Property Damage Claims

When your home, property or business is damaged by a storm, fire, tornado, flood, plumbing break, mold, roof leak, or another sudden and accidental occurrence, your homeowners insurance is the right place to turn to. Before filing a claim however, it’s best to consult with an insurance professional to determine whether your loss or damage is likely to be covered by your policy. Our office is located in Palm Beach County, but we have attorneys handling insurance claims around the entire state of Florida.

Whether your loss is covered is a unique question in each individual claim and circumstance. The facts of each particular case need to be evaluated against the specific language of your policy. Although most people assume that homeowners insurance policies are all the same, they are not; in fact, each policy is unique in its own way, designed specifically for each individual home and individual homeowner. Additionally, there are often coverages that people chose to pay an extra premium for, or, in the reverse, lower their premium by choosing to get rid of crucial coverage options (such as wind coverage or water coverage, both crucial in Florida).

Once a claim is filed with a homeowners insurance carrier, the carrier has the right to investigate the loss and make a coverage decision within 90 days. During that 90 day investigation period, the insured (that’s you) has several responsibilities in assisting the insurance company with their investigation. These responsibilities are called “duties after loss”. It is crucial to ensure the duties after loss are complied with; failure to comply with the duties after loss could result in a denied claim, when it could have been covered. As such, it is best to consult an insurance attorney or other insurance professional to ensure your duties after loss are met properly, so as not to give the insurance carrier procedural reasons to deny your claim.

If, after complying with your duties after loss and allowing the insurance company 90 days to conduct their investigation, your claim still gets denied, it’s possible that the insurance company got it wrong. You should consult with an insurance attorney or another insurance professional to see if you’re able to challenge the denial.

If, after the 90 day investigation period and after complying with all your duties after loss, the insurance company fails to make a coverage decision, you may have rights that need to be enforced against the insurance company’s failure to meet the statutory requirements.

If your claim is paid, but the payment is insufficient to cover your loss, you may have rights that can be enforced as well for the insurance company’s failure to adequately adjust your claim.

Law Offices of Rina Feld can help you fight back and maximize your recovery.

Law Offices of Rina Feld are dedicated to ensuring that the homeowner is represented in the fight against the insurance companies. We are here to help you navigate your claim from start to finish. The insurance companies are working hard to maximize their profits by denying, delaying or underpaying your claim. We work hard to maximize YOUR claim.