Universal Property and Casualty Insurance is one of the leading writers of homeowners insurance in Florida. If this is your insurance company, you may find yourself having to file a claim after an incident or natural disaster, such as a fire or hurricane. If your claim gets denied, you may still have legal options. Discuss them with a Florida insurance claim attorney from Williams Law, P.A. during a free consultation.
How Do Claim Denials Happen?
The average homeowners insurance policy from Universal Property and Casualty Insurance covers many different types of events and property losses. If your home gets damaged in a storm or another covered event, you can file a claim to pursue financial compensation under the terms of your policy. It may surprise you to find, however, that the insurance company denies your claim for one or more reasons. The insurance company lawfully must explain the reason for the rejection, which could be:
- Fault or liability dispute
- Not the right type of coverage on your policy
- Failure to mitigate your losses
- Policy limits
- Missed deadline
- Missing information
- Lack of supporting documents
- Further proof of losses needed
If the insurance company did not include an explanation with your claim denial, contact your agent to request the company’s reason. It may be something that you can remedy, such as by submitting further evidence or documentation. The insurance company may review its decision and change its mind. If not and your claim denial sticks, you may need assistance from an attorney to appeal the decision.
What to Do if Your Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Claim Gets Denied
If you feel that your insurance claim was wrongly denied by Universal Property and Casualty Insurance or that you are not being offered a fair settlement based on the extent of your property loss, you have a few different options. In general, the process for disputing a Florida insurance claim follows these steps:
Request an internal review.
You can file an official letter to ask your insurance company to conduct a review of its decision. The insurance company will give this task to an agent or representative, who may request further information from you to reevaluate the case. If your case is urgent, the insurance company legally must speed up the internal review process.
File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
If an internal review does not result in a reverse of the insurance company’s decision, you can request an external review by calling (800) 866-6205. In general, you must request this review within 60 days of receiving the letter of rejection. The HHS will send you a form to fill out and submit to request your review.
File a bad-faith insurance claim.
Sometimes, a Florida insurance claim denial is more than just an insurer making a mistake. Insurance companies have been known to intentionally reject valid claims in an effort to save money (wrongful claim denials). If you suspect this issue, contact an attorney to help you file a bad-faith insurance lawsuit.
A bad-faith lawsuit against Universal Property and Casualty Insurance can hold the insurance company accountable for failing to make a good-faith attempt to resolve your case. This can result in additional financial compensation to penalize the insurer on top of a payout for your original claim.
Has Your Home Insurance Company Denied Or Undervalued Your Property Damage Claim In Florida?
If your insurance company is dragging their 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.
