Are You Still Facing Insurance Nightmares After Irma? We Can Help.

  • Oct 8 2018

Hurricanes are a fact of life in Florida. However, last year Hurricane Irma caused an incredible amount of damage across the state. A new report describes how, more than a year later, many Floridians are still waiting on money to fix their homes. If you are one of the tens of thousands of Floridians still impacted by insurance company delays, read on to learn more about how the experienced property damage attorneys at Valiente, Carollo and McElligott PLLC can help you.

Why Are Floridians Still Waiting for Their Insurance Money?

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas last year, most insurance companies sent the majority of their insurance adjusters to Texas to assess that storm’s damage. At the same time, however, Hurricane Irma was heading towards Florida. Insurance companies knew that they did not have enough adjusters to handle both natural disasters, and they pushed the state to relax its hiring standards to loosen regulations on who can serve as an adjuster. Gov. Rick Scott used an emergency declaration to allow this provision to take effect, and the result was that insurance companies hired a large number of inexperienced adjusters, who then botched, delayed, or otherwise complicated homeowners’ claims.

Was Your Claim Prematurely “Closed”?

The article also describes another troubling aspect to this situation: many insurance companies have preemptively “closed” claims once they make the first payout to affected homeowners. When an insurance company closes a claim, that has the effect of capping the possible amount of damages that the homeowner can receive. So long as a claim remains “open,” insurance companies can gather more information about damage and the property, meaning that the homeowner has a better chance of recovering more money. If an insurance company quickly closed your claim, you may have missed out on recovering the full amount you could have. The good news is that just because your claim has been closed does not mean you have no other options to try to recover.

Is a Irma-Related Insurance Lawsuit Right for You?

Regardless of whether your Hurricane Irma insurance claim has been “closed,” you may have a valid basis to sue. If an inexperienced insurance adjuster bungled your claim, or if the amount your insurance company says you are able to receive is far less than what your property is worth or repairs cost, you need to contact Valiente, Carollo and McElligott PLLC today.

Our experienced property damage attorneys can help you assess whether you can bring a claim against your insurance company. We understand that an extended battle with an insurance company can force you into difficult financial circumstances, and we believe that no one should be kept out of their home due to the incompetency of an insurance company or their adjusters. Working with you, we will gather as much evidence as possible and use our extensive litigation experience to get you the financial help you are rightfully owed. For years you have paid your homeowners insurance premium on time every time and then when the day comes that you need something from them, you are ignored, delayed, underpaid, and/or denied. Let us help you when your insurance company won’t.

Need Help Fighting Back Against Your Insurance Company?

A year is far too long for an insurance company to not process your property damage claim. At Valiente, Carollo and McElligott PLLC, our experienced Miami property damage attorneys are ready to help you stand up to your insurance company and fight for the compensation that you deserve. Contact Valiente, Carollo and McElligott PLLC today to get on the path towards rebuilding your home and your life.

Posted in: Property Damage