If Hurricane Ian has hit your property, you may no longer have a home or other property due to the intense flooding and winds. This can be devastating and costly, but the first thing you should do to recover compensation is to file a property damage claim.
Our Hurricane Ian property damage lawyers at Ged Lawyers understand the pain you may be going through after the life-altering Hurricane Ian. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping you recover the compensation you qualify for. Our attorneys explain how to file a Hurricane Ian property damage claim and how a lawyer can help you deal with the insurance company.
Gather Evidence of the Hurricane Damage
Hurricane Ian was the deadliest storm in Florida since 1935, and damages across the state are still unfolding. And the most important part of a Hurricane Ian property damage report is having strong evidence to back up your claim to show the damage.
To do this, you should gather as much evidence of the damage to your home and other property as possible to assess and document it. Some of the most valuable pieces of evidence are:
Photos and Videos
If you can take photos and videos of the damage as it happens, this will strengthen your claim. Your lawyer and the insurance company will better understand the severity of the hurricane. Taking photos and videos of the aftermath of the hurricane can also be helpful in showing how much of your property will need to be repaired.
Another thing you should take photos of is any injuries that you have sustained. By doing so, the insurance company will not be able to deny the fact that the hurricane harmed you physically. The totality of your evidence will help to put a value on your property damage claim.
Neighbors’ Observations
If you have neighbors that can attest to the property damage caused by the hurricane, this can also be helpful. Your neighbor may be able to provide a different perspective on the damage that can be helpful to your potential case.
If you can keep all the evidence in one file, it will make it easier to share with your Hurricane Ian property damage lawyer and other parties that may need it.
Keep a Track Record of Any Information You Learn
The insurance company is the biggest obstacle you face when filing a Hurricane Ian property damage claim. Due to this, it’s important that you keep a record of any information that you learn from the insurance company. This can be things such as:
- Phone numbers
- Names of the insurance claim adjusters
- Contact info
- Letters
- Phone calls
- Emails
By keeping all the communication to and from the insurance company in a notebook, the claims adjuster won’t be able to deny that they told you something, and you’ll be able to tell the company exactly who said it.
This can help you further protect your rights and gather more evidence for your claim and increase your chances of a fast claims process so that you can get compensation for your damages.
File Your Claim Early and Stay Persistent With the Insurance Company
If you have suffered property damage from Hurricane Ian, you only have three years to file a hurricane property damage claim. At the rate that insurance companies deny hurricane claims, it’s best to file your claim as soon as possible and be proactive about it.
If you file your claim after three years have passed, you will not be able to collect any compensation or file another claim. If the insurance company does not take any action with your claim, you can write them a letter inquiring why. And if they still don’t answer, you can write another letter asking why and ask for guidance from your lawyer.
You should stay persistent with the insurance company so that they don’t have an excuse to say that you didn’t reach out to them enough. Our Hurricane Ian property damage attorneys in Florida can help you plan out what to say in a letter to the insurance company to increase your chances of getting your claim approved.
How a Lawyer Can Help You Negotiate with the Insurance Company
Insurance companies are for-profit companies, and they want to retain as much money as they can. And to do this, they attempt to deny a majority of the hurricane claims they receive. But your claim doesn’t have to be one of them when you have one of our Hurricane Ian property damage claims lawyers to help you through the process.
A lawyer can help you negotiate with the insurance company by presenting the evidence and the damages that you have suffered. This can show that the hurricane caused you and your property harm and that you qualify for compensation.
When the insurance company uses intimidation tactics and tries to get you to say something that discredits you, our lawyers can speak for you so that you don’t say anything that has a negative impact on your claim.
Get Legal Representation Before You Meet With the Insurance Company
You should never communicate or meet with the insurance company without an attorney by your side, nor should ever sign any legal document without a lawyer. There are a number of risks you can face when you go meet with the insurance company on your own. One of the biggest risks you may take is accepting a lowball settlement offer.
Once you accept the offer, you give up your right to recover a higher settlement or any compensation. This can leave you with costs that you still have to pay, and you’ll have to pay them out of pocket.
Another risk you may face is a denial of your claim. Without a lawyer, you may not know what to say to prove that your claim is valid. This could result in a claim denial which will only increase the amount of time you will have to wait until you get compensation.
Contact Ged Lawyers to Recover from Hurricane Ian Property Damage
If your property was damaged by Hurricane Ian, you can file a property damage claim to get the compensation you need. At Ged Lawyers, we can help you find out if you qualify for compensation, and then we can fight for it. The results that you get with our firm are unmatched by other firms that take on hurricane cases.
Call us or fill out the contact form on our website if you have any questions about filing a hurricane damage claim.
