Are you a victim of flood or windstorm damage from a hurricane? Tired of waiting for your insurance company to fulfill its promise to look out for your best interests and pay your claim?
Hurricanes, floods, and windstorms can devastate a homeowner financially. After Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast in Aug. 2017, Bloomberg quoted experts estimating total damage from the hurricane and tropical storm could be anywhere from $30 billion to $100 billion.
If your home or property was damaged in a hurricane, windstorm or flood, Weycer Law Firm can help you navigate the complex world of weather-related damage claims and receive the compensation you deserve.
My home was damaged by a hurricane, storm or flood. What should I do?
1. Locate your homeowners’ insurance policy and additional policies such as flood or windstorm insurance and contact your insurance agent. If you can’t find a copy of your policy, ask your agent to send one immediately.
2. Report your claim to your insurance company as soon as possible. Write down the date you reported the claim and the claim number.
3. Read your policy carefully to understand coverage amounts, deductible, and special riders or endorsements.
Types of insurance coverage:
- Homeowners’ insurance. Your homeowners’ insurance may cover damage caused by wind, hurricanes, and tornadoes, excluding flood damage. However, if you live in a high-risk area, hurricane-related damage may be excluded from your policy.
- Windstorm insurance is a special type of property and casualty insurance designed to cover damages from high winds. Windstorm insurance is generally offered as a rider for extended coverage to a standard casualty insurance policy.
- Flood insurance policies cover property damage caused by overflow from lakes and rivers or tidal surge, not damage caused by wind and rain. Overflow flooding is not covered by homeowners’ insurance policies and is generally a rider added to your homeowners’ policy or a policy purchased separately.
4. Assess and document damage. Take photographs of damage to both the inside and outside of your home, including photos of water height if your home flooded. Damage from a hurricane or windstorm can include:
- Roof damage.
- Missing siding, broken windows or door damage.
- Water damage.
- Damaged cars and other personal property.
5. Keep track of all dates and conversations with adjusters, insurance company representatives or anyone you communicate with about damage to your home or property.
Insurance company tactics to delay or deny a claim
If your home was damaged by a hurricane or flooding that decimated an entire region, your insurance company could be facing millions of dollars worth of claims. As a result, your insurer will have its own profits in mind while processing thousands of claims.
Tactics used by insurance companies to deny hurricane, flood and wind claims can include:
- Denying your claim without a proper investigation or valid reason.
- Categorizing flood or wind damage incorrectly in order to deny your claim.
- Creating delays associated with multiple adjusters.
- Delaying payment.
- Ambiguous language in the policy.
How Weycer Law Firm Can Help
A Texas law that took effect on Sept. 1, 2017, affects property damage or loss due to “forces of nature” such as hurricanes, rainstorms, wind, tornadoes or snowstorms. The new law may reduce the amount that your insurance company could be required to pay in the event of a lawsuit.
If you’re facing storm-related losses, don’t go up against powerful insurance companies on your own. Our experienced attorneys will fight insurance companies that try to deny your claim or pay an amount that’s below what you need to repair or replace your home and other property.
We’ll get you the compensation you deserve. Contact the Weycer Law Firm to discuss your case for free. Call us at (713) 668-4545.