What should you do if your house is damaged in a hurricane in Florida?
Hurricanes cause devastating damage to Florida homes every year, which is why it’s important to have a professional property damage claim lawyer who is ready to answer your questions and represent you in case your property suffers damage.
After a hurricane, do this:
- Get in contact with your insurance company and possibly an attorney
- Inspect your property for damage, especially important areas like the roof, siding, and windows. Take photos and notes about all the damage you find.
- Call your insurance company before you agree to any contract for repairs. You’ll want to ask about your managed repair policy provisions and any preferred vendors.
- Start to file a damage claim and understand what the insurance company will need from you to help them process your claim
- Try to get an appraiser to visit your property as soon as possible to keep your claim moving
- Call a property damage attorney if you feel your insurance company is not fulfilling its duties or is treating you unfairly. You’ll want to involve an attorney as soon as you feel it’s necessary to get your damage claim handled promptly.
Keep organized records
Hurricanes can cost you more than just repairs to your property. You may need to stay in a hotel while your home gets repaired, rent a vehicle to get to work, and purchase meals from restaurants.
Keep receipts for everything of value in your home. If anything is damaged in a hurricane, put a copy of that receipt in your records as you record the damage.
Also, be sure to keep copies of every repair estimate, appraisal, inspection, and maintenance related to your property following a hurricane.
How a Florida property damage claim lawyer can help you:
Recovering from a hurricane is overwhelming, but a property damage claim lawyer with Louis Law Group can help you through the process. Our attorneys will:
- Guide you through complicated insurance policy documents so you understand what the insurance company is responsible for covering.
- Help you confirm that any contractors you hire are licensed to work in the state of Florida.
- Work directly with your insurance company to resolve any disputes and answer questions so your damage claim is handled as quickly as possible.
- Assess your insurance company’s settlement payout and renegotiate it if necessary.
- Rigorously defend you against any bad faith insurance practices.
- Ensure the insurance company respects your rights as a homeowner under Florida state law.
Under Florida law, you can recoup at least a portion of your attorney fees and litigation costs if you need to file a lawsuit against your insurance company, according to a consumer pamphlet from the Florida Bar.
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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