Natural disasters are beyond your control. When and where they happen, what damage is done to your home or property, and sadly, compensation you can secure from insurance companies are all up in the air. Recently, the victims of the hurricane season of 2005 have been left in trailers, in different states – many without any idea of how to quickly secure insurance funding from their own insurance company and from the National Flood Insurance Program.
Part of the problem is that insurance companies are rarely in any hurry to pay out on a massive insurance claim. Whether your house was devastated by a massive forest fire, an earthquake, a landslide or a hurricane, they will still nickel and dime you to death over your natural disaster insurance coverage. Victims of these problems come from multiple states – for example the hurricane affects claimants in the Caribbean islands and in the U.S. in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. People are also victims of multiple hurricanes, including Ivan, Frances, Charley, Wilma, Rita and Katrina and although many of these storms are years past, they still have not secured compensation from their insurer or from the Federal Government.
Hiring an insurance attorney is one of the best ways to overcome the hurdles that homeowners typically face when trying to get insurance money for natural disasters. With the sheer number of claims that must be processed from a given natural disaster, it makes sense that those who have a legal advocate will get more attention more quickly. The old adage about the squeaky wheel getting the oil is usually correct. Additionally, the insurance company will be more likely to take you claim seriously and ensure that your claim is treated fairly if they see the potential of litigation from an attorney down the line.
Under the law, insurance companies are obligated to fairly and expediently handle your insurance claim. In most cases, within 30 days of submitting your proof of loss, they must submit a written settlement to you for approval or further discussion. The issues are actually raised when an insurance company just rejects your claim and then you are left with no recourse.
The problem is that flooding from hurricanes is not usually covered by your standard homeowner’s insurance policy. Some homes are required to hold flood insurance, if the live in a flood plain, but if you don’t, the extra expense to cover something you don’t think will happen is usually cost prohibitive. Rather, people can submit claims to the National Flood Insurance Program for flood damage and their homeowner’s policy will cover wind damage and damage from wind-driven rain.
Despite the face that your homeowner’s insurance policy may explicitly cover wind damage and damage from wind-driven rain, your insurance company may still refuse to cover the damage. According to the law, the denial of homeowner’s claims in non-flooded areas is considered a bad faith practice, so if you are a victim of this practice, you should speak with an attorney.
If you have been a victim of a natural disaster and you have yet to receive compensation from your insurance company, you should find an attorney and see if they can help you secure the money you are owed.