricane claim was wrongfully denied or underpaid, the hurricane damage lawyers in Boca Raton, Florida at Bernstein Polsky may be able to help you appeal a denied claim. Our Boca Raton, Florida hurricane insurance lawyers understand how stressful the claims process can be. You don’t have to navigate it alone. Contact us today to learn more. We can stand beside you every step of the way to help you get the settlement you may deserve.
How a Boca Raton, Florida Hurricane Insurance Lawyer Can Help You
A hurricane insurance lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida can help you by reading your insurance policy, looking at the value of damages your home sustained, and negotiate with insurance adjusters to help you get the best possible hurricane insurance settlement permitted under the law. A Boca Raton, Florida hurricane lawyer can look over the documentation you provided insurance adjusters to ensure it is complete and thorough and a hurricane lawyer can also assist you in documenting all damages to your home so that your claim can be properly paid. Sometimes insurance adjusters use special formulas or algorithms to estimate the settlement for your insurance claim. A hurricane lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida can look closely at your actual damages, at the actual cost of repairs, and work with insurance adjusters to ensure your claim is paid in a fair and timely manner.
Having a hurricane insurance claim denied or underpaid can be incredibly stressful. You may have had to pay for repairs out of pocket and may not know what to do next. If your hurricane insurance claim was wrongfully denied or underpaid, you may be entitled to appeal the denial, take the insurance company to court for the underpayment, and may even be entitled to receive interest for the late payment or underpayment. You don’t have to navigate the hurricane insurance claim process alone. Contact the Boca Raton, Florida hurricane lawyers at Bernstein Polsky today to learn more.
