Boats provide their owners with an excellent means of recreation. Long work week? Nothing takes your mind off your worries better than cutting out into Lake Apopka or the Atlantic Ocean. This fact makes boat damage heartbreaking. Seeing your investment in fun and relaxation get damaged or destroyed can be challenging.
Boat insurance claims can put this type of stress to rest. However, it’s not uncommon to run into roadblocks during the claims process. Insurers may refuse to offer you compensation or provide you with less than you deserve. That’s where an Orlando property claim lawyer from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine comes in. We can file your claim and negotiate with insurers on your behalf.
What do Orlando Boat Damage Lawyers Do?
An Orlando boat damage lawyer from our firm can provide you with several services, including:
- Investigating, documenting, and filing your claim
- Communicating and negotiating with your boat insurer
- Disputing unfair claim offers
- Identifying and protecting you from bad-faith insurance practices
- Pursuing legal action, if needed
Boat damage insurance claims can add unneeded stress to your life. These legal services are designed to take this weight off your shoulders. You focus on repairing your boat or finding contractors to do this work on your behalf. We can handle the specifics of your claim.
When Should I Consider Hiring a Boat Damage Lawyer?
Ultimately, this decision is up to the individual. Under Florida law, you’re not required to hire a lawyer during the insurance claims process. However, working with a lawyer could make your life easier. These are some scenarios where hiring an Orlando personal injury lawyer lawyer could prove beneficial:
- Your case involves mediation
- Your insurer is refusing to offer you compensation
- Your case is complicated
- You don’t understand your insurance policies
- You believe your insurer is operating in bad faith
Are Boat Damage Lawyers Expensive?
Any boat owner can tell you that repairs aren’t cheap. Holes, rust damage, and repainting can all hurt your wallet. This can place financial stress on those undergoing boat repairs, particularly if their boat insurer isn’t cooperating. For this reason, we work on a contingency basis. This payment plan provides our clients with the following benefits:
- You don’t have to pay us anything upfront
- We can review your case for free
- We only get paid if you receive compensation
- Our fees come from your compensation, not your pocket
Boat Damage Compensation
Boat insurance policies differ. Some provide complete coverage, whereas others only offer specific types of coverage. This means it’s crucial you understand the specifics of your boat insurance policies.
However, these are the general types of coverage that boat insurance provides:
- Liability insurance if you harm another party while driving your boat
- Boat replacement in the event of serious damage
- Weather damage
- Medical coverage if you or your family were injured while using your boat
- Removal of wreckage
- Liability for fuel spills
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we’re familiar with insurers and the policies they provide. Many of our practice areas involve dealing with insurers. This means we can help you understand the limits of your boat insurance policies.
How Much Will I Receive?
The variability in boat insurance policies extends to compensation. The amount you receive is contingent on several factors, including:
- The amount of damage to your boat
- The type of insurance policy you carry
- The outcome of insurance negotiations
- What you say to insurers
- The amount of evidence you provide to insurers
Initially, it might be difficult to guess what your case is worth. An Orlando boat lawyer from our firm can assist you with this part of the process. We’ll review the evidence associated with your case, which may include:
- Images of the damage to your boat
- Descriptions of your boat damage
- Documentation of expenses, like invoices and receipts
- Insight from experts in the field
This information can allow us to better understand your case. This way, we can work towards estimating the value of your claim. It’s important to understand what fair compensation looks like so you’re not blinded by unfair insurance offers.
Bad-Faith Boat Insurance Practices
Florida law protects insurance claimants against bad-faith insurance practices, which may include:
- An insurer refusing to offer you a fair settlement
- An insurer not dealing with your case in a timely manner
- An insurer not offering you a large enough settlement
As noted before, every boat damage insurance claim is unique. This means these are just examples. Bad-faith practices may emerge in your case that aren’t noted here. Similarly, just because a claim offer appears unfair to you doesn’t mean it qualifies as bad faith behavior.
However, in the case that bad faith is occurring, you could qualify for legal action. Florida law protects insurance policyholders from bad-faith practices. Our team can identify bad faith on your behalf, and if needed, we are prepared to pursue legal action.
Dealing With Boat Damage Insurers
Claiming a boat insurance policy can be tricky. Insurers may overcomplicate your claim by requesting you provide a recorded statement or refusing to provide you with compensation. These are some measures you can take that could benefit the claims process:
- Fully document your boat damage: After your boat’s been damaged, take some time to fully document the scene. Take detailed pictures of your boat – this information can prove useful during the claims process. It’s advantageous to have images of your boat prior to it being damaged, too.
- Be wary of recorded statements: Your insurer may request that you provide them with a recorded statement. In most cases, you aren’t required to comply with this demand. Asking insurers to speak with your lawyer instead could prove beneficial.
- Pay attention to your online footprint: It’s standard for insurers to review social media pages during the claims process. Pay attention to your online footprint before submitting a claim and ensure none of your posts could invalidate your claim.
- Consider working with a lawyer: In Florida, you have the right to work with a lawyer during the claims process. To hire a lawyer, first review your options. After conducting some research, you can then gauge if a firm would be a good fit.
Client testimonials can provide insight into how a firm operates.
Work With Our Boat Damage Lawyer Serving Orange County
If you’re struggling with your boat damage insurance claim, contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today. We can provide you with a free case evaluation. We’re not afraid to stand up to big insurance companies on behalf of our clients.
We Can Help.
