When Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida panhandle in 2018, many homeowners lost their homes and belongings. It was a painful reminder of the incredible force of these storms and the damage they can do. No homeowner or family should have to deal with the financial hardship of hurricane damage if they have insurance. But too often, they do.
If you are fighting your insurance company for compensation after suffering hurricane damage, a Panama City hurricane property damage lawyer can help. Our Panama City personal injury lawyers can assist you with filing claims, appealing denied claims, and holding the insurance company accountable to bad faith practices.
A Hurricane Property Damage Lawyer from GED Lawyers Can Help
You can certainly file insurance claims for hurricane damage on your own. But a Panama City hurricane property damage attorney from GED Lawyers can handle it for you. We can take care of you and your family while you focus on rebuilding your life.
Here’s how one of our hurricane damage lawyers can help your claim:
- Review your insurance policies with you to help you understand your coverage
- Gather evidence of the damage and what caused it to build a thorough claim
- Investigate the cause of the damage to prove your claim
- Prepare your claim and file it with the insurance company
- Work with experts to determine the cost of the damage
- Negotiate for compensation that better reflects the damage you suffered
- Protect you from bad faith claims
The team at GED Lawyers is local to Florida, so we know how challenging and painful it can be to have to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane. That’s why we offer free case reviews to every victim of a Florida hurricane. You can learn the true value of your claim and explore your options for getting the compensation you need for no upfront cost.
And you don’t have to worry about how much it costs to work with GED Lawyers — we take our hurricane damage claim cases on a contingency-fee basis. You don’t owe us anything until we recover compensation on your behalf.
Get the Money You Need to Recover After a Hurricane
Unlike the insurance companies, the attorneys at GED Lawyers will make sure every bit of damage your property suffered is identified, listed correctly on your claim, and compensated correctly. Here are just some of the damages we’ve been able to help clients recover compensation for:
- Costs to repair damage to homes or property
- Costs to rebuild a home on the same lot
- Reimbursement for hurricane evacuation
- Living expenses for time away from an unsafe home or property during and after a hurricane
We may have a few options to help you get the compensation you and your family need to rebuild your life. We can start with filing insurance claims if you haven’t done so already. We can also appeal any denials you’ve received. Lastly, we can file a lawsuit against the insurance company for acting in bad faith against you by not abiding by the policy agreement.
Our priority is your and your family’s safety and comfort. We walk you through all your legal options and advise you on the best path.
How Insurance Companies Undermine Hurricane Property Damage Claims in Panama City
Insurance companies want to make money and they do so by collecting monthly premiums, not paying out claims. That is the main reason why insurance companies make it so hard for policyholders to file claims and efficiently get the money they need to repair damage and restore their homes.
There are many ways insurance companies make this process difficult, including:
- Denying a claim without due cause
- Waiting until the last minute to respond to claims
- Delaying investigations of claims and property appraisals
- Changing a policy while a claim is pending and trying to hold that claim to the new standards
- Miscategorizing or ignoring hurricane damage
If you are facing these or other issues with your insurance provider, you can get the support and resources of a Panama City hurricane property damage lawyer.
What You Can Do to Help Your Hurricane Property Damage Claim
Follow these steps to ensure your claim is accurate and to help your legal team better handle your hurricane damage claim for you:
- Take photos and videos of the damage.
- Make a list of damaged items.
- Get witness testimony from neighbors.
- Save all communications with your insurance company, including notes from phone calls, emails, and more.
- File your claim as soon as possible to ensure you have as much time as possible to explore all your legal options as the claim pends.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hurricane Property Damage Claims in Panama City
We would be happy to review your homeowners insurance policy with you to help you understand what damage is actually covered for your property. Until then, let’s go over some FAQs about insurance coverage when it comes to hurricane damage.
What Types of Hurricane Damage Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?
Your homeowners insurance policy will likely cover some damage sustained during a hurricane, but it’s best to pay for coverage that fills in the gaps of your homeowners insurance policy. Homeowners insurance without a hurricane policy can be very limited and put Panama City homeowners at risk for not getting much-needed compensation after a big storm.
It’s important to note that there is no official hurricane insurance policy. This additional coverage is a collection of policies that comes with a special deductible that applies to hurricane damage sustained while there is a named storm incoming until the storm is downgraded. According to the Insurance Information Institute, wind, hail, and certain water damage that occurs during the hurricane deductible window and costs more than the deductible should be covered by this policy supplement.
A homeowners insurance policy will cover some forms of damage that occur during hurricanes, including:
- Wind damage, like to your roof
- Damage to windows, siding, structure, and more due to debris or falling branches/trees
- Hail damage
- Water damage not caused by flooding or storm surge, such as if rain blows into the house from a broken window
According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, your home, other buildings and structures on your property, personal belongings, and more may be covered from damage caused by a hurricane depending on the type of policy you have.
Does a Hurricane Policy Cover Flooding?
While flooding can happen after a hurricane, homeowners insurance likely doesn’t have flood damage. You need a separate flood insurance policy.
Does a Hurricane Policy Cover Roof Damage?
Wind damage claims are very common, but they can be complex. That’s because insurance companies may find other things to blame the roof damage on that aren’t covered by the policy.
How Long Do I Have to File a Hurricane Property Damage Claim?
You have three years from the date the storm makes landfall to file a hurricane damage claim.
GED Lawyers Serves Panama City Hurricane Damage Victims
If you are struggling to get compensation you need — and are entitled to — from your insurance company, you’re not alone. The Panama City hurricane property damage lawyers from GED Lawyers are here for you. Contact us today to get a free case review.
