How Do Insurers Typically Pay Out For Damages In Hurricane Claims?
Hurricanes can cause huge and sometimes shocking amounts of damage in a matter of hours. Rightfully so, Florida homeowners fear the worst when a hurricane is predicted or on a path toward their home. Hurricanes in Florida can produce any of the following when they arrive:
- High winds over 100 miles per hour that can rip apart homes, blast through windows, and knock trees onto roofs;
- Storm surges and inland flooding that can devastate coastal communities;
- Heavy rainfall far in excess of what a normal storm would bring, leading to destructive consequences;
- Cyclones and tornadoes – often considered to be separate weather events, these can arrive in conjunction with a hurricane with surprising and severe effects.
Insurance policies are designed to safeguard against the consequences of these weather effects. The last thing a homeowner wants is to pay out of pocket or lose their home completely due to a hurricane event.
What Does Insurance Usually Pay After a Hurricane?
What a homeowner receives on their claim is not entirely predictable and can depend on the circumstances involved. For instance, the payout may depend on the type of damage involved, and what measures they took after the storm’s impact.
Insurers will review how promptly an insured reported their damage, what they did to mitigate any damage that they could, and what specifically was covered under their policy. For example, flooding related to a hurricane is usually not covered unless the homeowner had separate flood insurance (through the National Flood Insurance Program, for example).
Insureds can run into issues with their deductible in claims related to hurricanes and wind damage. Often, these deductibles will be based on a percentage of the overall claim – 5% of a $500,000 coverage policy, for example. This may not seem like much until a storm strikes, and the homeowner realized that 5% of $500,000 is $25,000.
A claim’s payout can also depend on the personal property involved, and what was properly itemized before and after a storm. Sometimes these costs and damages are negligible, but sometimes they can run into the tens of thousands or even millions.
While damage and coverage can vary from home to home, there is no doubt that a hurricane is both a physically and psychologically damaging event. The last thing a homeowner wants is to have the damage worsened by unfair treatment from their insurance company. A skilled and experienced Florida property damage attorney such as the team at Bundza & Rodriguez can help you navigate the issues you may face with your claim, and get you the fair compensation you deserve.
Our Florida Property Damage Attorneys at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A., Will Help Get the Most Out of Your Claim After a Hurricane
The Daytona property damage insurance attorneys at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A., have helped many Floridians get through the aftermath of a hurricane and deal with the complex issues involved with a property insurance claim. To learn more about all possible options, call our Daytona law offices at 386-252-5170, or schedule a consultation with our Daytona Beach property damage attorneys online today.
Source:
nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/hazards.php