The devil is in the details. When it comes to insurance policies it will be in the fine print. The part no one reads.
All responsible homeowners in Florida have insurance. You must protect your investment and, anyway, if you have a mortgage the bank will insist on it. Unfortunately, when disaster strikes you may discover that the people you thought will have your back, won’t have anything to do with you. The friendly agent that sold you the policy will be replaced by a rude adjuster who will bluntly deny your claim or tell you that your damages are far lower than you think. They may go as far as telling you that the damages you deserve are lower than the deductible so you don’t get anything. Go and repair your house out of your own money.
Insurance adjusters are well-versed in intimidation tactics which is why you should never take No for an answer. If you have any kind of problem with your claim, go to the best Florida insurance claims lawyers you can find and see what they think.
Is my damage covered or not?
The devil is in the details. When it comes to insurance policies it will be in the fine print. The part no one reads. Don’t blame yourself. Even if you tried to read it, most of the time that part is written in dense legalese precisely so you don’t understand what it says.
If the insurance adjuster tells you that the damages to your house are not covered, have an experienced lawyer examine your policy to see if it’s true.
For instance, if a pipe breaks or the washing machine malfunctions and floods the house, the insurance guy may try to claim the damage was caused by seepage which is not covered.
This is true, seepage is not covered under standard home insurance but they’re obviously misinterpreting the facts. A seasoned lawyer will tell them so and threaten them with a bad faith lawsuit, which may change their perspective on your claim.
What can I do if my claim was denied?
Once again, don’t take No for an answer. Their decision to deny your claim is not final, no matter what they tell you.
First of all, they have to send you a letter of motivation, explaining why they denied your claim. Take it to some reliable Florida insurance claims lawyers and they’ll decide if the denial is justified or not.
If it’s not, you have the right to appeal the decision and the insurance company is required by law to reexamine your situation.
Your lawyers will help you gather more documents to support your claim. You are allowed to do that.
If they see you’re determined and you have a tough lawyer, they may accept your claim this time around. If they’re in the wrong, it’s in their best interests to do so. They know that if you take them to court, they risk having to pay punitive damages as well so it’s much better to pay you the money you need to fix the house and be done with it.
