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Living in Florida comes with some amazing benefits. For most of the year, the weather here is hard to beat. However, homeowners and business owners in Florida need to be wary of the threat of hurricanes. These incredibly destructive forces of nature can level entire communities, let alone individual homes and businesses. This is why so many Florida homeowners make the wise choice of purchasing comprehensive home and flood insurance.
Unfortunately, some people find themselves the victims all over again when their insurance provider denies their storm damage claim. If this has happened to you or someone you know, please read on…
You’ve been diligent in making sure that you pay for your insurance on time. You understand the value that your policy has, especially considering the threat of hurricanes or other tropical storms here in Florida. Unfortunately, this won’t keep your insurance company from trying to pay you as little as possible, or avoid addressing the claim all together.
Here in Florida, hurricane season typically lasts from the beginning of June until the end of November. According to the National Hurricane Center, there are on average two major hurricanes and 11.8 named storms each year.
If your home or business is located on the water or in an area that is particularly susceptible to flooding, It’s important to know exactly what your insurance policy covers. You should also be knowledgeable of the steps that need to be taken in the event that your property is damaged during a storm.
Did you know that there is no such thing as “hurricane insurance?” Most homeowner insurance policies cover against wind damage and a flood insurance policy is something that would be purchased separately.
In Florida specifically, a standard homeowners policy would cover against roof or siding damage caused by high winds from a hurricane or tropical storm. There’s also a special deductible for hurricane damage here in Florida. It’s a fixed percentage that’s based on the amount of the entire policy. The hurricane deductible must be met before your insurance company would start paying for the damage to your home.
If this information creates additional questions in your mind, that’s entirely the point. Insurance providers like uncertainty and they will use it to undermine claims and get out of paying for damages. After a hurricane, your insurance company will probably be faced with a deluge of customers filing claims. They will do everything in their power to limit the amount of money that they need to pay out in this situation.
This is why we urge you to thoroughly review your homeowner’s insurance policy now. If you don’t know exactly what is covered on your policy, then you could make it easier for insurance company to take advantage of you.
Hurricanes are one of the strongest forces that Mother Nature can throw at us. A neighborhood that has been hit by hurricane doesn’t stand much of a chance. Forceful winds can rip up roofs, bring down power lines, uproot trees and mangle traffic signs.
The threat to your property is dependent on the overall strength of the hurricane. If you have been living in Florida for an extended amount of time, then you’re probably familiar with the category numbering system given to hurricanes. Categories range from 1 up to 5 depending on the strength of the hurricane’s wind speed.
The reality is that no amount of preparation can protect a home from a strong enough storm. This is something that homeowners in Tampa and St Petersburg should be aware of. If your home is damaged in a hurricane, these are the next steps that our insurance claim lawyer recommends that you take.
Following a hurricane or another destructive storm, an insurance company may use any of the following tactics in order to get out of paying for your damages:
If any of these sound familiar, or you are in a full dispute with your insurance carrier, trying to handle the situation on your own can be extremely challenging. Not many families have the money in their savings to cover these repairs on their own. Additionally, these insurance companies employ skilled teams devoted to undermining claims like yours. Odds are that you’ll incur even more financial burdens trying to fight them on your own.
If your insurance provider is trying to get out of paying for your damages to your home, then you should consider contacting an insurance claims lawyer. Schedule a consultation with Marie Schoeb and she’ll show you what she can do to keep your insurance provider accountable.