If you live in the southern half of the United States, on the east coast or on the Gulf coast you have probably been affected by a hurricane in the last ten years. Specifically if you live in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas you may have already faced catastrophe, or you need to prepare for the day when a hurricane will inevitable effect your area. If you have been the victim of storms like Katrina, Rita, Ivan, Charley or Wilma, the chances are pretty high that you have had to argue with your homeowner’s insurance company about your claim or you have had to wait an interminable amount of time while they resolve your claim.
First, it’s important that you know your hurricane damage claim rights. In every state there are legal guidelines that insurance companies are bound to follow and if they fail to follow those guidelines they are breaking the law by acting in bad faith insurance tactics. In the case of hurricane insurance and hurricane claims this is particularly important. If an insurance company is acting in good faith, they will respond within 4-5 business days to any claim that has been submitted. They should promptly arrange for you to meet with an adjuster or arrange for an adjuster or engineer to go to your home to inspect any damage and to determine the cause of the damage. Once the engineer or adjuster has completed their report, a copy of it should be given to you so that you are completely aware of the findings and the impact it may have on your hurricane damage claim, wind damage claim or flood damage claim. Once sufficient proof of wind damage or flood damage has been submitted, your insurance company should promptly resolve your claim in accordance with the guidelines and a fair interpretation of your insurance policy. In some cases, damage caused may not relate to your insurance policy, but any denial of claims should be accompanied by a full disclosure and clear, cogent explanation of why this is so.
In several instances regarding homeowner’s hurricane insurance claims, insurance companies have been slow to respond, slow to resolve claims and have engaged in less that above board tactics in terms of engineering reports, adjuster inspections and the interpretation of the insurance policy. These insurance companies are acting in bad faith and such behavior should not be tolerated. In many instances, people who are concerned about their hurricane insurance policy or hurricane insurance claim have engaged an attorney to represent them and be their advocate throughout the process. Although this may seem frivolous, it has been in the best interest of many parties who have found that their claims are resolved more efficiently and more fairly then those of their unrepresented counterparts.
If you are concerned that your hurricane claim or homeowner’s insurance claim is being unfairly resolved or is remaining unresolved for an unacceptable period of time, you should contact a reputable attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can ensure that your claim is fairly resolved and that you aren’t the victim of insurance ping pong as each of your insurance companies denies your claim on the basis of alternate coverage or damage.