Hurricane claims
There have been a number of recorded weather disasters in the US over the years but none of them have been more deadly and caused more destruction than hurricanes. People still remember Hurricane Andrew of 1992 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005 and the devastation they brought. Your lawyer will assess your case and present you in court to make sure you get fair compensation for the out-of-pocket expenses you had due to the damages.
What to do if your home was damaged by a hurricane?
Hurricanes can cause serious damage and the extent of that damage depends on the wind speed of the hurricane.
Category 1 hurricanes usually cause damage to things such as sidings and gutters while Category 2 hurricanes can even do damage to roofs and exterior walls.
If your place of residence is affected by a hurricane, you need to:
- Cover up any damaged property to prevent water intrusion.
- Make an inventory of the property that was damaged and take photographs for proof.
- File a claim with your insurance as soon as possible.
What can go wrong with Louisiana hurricane insurance?
Louisiana homeowners are well aware they live in a state that is prone to hurricanes. Therefore, most people who live here purchase hurricane insurance ahead of time. Unfortunately, even if you do have insurance, some things can go wrong and your claim could be denied over a minor technicality.
For instance, homeowner’s insurance policies usually cover damages caused by wind, but not those caused by flooding. So if you have homeowner’s insurance when your house is damaged by a hurricane, your policy won’t cover the damages that were caused by increased water levels.
Also, in the event of a hurricane, thousands of people submit claims at the same time and this usually leads to a delay in processing. Insurance companies often use this as a way to avoid paying claims altogether.
Here are some other actions from insurers you should be aware of:
- Making fake or misleading statements about the coverage.
- Refusing to settle a claim that is completely legitimate.
- Offering undervalued estimates.
- Trying to convince homeowners that legal representation isn’t required to resolve a claim.
- Forcing the homeowner to settle a claim under a different policy.
How we can help?
When policyholders suffer property loss or damages caused by a hurricane, they are often faced with complex decisions and complicated issues they need to resolve when filing a claim. The information you present in a claim is crucial in deciding whether it will be accepted and what kind of settlement you can expect.
Trieu Law provides assistance to our clients who haven’t managed to recover enough money from their insurance companies that would cover the repair of hurricane property damages. We can also provide help to businesses that suffered economic loss.