Attorney K.C. Williams founded the Williams Law, P.A. in Tampa, Florida, more than 25 years ago with the goal of helping people whose homes have suffered damage from all types of events, including hurricanes. As a Florida hurricane damage lawyer, he is familiar with insurance laws and the claims process, and he uses this experience to help his clients recover maximum compensation for damage they have sustained.
Hurricanes are unpredictable and can be devastating. If your home has suffered hurricane damage, it is crucial you seek out a Florida insurance claims lawyer who is familiar with the claims process and will aggressively pursue your claim.
If you have questions concerning damages caused by a Hurricane Ian, call (800) 451-6786 today to schedule a free consultation with our Florida hurricane claim attorneys.
Most hurricanes cause catastrophic damage, which insurance adjusters often undervalue. Adjusters also may do only cursory inspections of your property and may miss certain types of damage.
Our Team of Florida Hurricane Damage Lawyers Can Help You Pursue All Your Hurricane Claims, Including the Following Types of Damage
- Roof repairs
- Foundation damage
- Driveway cracks
- Wall splintering
- Appliance electrical problems
- Uprooted trees and landscaping
- Destroyed personal property
Tips for Reducing Hurricane Damage to Your Property
1. Know Your Challenger
Hurricanes are classified by category. Some are minimally damaging at a category 1 level, while others, like a category 4 or 5, have the potential to cause serious damage and to be life-threatening. Before you can prepare for a hurricane, you have to know what kind you’re dealing with. Severe storms are harder to protect against, and it’s most important that you avoid being at home when the storm hits.
Comparatively, a smaller storm with a lower classification causes less damage and is easier to protect against. For example, if a large storm approaches, shutting storm doors, using plywood to cover windows, and taping down furniture helps. All vehicles should park inside garages when possible, and people should usually evacuate. With smaller storms, closing storm shutters and putting fabric panels over the doors and windows might be enough to prevent damage from debris.
2. Know the Risk of a Flood
Not all properties flood, but hurricanes drop inches or even feet of rain within a short timeframe. With the risk of a heavy storm surge, consider taking the time to put up floor barriers. These cost between several hundred and several thousand dollars, depending on the kind you want and how high your barrier has to be. In high-risk areas, portable walls work well, while low-risk areas benefit from expanding bags or powder-filled door dams.
3. Be Prepared for Debris
Debris causes much of the damage related to hurricanes. Prepare to cover your doors and windows with storm panels. These panels, made with aluminum or corrugated steel, bolt down over the doors and windows. Some homes have these on tracks, so they push out of the way when not in use and pull across the window or door when needed. Storm panels on tracks attach quickly, so you can prepare for a storm in seconds. As an added bonus, insurance carriers like to see this kind of preparation, so it can have a positive impact on your claim.
What to Do if an Insurer Denies or Underpays Your Hurricane Ian Damage Claim
It is unfortunately common for home and vehicle insurance companies to resist paying claimants for hurricane-related damages. Obtaining coverage for natural disasters can be an uphill battle for claimants in Florida. You may face obstacles such as an insurance claims adjuster undervaluing your catastrophic losses, failing to adequately investigate your claim, denying a valid claim or even taking action against you for alleged insurance fraud. These issues are serious and could prevent you from obtaining the compensation you need to move forward. Act to protect yourself in these situations.
Reread Your Policy
You may think an insurance company is treating you unfairly when in reality it is following the terms of your contract. Reread your policy for clarification about what your insurance company has guaranteed to cover after a hurricane.
Carefully Document Your Damages
Take photographs, hire an investigator and collect evidence of all property damages after a hurricane. Carefully keeping track of your property damages can help you prove your case to an insurance provider.
Contact a Hurricane Claim Attorney
Call Williams Law, P.A. for assistance right away if an insurance company does not appear to be dealing with your claim fairly. A hurricane damage attorney can help you go up against insurers in pursuit of a better settlement.
File an Appeal
With help from your attorney, you can file an appeal on the insurance company’s decision or payout delay. The appeal can first go to the insurance company, and then to the courts if the insurer refuses to resolve the issue.
Your insurance company does not have the final say when it comes to a hurricane damage claim. You have the power to file an appeal and have the courts in Tampa review your case for evidence of insurance bad faith. Misrepresentation of facts, deceit, fraud, incomplete investigations and unreasonable delays are common examples of bad faith. Contact a hurricane claim attorney in Tampa right away if an insurance company has denied or undervalued your property claim in Tampa.
How Can a Hurricane Claim Attorney Help?
A Florida hurricane claim attorney from Williams Law, P.A. could take care of the entire legal process on your behalf. While you and your family focus on picking up the pieces after a disastrous hurricane, our lawyers can handle the legal side of your case. We can collect evidence, take photographs, help you prove your claim and communicate with insurance companies on your behalf. Our hurricane claim attorneys will fight for full compensation for your serious losses while you focus on matters closer to home.
Our lawyers can pick your insurance policy apart to fully understand what your provider owes you after a hurricane, if anything. Then, we can handle claim negotiations with your insurance provider with the knowledge we have about your individual policy. We can recognize the common tactics insurance companies often use to get out of paying what they owe claimants. We will combat these tactics with strategies of our own to force the insurance company to treat your claim fairly. In most cases, simply having legal representation is enough to get an insurer to treat your claim in good faith.
If you are concerned about how much a Florida hurricane insurance claims attorney will cost, come to Williams Law, P.A. for peace of mind. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, so you will not pay our fees out of pocket if you cannot afford them. Instead, we will only charge you if and when we secure benefits for your property damages. If we do not succeed in reaching a settlement or positive verdict, you will not pay a dime for our services. You will not have to pay anything upfront to retain our firm, either. Affordable legal representation is available after a hurricane in Tampa.
Has Your Home Insurance Company Denied or Undervalued Your Property Damage Claim in Florida?
If your insurance company is dragging its feet regarding your property damage claim you should speak with an experienced insurance claim lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Tampa, Florida law office directly at 800.451.6786 to schedule your free consultation. We help Florida residents just like you fight the big insurance companies who fail to abide by their own policies. Remember, we work on a contingent basis, meaning you don't pay us anything until we win your case.
