Hernando County Homeowner Denied Sinkhole Coverage

Case Result: $475,000 Settlement Secured for Hernando County Homeowner After Sinkhole Coverage Denial

After noticing substantial damage to their home in Hernando County, our clients placed a sinkhole damage claim with their Tower Hill Select Insurance Company. Instead of honoring the claim, Tower Hill Select Insurance Company chose to deny our client’s claims and force them to file a lawsuit to obtain the benefit of their insurance policy.
Throughout the five-day trial of this matter, Tower Hill presented numerous expert witnesses who were biased toward the insurance company, and our firm worked hard to demonstrate this bias to the jury. Furthermore, our firm also showed that the Neutral Evaluator, who testified that the home had not been damaged by sinkhole activity, was not “neutral” at all, considering over 90% of his yearly revenue was from insurance companies!
After a five-day jury trial in Hernando County, the jury awarded our clients the total damages to repair their homes. Since we were the prevailing party in the case, Tower Hill was responsible for paying not only all of the attorney’s fees and costs incurred in prosecuting the matter but also interest on the total amount of the jury award.

Case Overview

  • Location: Hernando County, Florida
  • Incident: Significant structural damage due to sinkhole activity
  • Insurance Company: Tower Hill Select Insurance Company
  • Initial Insurance Response: Claim denied, asserting damage was not due to sinkhole activity
  • Final Outcome: $475,000 jury verdict in favor of the homeowner

Why This Case Was So Important

Sinkhole claims in Florida are notoriously challenging to navigate. Insurance companies often try to:

  • Deny that sinkhole activity exists, even when structural damage is visible.
  • Blame the damage on “settling” or “maintenance issues.”
  • Recommend cosmetic-only repairs instead of full stabilization

In this case, Tower Hill Select Insurance refused to pay, despite independent engineers confirming sinkhole-related subsurface activity that compromised the home’s structural integrity. Rather than accepting a low offer or walking away, the homeowner turned to Williams Law, P.A., to pursue justice in court.

Our Settlement Results: $475,000