Is storm damage covered by car insurance in Florida?
What happens if your car is damaged by a storm in Florida? Will your car insurance cover the repairs?
Property damage claim lawyers hear a lot of questions like this. We often focus on storm damage to homes and businesses, but vehicles can also take a beating during extreme weather events.
In this post, the professionals at Louis Law Group will tell you everything you should know about how car insurance typically handles vehicle storm damage and what to do if your car is damaged during a storm in Florida.
Florida does not require comprehensive insurance, which covers vehicle repairs from storm damage
Florida law requires motor vehicle owners (in this case, a motor vehicle is defined as a motorized vehicle with at least four wheels) to carry $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) insurance and at least $10,000 of property damage liability insurance. Motorists may have a deductible of up to $1,000 for PIP coverage and $500 for property damage liability, according to a Florida Bar consumer pamphlet.
However, those minimum insurance requirements won’t cover damage caused by storms. For that reason, many residents choose to purchase additional insurance beyond what the state of Florida requires.
A comprehensive insurance policy typically pays for losses from incidents (other than vehicle collisions) including fires, theft, windstorms, vandalism, floods, falling objects, or hitting an animal. Plus, with comprehensive auto coverage, your insurance company cannot charge you a deductible for a windshield replacement, according to the Florida Bar.
You’ll need to review your insurance policy to understand exactly what it covers. There’s no standard requirement for what comprehensive insurance policies need to cover. For example, your comprehensive coverage might pay for losses from a falling object landing on your vehicle, but not from flooding.
If your car is financed, you may have been required to purchase comprehensive insurance. Other vehicle owners choose to purchase this in addition to their liability insurance for extra coverage.
If your car is damaged in a storm, be sure to call your insurance company and tell them.
A Florida property damage claim lawyer can help motorists if their insurance company denies their comprehensive insurance claim
We know that insurance policies can get confusing, especially if it’s your first time filing a major claim or your insurance company tries to deny your claim. If you believe your insurance company is not treating you fairly, an experienced property damage attorney with Louis Law Group can help.
Here’s what we can do for clients with vehicle damage caused by a storm:
- Guide you through complicated insurance policy documents
- Work to resolve any disputes with the insurance company and look for any assessment errors that could cause the company to deny your claim
- Assess your insurance company’s payout and renegotiate for a better offer, if necessary
- Rigorously defend you against any bad faith insurance practices
Contact Louis Law Group
Click here to contact our team of attorneys or call us at 954-676-4179 to book a free consultation.
Our attorneys can assist you in English, Spanish, or Creole.
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