Property damage is costly, upsetting, and difficult to deal with. There are so many considerations—from the integrity of your home to the conditions of your valuables and so much more. One thing that most people don’t even consider is the possibility of their property damage claim being denied.
While it seems like it shouldn’t be possible, your insurance company may decide to deny your claim. If this is for legitimate reasons, there isn’t much recourse. If you know or believe you have a legitimate claim, though, you’ll want to take action to receive the settlement you deserve.
Below is more information about what you should do after a hurricane to ensure you get an appropriate settlement, and what to do if you are denied.
Steps After a Hurricane
There are a couple of main steps after a hurricane that you’ll want to follow to get the best payout for your claim. These steps include:
Take an Inventory
It’s important to have an inventory of your valuable items, to begin with. You’ll also need to inventory the damage after a property damage incident. When you file a claim, you can provide your insurance company with the information you gathered. Be sure to take photos and shoot videos for evidence. You may need this later if they decide to deny the claim.
Reach Out to Your Insurance
After you’ve taken a thorough inventory, contact your insurance company to file your claim. Your insurance company should respond within 90 days. If it’s close to 90 days and you haven’t heard anything, reach out to your insurance company.
A claims adjuster will be sent to your property to assess the damage. This will help the insurance company to determine the payout for the claim.
In an ideal situation, once all of this is completed, you’ll get your settlement.
Why Your Florida Property Damage Claim Could Be Denied
There are a few reasons why your insurance company may deny your claim. These include:
- Proof of fraud
- The damage not being covered
- The claim not being filed when it was supposed to be
- The inventory list being inaccurate or incomplete
What Do I Do If My Legitimate Claim Is Denied?
If your insurance company denied you due to the reasons above and the denial is valid, there isn’t much you can do. If you followed all of their instructions, have a legitimate claim, and they still deny you, you can file a suit against the company. What they are doing is referred to as a “bad faith claim denial.” In an ideal world, this would never happen—but it does.
In order to ensure you get the money you are owed, contact Colucci Law Group. We specialize in cases that involve property insurance law. Our experienced, expert legal team will fight the bad faith claim and get you the settlement your insurance company owes you. We can also file the claim on your behalf to get you the best settlement possible.
If you suspect that you are the victim of a bad faith insurance claim denial, 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 Panama City office at 850-542-1111 .
Our team assists victims of bad faith insurance claims across the state of Florida.