Lightning Strike Insurance Claims After Hurricane Dorian in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
While Florida missed a direct hit from Hurricane Dorian, some property owners may still have suffered damage. When we think about hurricane insurance claims, we often think about wind damage, blown-off roofs, shattered windows, water damage, and more dramatic types of damage. But smaller storms can also cause significant damage, and not always due to wind and water. One type of damage that isn’t often discussed is lightning damage caused by storms.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurers paid more than $900 million in lightning claims in 2018 alone. Florida is the state leading in lightning strike insurance claims. If your home has been damaged due to a lightning strike after Hurricane Dorian or after another storm, you may be able to make a claim for certain types of lightning damage. Homeowners insurance policies typically cover damage caused by lightning strikes. This includes damage for fires resulting from lightning strikes, damage to appliances and electronics caused by storm, damage to a home’s wiring, and injuries sustained when residents get shocked after a lightning strike. According to AccuWeather, Florida experiences 1.2 million lightning flashes per year.
If your home was damaged by a lightning strike and you need assistance with a homeowner’s insurance claim, consider speaking to Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC in Fort Lauderdale, Florida today. Our hurricane insurance claim law firm can review your case, review your losses, look over your homeowner’s insurance policy, help you understand your rights, and assist you with taking the next steps you might need to take to get the settlement you may deserve under the law.
Damage Caused By Lightning Strikes
What kind of damage can lightning strikes cause? A lightning strike can cause fire damage. If your home was hit by lightning, your electrical system could suffer a power surge, which can damage electronics and appliances. A home’s electrical system can suffer damage due to a power surge. Electrical repairs can be costly and may require you to hire experts to make repairs. If your electronics or appliances were damaged by a lightning strike, you may find yourself having to replace thousands of dollars in electronic equipment and appliances. Your insurance policy may cover the replacement of items damaged, but your policy may only pay for the cost of the items including depreciation, which means that you may need to cover some of the costs of replacing items out of pocket. There are two types of insurance policies to cover the replacement of items damaged after a lightning strike. One type of policy is an “actual cash value” policy which will include depreciation when estimating your settlement amount and then there are policies that will cover you for the replacement cost of a new item as it is priced today.
When making an insurance claim for lightning strikes, it is important to understand what is and isn’t covered by your insurance policy and to understand the value of your losses. If the settlement insurance adjusters are offering doesn’t match your losses, you may be able to negotiate with your insurance company for a better settlement. Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC are hurricane insurance claim lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida who can review your policy, look at your losses, and negotiate with insurance adjusters to help you get the best possible settlement permitted under the law.
When Lightning Strikes Might Not Be Covered
There are situations where your insurance company may not cover lightning strike damage. If lightning struck power lines outside your home, for example, and damaged city property, but didn’t damage your home itself, your insurance may not cover you for some of this damage. If a ground surge from a nearby lightning strike caused damage to your home, you may also face challenges proving your case. For example, sometimes a nearby lightning strike might result in an electrical surge. But if you cannot prove that lightning caused the electrical surge, your insurance company might deny your claim.
When filing a claim for lightning damage, it is helpful to understand your policy (especially if you are making a claim for damaged electronics and appliances), and it is also helpful to file your claim as soon as you recognize that damage has occurred. Understanding your deductible can also be helpful when deciding whether it is worthwhile to make a claim. Finally, it can also be helpful to hire professionals to estimate damages, especially if your home suffered electrical damage due to a lightning strike. Professionals can offer you a realistic estimate of how much your claim might be worth. If your insurance adjuster isn’t offering you a settlement that matches your losses after your deductible is taken into consideration, you can also always reach out to a hurricane insurance claim lawyer like Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our insurance claims attorneys can negotiate with adjusters and fight to help you get the settlement you may deserve under your policy. USAttorneys.com can connect you with Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC in Fort Lauderdale, Florida today.