Hurricane Irma has had a devastating impact on many parts of Florida, with flooding and wind damage in Miami, homes damaged in Naples and Marcos Island, and tremendous damage to many parts of the Florida Keys. As many as 65 percent of homes in the Keys sustained major damage, with the Lower Keys and Key West taking the brunt of damage caused by this severe hurricane.
If your home, vehicle, boat or other property faced damage or destruction as a result of hurricane Irma, now is the time to begin rebuilding so you can come back stronger than before. But, to be able to move forward, you need your insurance company to process your claim quickly and pay you a fair amount of money to repair the damage.
You deserve full compensation for your hurricane losses, as your insurance company has been collecting premiums for years on the promise they will be there for you when the storm hits. Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. is here to help ensure that you get the compensation you deserve for your hurricane damage.
Steps to Take After a Hurricane
Responding quickly is vital after your home or property is hit by a hurricane, but you should never put your safety at risk in your response. The key steps you should take if you sustain hurricane damage include the following:
- Make personal safety your first priority
- Document your damage with video and photographs
- Keep all hurricane-related expense receipts and records you may incur for temporary relocation or repairs
- Document your personal belongings
- Safeguard your home
- Make a claim with your insurance company
- Get temporary housing while your home is being rebuilt or repaired
- Call us to assist you with your insurance claim
We know the experience of having property damaged in a hurricane can be overwhelming. We have several experienced lawyers who can help you with all aspects of the claims process, so give us a call to take some of the stress off your shoulders as you focus on rebuilding.
How Our Property Claims Division Can Help with Hurricane Claims
Making a property claim after a hurricane can be more complicated than many people realize. Because of the large scale of damage wrought by Hurricane Irma, particularly in the Florida Keys, insurance claims adjusters will be swamped with work and many inexperienced adjusters may be hired and trained quickly. Getting an adjuster to your home in a timely manner can present challenges, and the adjuster may not be willing or able to make the most accurate assessment of the losses experienced.
Insurance companies may delay in evaluating and paying claims or may argue that claims do not have to be paid at all because of disputes over whether damage was caused by wind or flooding. Many residents of Collier County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County and Monroe County do not have flood insurance, so a determination on the cause of damage can make a big impact on whether a claim is paid. For homeowners who do have flood insurance, coordinating coverage among multiple different insurance policies can also be a challenge.
Despite the complications, insurers are required by law to act in good faith in processing claims. This means insurance companies must honor the terms of policies, provide the coverage you paid for and process claims in a reasonably timely manner. To make sure your insurer follows the rules and provides the funds you need to rebuild, you should get help from experienced property damage claim attorneys.
Contact Our Hurricane Property Claim Attorneys Today
The property claims division of Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. is here to help you with your hurricane claims. You should give us a call as soon as possible so we can begin working with you to notify your insurer, properly document your losses, and protect your investment in your home.
Our firm has seen clients through hurricanes before and we know how to work effectively with the insurance companies to get you paid. Give us a call today to talk with a knowledgeable and compassionate lawyer about your hurricane-related claim so we can get you on the path to recovery. Whether you are in Miami, the Florida Keys, Naples or anywhere else throughout the state of Florida, Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. is here to help.
