Port Charlotte, Florida Hurricane Ian Insurance Claims Lawyers
The Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian insurance claims lawyers at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC can help you if your homeowner’s insurance claim was denied, underpaid, or delayed. Hurricane Ian was one of the most serious hurricanes to hit the state of Florida in the last hundred years, resulting in widespread damage to property, injuries, and deaths. Though Port Charlotte, Florida wasn’t directly hit by hurricane Ian, the storm left many residents with damaged homes, lost power, and widespread devastation. If your property in Port Charlotte, Florida was damaged during hurricane Ian, you may be in the process of making an insurance claim. Rebuilding is likely to be costly and may take months. One of the key parts of rebuilding is making your homeowner’s insurance claim and receiving the settlement so that you can pay contractors and repair your home. Yet, in the aftermath of hurricane Ian, many homeowners might learn that their claims have been denied or find that their claims don’t cover the full cost of repairs.
If your home was damaged in Port Charlotte, Florida and you have homeowner’s insurance, your insurance company has a legal obligation to honor its contract. This means your insurance company is required to pay the full value of the settlement you are entitled to receive in a timely manner. Unfortunately, not all homeowners know the fine print of their homeowner’s insurance policies and most homeowner’s may not always know what they are entitled to receive when they make a claim. If the settlement your homeowner’s insurance is offering doesn’t cover the full value of your repairs or damages, or if you believe your claim has been wrongfully denied, reach out to the Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian insurance claims lawyers at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC today. Our property damage lawyers in Port Charlotte, Florida can review your homeowner’s insurance policy, help you understand what settlement you might be entitled to receive, and help you fight for a settlement today.
Port Charlotte, Florida Hurricane Ian Insurance Claim Denial Lawyers
Your Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian insurance claim might have been denied for many reasons. Sometimes insurance policies have important exclusions. Your claim might have been denied because you may not have coverage. But sometimes, in the aftermath of a major hurricane, insurance adjusters are overwhelmed and fail to properly investigate a claim or insurance adjusters act in bad faith, misrepresenting what is covered and not covered under a policy. If your hurricane Ian homeowner’s insurance claim was denied, you have the right to appeal the denial. The Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyers at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC can evaluate your case, help you understand why your claim might have been denied, and assist you with appealing a wrongfully denied claim. Here are some reasons why a homeowner’s insurance claim might be denied in Port Charlotte, Florida.
- You Aren’t Covered for Floods. One of the big reasons why many homeowners might find their claims denied or underpaid is the fact that most standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. To receive coverage for flood damage, you’ll need to buy separate coverage. This coverage isn’t typically offered by insurers, so most people who have access to flood damage coverage live in flood zones and receive flood insurance through the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program. Unfortunately, flood zone maps may not reflect actual flood risks. Climate change and increasing storm intensities are causing flood zones to grow larger. According to FEMA, just one inch of floodwater can leave a property with as much as $25,000 in damages. While standard homeowner’s insurance won’t cover your property for flood damages, standard homeowner’s insurance covers water damage. Unfortunately, if your home was damaged due to flooding and due to water damage, some homeowner’s insurance policies might not cover either type of damage. If your homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t exclude water damage in the event of flooding, differentiating between damages due to flooding and due to water damage can be challenging. The hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyer in Port Charlotte, Florida at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC may be able to help you.
- Failure to Meet Claim Deadlines. It is your responsibility to let your insurance company know as soon as possible that your home was damaged in a storm and to submit your proof of loss forms by specific deadlines. If you fail to meet these deadlines, your claim might be denied. Yet, in the aftermath of hurricane Ian, homeowner’s insurance companies will likely receive a deluge of applications, and it isn’t impossible that important documentation might get lost in the shuffle. If you submitted forms on time and your homeowner’s insurance company is claiming that you failed to submit these forms, the hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyer in Port Charlotte, Florida at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC may be able to help you.
- You Didn’t Have Coverage. If you failed to pay your premiums on time, your coverage might have lapsed. Again, sometimes individuals have been paying their premiums all along but an insurance company has poor recordkeeping or is acting in bad faith. If your insurance company has claimed that you don’t have coverage when you believe you were covered, the Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyer at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC may be able to help you.
- Failing to Secure Your Property. Homeowners have a responsibility to take steps to prevent further damage to their property after a storm. If your windows were broken or your roof damaged, water can get into your home if you don’t take steps to cover the roof with a tarp or board up the window. Yet, problems can arise in your hurricane Ian insurance claim if your insurance company claims that your home was damaged due to your failure to secure your property despite the fact that you took steps to secure your home. If you find yourself in this situation, you may want to speak to the Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyer at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC today.
- You Don’t Have Replacement Cost Insurance. The type of homeowner’s insurance you have will determine whether you receive the full cost of replacing damaged items or property in your home, or whether you only receive actual cash value (which includes depreciation). There are two types of homeowner’s insurance: actual cash value insurance and replacement cost insurance. Actual cash value insurance will only cover the cost of the item as it is valued today. So, if a computer or couch was damaged during hurricane Ian, you won’t receive the value to buy a new computer or couch with actual cash value insurance. If your roof was damaged, your insurance company might also consider depreciation when determining how much your settlement might be worth. Replacement cost insurance typically has higher premiums because you’ll receive the full cost to replace any damaged item or property new. Understanding what your claim is worth when you have actual cash value insurance can be challenging. Most homeowners don’t understand how insurance companies calculate depreciation. The hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyer in Port Charlotte, Florida at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC may be able to help you if you are not receiving the full value to repair or replace items. While you may not be covered for the full value, our property damage lawyer in Port Charlotte, Florida can help calculate depreciation and help you understand what your claim might be worth.
- Bad Faith. Sometimes insurance companies just do illegal things. Adjusters may lie to you about your coverage, or they may fail to properly investigate your claim and just deny it without understanding your damages and losses. If your claim has been denied, the hurricane Ian insurance claim denial lawyers in Port Charlotte, Florida at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC may be able to help you. We fight insurance bad faith and fight for victims’ rights.
These are just some of the reasons why an insurance claim might be denied in Port Charlotte, Florida. If you believe your homeowner’s insurance claim was wrongfully denied, or underpaid, the Port Charlotte, Florida property damage lawyers at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC may be able to help you. Contact us today.
Port Charlotte, Florida Hurricane Ian Homeowner’s Insurance Claim Denial Lawyers
The Port Charlotte, Florida hurricane Ian homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyers can help you understand your rights and fight your insurance company when it fails to meet its obligations to you. Under the Florida homeowner’s claim bill of rights, you have certain important rights when you make a homeowner’s insurance claim. These rights include:
- The right to have your claim acknowledged within 14 days of informing your insurance company your home has been damaged.
- The right to be informed within 30 days of submitting proof of loss forms whether your claim is covered in full, partially covered, denied, or under investigation.
- The right to receive full payment, partial payment of the undisputed portion of your claim, or written denial of your claim within 90 days of submitting proof of loss forms.
If you haven’t received this follow-up from your homeowner’s insurance company, you may have important rights. Yet, for the clock to start ticking for your homeowner’s insurance company and adjusters, you’ll need to let your insurer know that your home was damaged and submit proof of loss forms. If these deadlines weren’t met, or if your homeowner’s insurance company wrongfully denied your claim or wrongfully underpaid your claim, you may have the right to receive interest for the underpaid claim. Reach out to the hurricane Ian homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyers in Port Charlotte, Florida at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC today. We can help you understand your rights and assist you with the next steps.
Hurricane Ian Property Damage Lawyers in Port Charlotte, Florida
Many homeowners in Port Charlotte, Florida are facing a long rebuilding process and the stress of trying to fix property damaged after hurricane Ian. If your home was damaged, or if property inside your home was damaged in hurricane Ian, you may have the right to make a homeowner’s insurance claim. If your home was damaged during hurricane Ian, you have certain responsibilities. These include:
- Telling your insurance company that your home sustained damage in hurricane Ian as soon as possible.
- Submitting proof of loss forms.
- Documenting and photographing damage.
- Getting estimates from contractors.
- Following up with your adjuster and insurance company and making sure they meet their deadlines and obligations to you.
If you feel that your property damage claim was underpaid, delayed, or wrongfully denied, the hurricane Ian property damage lawyers in Port Charlotte, Florida may be able to help you. It can be challenging to know what your claim is worth or what the fine print of your homeowner’s insurance policy means. Reach out to the Port Charlotte, Florida property damage lawyers at Leader, Leader, & Zucker, PLLC today.
Contact a Hurricane Ian Property Damage Insurance Claim Lawyer in Port Charlotte, Florida Today
The hurricane Ian property damage insurance claim lawyer in Port Charlotte, Florida is here to help you with your claim if your homeowner’s insurance claim was denied, delayed, or if you believe it was underpaid. We understand that this is a very stressful time for homeowners in Florida. We are here to help you navigate the insurance claim process.