While insurance companies can cause problems for claimants, there are several steps that homeowners and property owners should follow after a hurricane in Florida to minimize the chance that there will be issues with their insurance company. Documenting all of the damage is important, as the insurance provider will want to know about specific losses before they pay the claimant. This is usually done by taking pictures, keeping a written inventory of valuable items and damage, and an examination by an adjuster to verify the damage. Repair estimates from various contractors can be helpful to help prove the extent of the damage and total costs of restoring the property to its condition prior to the hurricane. It can be helpful if these repair estimates are available to the adjuster when they do their inspection. In terms of timing, the insurance company should also be given notice as soon as possible after the hurricane that the policy holder intends to make a claim, and they will need financial assistance. This is because there are time limits to file a claim, and a property owner who has waited until after this limit has expired will not be able to get any assistance at all. Even after a claim has been filed, the claimant should make an effort to stay in touch with the insurance provider and give them any additional information that they need until the process is completed.
If the insurance company refuses to pay out any money after the claim was submitted and reviewed, or if they stop responding at any point during this process, assistance from hurricane insurance claims lawyers in Florida can be necessary. Experienced hurricane damage claims lawyers will do a number of things on the claimant’s behalf to ensure success.