Still Have an Open Claim From Hurricane Irma?
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida. According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, approximately 92,098 Hurricane Irma insurance claims remain open. If you are one of those homeowners or those commercial property owners whose claim remains open, the stress can be immense. You may have had to pay for repairs out of pocket and may be awaiting the settlement of your claim. You could be struggling to make ends meet due to the delay. While it is reported that 87% of residential claims have been settled, only 51% of commercial residential property claims have been closed. Unfortunately, these numbers are likely misleading as many of the closed “paid” claims were paid below the value of the claim (often referred to as under or short paid). Furthermore, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reports approximately 255,000 residential and commercial residential claims closed without payment; many of those may have been improperly denied. So, while homeowners may finally be seeing some relief, commercial property owners may still be battling it out with insurers. These figures represent settled claims as of February 9, 2018. The total estimated losses due to Hurricane Irma are currently $7,952,726,662.
According to Forbes, homeowners may be asked to pay more for damages out of pocket. Some insurance companies have required homeowners to use managed repairs solutions, or pay more out of pocket. Furthermore, homeowners who may not have read the fine print of their policies may not always know what they are entitled to receive or what their rights might be.
Many of the claims for Hurricane Irma stem from wind damage. Yet, sometimes wind and water damage go hand in hand. For example, if your roof was damaged due to high winds and then rain water got into your home, you may be suffering losses from both water and wind damage. Unfortunately, sometimes insurers protect their bottom lines by claiming that water damage occurred due to negligence on the part of the homeowner, wear and tear or improper workmanship. The insurance company might claim that you didn’t get your roof repaired fast enough or that you didn’t put up a tarp when you should have done so and therefore failed to mitigate damages.
There are other clauses that can remove responsibility from insurers if flood and wind damage occur concurrently. So, if you are not protected for flood damages, and then a flood occurs, you could be out of luck. Many consumers may not be aware of these limitations or clauses. Clauses may also be written in confusing or ambiguous terms, which can make the policy difficult to understand without the help of a lawyer. If you are one of the unlucky people who still has yet to settle a claim after Hurricane Irma, have been improperly denied or did not receive enough (not solely due to your deductible) to bring your home back to its pre-loss condition, consider reaching out to Leader & Leader, P.A. Hurricane Irma damage insurance lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our firm can read through your policy, determine why your claim is being denied, and in many instances, fight to help you receive the recovery you may be entitled to get under the law. Hiring a lawyer to review your claim or your denial can sometimes make a big difference in the amount you receive in recovery. Visit the insurance claims denials attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at Leader & Leader, P.A. to learn more.
Leader & Leader, P.A.
633 South Andrews Ave.
Suite 201
Fort Lauderdale, FL33301
Phone: 954-523-2020