After the fallout of hurricane Ian, a troubling pattern began to emerge—insurance companies fighting with customers and each other over what is considered flood and wind-driven rain damage, and what kind of damage occurred.
If it’s flooding, one insurance company may be responsible. For wind and other hurricane damage factors, another company. Obviously, insurance companies will want to push the claim onto another provider. So, what do you do to ensure you get the right payout from the right company?
Below is more information about the types of property damage in Florida that may be covered by insurance, factors you’ll need to consider when filing your claim correctly, and what to do if your insurance company decides to try to prevent you from getting the settlement you deserve…
What Are Some Common Types of Property Damage in Florida?
There are a few different types of property damage in Florida, which include:
- Wind
- Water
- Hurricane
- Flood
- Smoke and fire
Often, these types of damage are covered by different forms of insurance. If a company claims that the damage was caused by something they don’t cover, they won’t pay you. And, of course, they often want to blame something they don’t cover for the damage.
Wind-Driven Rain Versus Flood (and What Insurance Companies May Use Against You)
The average homeowner often doesn’t know what to look for when they are filing a claim and what the right and wrong things are to say. Without proper representation, it can be easy to miss things that would improve your likelihood of a claim payment, along with saying things that can get in the way of your provider paying your claim. Certain words like “flooded” and “flood water” may cause your insurance to deny your claim, even if it was wind-driven rain that caused the “flooding.” To an insurance company “flooding” is covered by flood insurance and—if you don’t phrase things correctly—they may determine your property was damaged by a flood (even if it wasn’t).
It’s best to get legal representation from the beginning to properly document damage and file your claim correctly.
What If They Don’t Want to Pay?
If your insurance company doesn’t want to pay and claims the damage was caused by something it wasn’t you may feel powerless and like you have no recourse. This isn’t the case!
If you have a legitimate claim and your insurance company either doesn’t want to pay or wants to pay less than you deserve, contact Colucci Law Group. We provide expert support to our clients and are able to help combat bad-faith claim denials. An outstanding lawyer will represent you in a suit against your insurance provider, and Colucci Law Group will fight to ensure you get the money you are owed.
Colucci Law Group is also able to file a claim for you. We’ll defend your rights and get you an appropriate settlement.
If you would like to learn more about the property insurance legal services we provide, contact Colucci Law Group today. We will negotiate or litigate on your behalf to ensure your insurance company pays your claim.
If you suspect that you are the victim of a bad-faith insurance claim denial or you would like support filing a claim, we can help. The Colucci Law Group has the resources to assess the validity of your claim at no cost to you. For a free consultation, email us or call our Clearwater office at 727-733-9438. You may also call our Fort Myers office at 239-378-7800. Our team assists victims of bad-faith insurance claims across the state of Florida.