After the skies clear and you are left facing the extensive damage caused by a hurricane, you trust that your insurance company will treat your property claim fairly and compensate you based on the terms of your policy. However, this is not always the case. Unfortunately, many Orlando homeowners struggle to get the insurance company to investigate their claim.
If your insurance company denied your claim, undervalued your losses, or has otherwise failed to honor your policy, we could help. After all, the insurance company has lawyers working for them. Therefore, you should have an attorney advocating for you, too. An Orlando hurricane property claim lawyer from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine will fight to hold the insurance company accountable.
Determining the Value of Your Orlando Hurricane Damage Claim
Once we establish which losses your policy covers, we will detail all your damages and document every aspect of your claim. This helps ensure the best possible resolution and a fair settlement.
Your claim may include the following losses:
- The cost to repair your home
- The cost to repair secondary structures, such as a garage or guesthouse
- The cost to repair or replace fences, swimming pools, etc.
- The value of lost contents and personal property
- Site cleanup and haul-off
- Water and mold remediation
- Expenses for boarding up and securing your property
- Expenses for preventing additional damage
- Hotel, meal, and transportation costs if your home is not livable
If your home cannot be repaired, we will submit a replacement cost claim. Based on your coverage, this typically includes the full value of your policy, save your deductible and any other specifically excluded items.
Holding the Insurance Company Accountable for Your Hurricane Damage Claim
Your insurance policy is a legal agreement between you and your insurer. It lays out the coverage you get in exchange for the policy premium. Despite paying your premium on time year after year, the insurance company may wrongfully refuse to honor its side of the obligation. It might blame you for some of the losses or claim that the policy does not cover your kind of loss.
The Orlando hurricane property claim lawyers from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine will interpret the legal language of your policy and spell out what is covered. Sometimes, an insurance company knows it is liable but still refuses to pay a valid claim until forced to do so. Therefore, we will investigate and document your losses and compel the insurance company to provide the coverage you deserve.
You May Run Into Issues When Making a Claim
You may experience issues when dealing with your insurance provider. After making a claim, insurers may try to:
- Deny you have valid coverage in force
- Deny your policy covers your damages
- Deny all or part of your claim outright
- Delay or refusing to send an adjuster out
- Undervalue your claim
- Advise you against talking to a property claim lawyer
- Make false or misleading statements
- Mark partial payments as “paid in full”
- Ask you to sign a release of future liability
The insurer may request a recorded statement from you and later use portions of your statement as grounds for denying your claim. However, if the claims adjuster or someone else from the insurance company asks you to give a recorded statement, you could have refer them to your attorney instead.
In some cases, the insurer makes a lowball settlement offer with the promise of a quick payout. Insurance companies and lawyers check their jury verdict databases to find out how much a jury would award in a claim like yours. That number is the true value of your claim. Our hurricane property claim lawyers in Orlando also have access to those databases and can counter with the evidence needed to demand a settlement that adequately compensates you for the damage you sustained.
How Our Orlando Hurricane Property Claim Lawyers Can Help
Our legal team will work tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve so your losses don’t decimate your family’s finances. We provide comprehensive and compassionate legal representation with services that include:
- Conducting a thorough investigation of your claim to identify your damages
- Documenting your losses to support your claim
- Submitting your claim to the insurance company
- Negotiating to obtain a fast, full settlement
- Answering your questions and providing updates on your case
No matter what challenges you face with your insurance claim, we can help. We can assist you in any of the following ways:
Preparing and Submitting Your Original Claim
To ensure that the insurance company gives your claim the prompt attention it deserves, we will document your losses and submit your demand, handling every aspect of the claim from beginning to end.
Negotiating to Obtain a Fair Settlement
If the insurance company made you a low settlement offer, we will provide additional documentation to support the full value of your losses. We will fight for a fair settlement based on your policy.
Appealing a Denial of Your Claim
We will determine the reason for the denial and provide the necessary documentation to substantiate your claim. We will push through every objection and fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.
Investigating a Delayed Claim
If the insurer will not respond to your claim or if they will not send a qualified adjuster to your home, we will determine the reason for the delay and push for a quick response.
If necessary, we can file legal action to compel the insurance company to act on your claim and deal in good faith. Insurers impose strict deadlines for filing your claim. You also have a limited time to file legal action under the Florida statute of limitations.
What to Do After a Hurricane
In the immediate aftermath of a hurricane, you may feel overwhelmed and without an idea of how to start addressing the damage. First, you should notify your insurer immediately so it can take steps to protect your home from further damage. Otherwise, it might say that some of the damage is your fault.
Here are a few steps you can take that may help when it comes time to file a claim.
Prioritize Your Health and Safety
If you or a loved one was hurt during the hurricane, seek medical attention immediately. Nothing is more important than your health, and you do not want to incur further losses as a result of an injury.
Document the Damage
After you have tended to any medical needs, you can begin documenting the damage done to your home.
If your home is not safe to enter due to debris and unstable structures, wait for the fire department to assess your situation. If your home is safe to re-enter, begin taking pictures of any visible damage. You may also take pictures of your personal belongings that were destroyed, as your insurance policy may provide coverage for these losses.
Refrain from Posting on Social Media
Whenever you make an insurance claim, you should safeguard against any opportunity the insurer has to deny or undervalue your losses. This includes posting pictures and accounts of your experience on social media.
Do not discuss the details of your property damage with anyone. A hurricane damage claim lawyer with our firm can handle the communications with the insurer.
Client Reviews Tell Our Story
You do not have to speculate about how we will take care of your case. Instead, here are some examples of what our clients say about us:
- “Prompt and courteous answers to questions. Great communication from everyone involved with your case. Phenomenal case results. A completely and thoroughly enjoyable legal experience from beginning to conclusion of my case. Thank you so much.” – Jos I.
- “Anidjar and Levine, along with their amazing colleague Howard Myones, are the best! My wife and I lost our home to a catastrophic fire just before Christmas last year and we were helpless. The insurance carrier refused to take our claim seriously until this outstanding law firm got involved. Mr. Myones worked our case tirelessly for nearly 8 months and we finally received a settlement that will help my wife and I get back in our home. We have a long way until we rebuild, but it would have never been possible without the firm of Anidjar and Levine and the incredible and dedicated work of Howard Myones. I strongly urge anyone seeking legal services to give this firm a call. You will not regret it.” – Jeffrey G.
These are a small sampling of the many five-star reviews on our website.
Why Our Clients Are So Happy With Our Legal Services
When you call a lawyer, it is usually because you face a terrible situation and need help. We understand how you feel and want to take as much of the burden off your shoulders as possible. Therefore, we provide service well beyond the standard, easing your worry about getting the money your family needs and allowing you to focus on getting your life back on track.
How do we do this? First, you will receive your lawyer’s personal telephone number. In addition, we provide frequent updates on your case and happily answer your questions and respond to your emails and phone calls. Finally, we can even help make your appointments to make life a little less stressful for you.
Free Consultation for Your Orlando Hurricane Property Claim
Whatever the nature and extent of your damages, you do not have to face this devastating situation alone. The hurricane property claim lawyers in Orlando at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine understand how frightening and confusing this experience is for you. We are standing by to help.
You can reach us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The initial consultation is always free. We will not collect a fee unless you recover compensation for your damages. For your no-cost, no-obligation consultation and policy review, contact us today.
We Can Help.
