Cape Coral, Florida Insurance Claims Lawyers

The Cape Coral, Florida insurance claims lawyer at Smith & Vanture can help you if your insurance claim was denied or underpaid after a storm or other major disaster. The average homeowner’s insurance claim payment in the U.S. is $8,787 according to the Insurance Claims Council, but insurance claims following a hurricane can be much higher, especially if the storm caused major structural damage or water damage. The type of claim you’ll be entitled to make will depend on your insurance policy, your policy exclusions, the cost of repairs and the cost of replacing damaged items. Insurance companies have an interest in keeping their costs down, and after major damage, they may require extensive documentation to support claims involving major damage. The more insurance companies might have to pay for a claim, the more documentation they may require. Adjusters may also sometimes underestimate the value of a claim, especially after a hurricane where many homeowners may be filing for a claim at once. Despite this, insurance companies have a responsibility to properly investigate every claim, and properly pay the claims homeowners make when they have coverage.

If you believe your insurance company has underpaid your claim, or wrongfully denied your claim, you may have the right to appeal the denial. The Cape Coral, Florida insurance claims lawyers at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you. We can look into the reasons why your claim might have been underpaid or denied, investigate the cost of damages, estimate the value of your claim, and negotiate with insurance companies or take them to court to help you receive the claim you may deserve under the law.

How a Cape Coral, Florida Insurance Claim Denial Lawyer Can Help You

An insurance claim denial lawyer in Cape Coral, Florida can help you with your denied or underpaid claim. Homeowner’s insurance claims might be denied for many reasons. Sometimes insurance adjusters may fail to properly interpret the language of a policy or may claim that damage is excluded when it is in fact covered. A Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you negotiate with insurance companies if your claim was wrongfully denied or underpaid. If your insurance claim is complicated, involves multiple sources of damage, involves a great deal of damage, or if your policy requires insurance adjusters to estimate for depreciation, you may have the ability to negotiate the settlement being offered. Let’s explore how and why:

• Why claims involving multiple sources of damage might be underpaid. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies often have exclusions for certain types of damage. Damage caused by the homeowner’s negligence, damage stemming from a flood, and damage that resulted due to a preexisting condition on the property may be excluded from a claim under most standard homeowner’s insurance policies. Yet, how does your insurance adjuster determine which type of water damage is flood damage and wind-driven rain damage, and how does your adjuster determine that damage was due to wear and tear or negligence? In some cases, adjusters may inaccurately identify the sources of damage. Sometimes it can also be difficult to differentiate between covered and uncovered sources of damage. After all, if your roof was damaged and water got in, but your home was flooded, differentiating between the two types of water damage may be challenging, but not impossible. Some policies may exclude all water damage if flood damage was a cause, while other policies may allow homeowners to differentiate between different types of damage. Sometimes insurance companies may wrongfully claim negligence on your part to try to reduce their liability for a claim, but in the aftermath of a hurricane or other major disaster, you may have been unable to return to your home to make temporary repairs either due to damaged bridges or due to hazardous conditions. A Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer can help you with complicated claims involving multiple sources of damage, helping you receive the best possible settlement permitted under the law. Our attorneys can investigate your claim, hire a private insurance adjuster, and work with your contractor to build the strongest possible case for your claim.
• Why the type of insurance policy you have matters. If you have replacement cost insurance, your insurance company will pay for the full cost to replace damaged items and repair damaged structures minus your deductible. But if you have actual cash value homeowner’s insurance, your insurance company might only pay for the value of repairs, but only after accounting for depreciation. A 10-year old roof is worth less than a new roof, and actual cash value insurance takes this into account. If items in your home were damaged during the storm, your insurance adjuster will also take into account depreciation and only pay you the value of buying a used item. A used computer is worth less than a new one, so you’ll receive less money than you might need to buy a new computer. Issues can arise when you disagree with the amount of money your insurance adjuster is taking off for depreciation. Costs of buying replacement electronics and furniture can vary from location to location and even vary depending on the time of year. If your insurance company is using an inaccurate estimate or system to estimate depreciation, the insurance settlement you might have been offered might be lower than you believe you deserve. The Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyers at Smith & Vanture can properly estimate the value of your losses and negotiate with insurance adjusters to help you get the settlement you may deserve under the law.
• Lowball settlement offers. It is your responsibility as a homeowner to document all your losses. You can’t expect your insurance adjuster to go looking for damages you don’t point out. Sometimes insurance companies might also not go to great pains to point out additional benefits covered under a policy. For example, if your home was destroyed and you have to live in a hotel, eat meals out, and buy new clothes, you may be able to make a claim for these losses. Unfortunately, not all homeowners may know that they have this coverage and not all homeowners may be fully aware of the extent of the coverage they have. A Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture can read the fine print of your policy, help you understand what is covered, and work with your insurance company to help you receive the settlement you may deserve under the law.
• Delayed Claims. Under Florida’s homeowner claims bill of rights, your insurance company must meet certain deadlines by which it must let you know it received your claim, let you know whether your claim is under investigation, covered, denied, or only partially covered, and meet certain deadlines by which your claim must be paid. If your claim isn’t paid by these deadlines, then you might be entitled to receive interest payments for a late payment. Yet, sometimes insurance companies act in bad faith and intentionally delay payment on a claim. Sometimes they do this hoping that claimants will give up and accept whatever payment they give or may hope that if payment is delayed, claimants will give up and not pursue a claim at all. If you find yourself in a situation where a claim has been denied or delayed, reach out to the Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture today. We can work to expedite your claim. Even though insurance companies might be inundated with claims after a major storm like a hurricane, this is no excuse for a delayed or late payment. Insurance companies must hire enough adjusters to keep up with demand for claims and pay their claims on time. Delayed claims mean you have to wait longer with a damaged home. If you are struggling with a delayed claim, contact the insurance claim denial lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida at Smith & Vanture today.
• You need to completely rebuild or must make a claim for major repairs. Generally, the more money you need to make repairs or to rebuild, the more proof and documentation your insurance company is going to want to support your claim. The more complicated your claim and the higher value it is, the more information your insurance adjuster might need. A Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you with a complicated or high-value insurance claim. Remember, no matter how much your repairs are worth, your insurance company is required to honor its obligations. Don’t let an insurance company quoting high numbers at you numb you to the proper settlement you might be entitled to receive.

These are just some of the situations that can complicate an insurance claim. Smith & Vanture is a Cape Coral, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer that may be able to help you appeal a denied claim or negotiate if a settlement being offered is too low. We are here to help.

How a Homeowner’s Insurance Claim Denial Lawyer in Cape Coral, Florida Can Help You

Fighting an insurance claim when it has been denied or underpaid can be challenging on your own. The homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida at Smith & Vanture understand insurance jargon, can interpret the fine print of your policy, and can take steps to help you proper document your damages so that you receive the settlement you deserve. Don’t know what paperwork or information insurance company needs to properly settle your claim? Smith & Vanture can put together the documentation you need. Don’t agree with the settlement amount being offered to you? Smith & Vanture can estimate the proper settlement amount you may be entitled to receive. Don’t understand how your insurance adjuster is calculating damages, or why your claim has been denied? Smith & Vanture can find out. Have questions about your rights? The homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you.

If you are in the midst of a dispute about your homeowner’s insurance claim, you’ll need to understand why your insurance adjuster is denying your claim and understand the limitations of your policy. Sometimes insurance adjusters might cite an actual exclusion on your policy but may improperly apply the exclusion. An example of this is a situation where your insurance adjuster claims you were negligent in making temporary repairs after a storm, resulting in further damage to your home. Or your insurance adjuster might claim that damages were due to preexisting causes. A homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer in Cape Coral, Florida may be able to help you fight your insurance company to properly apply exclusions.

Your insurance adjuster is at an advantage when investigating your claim. He or she understands your policy, understands his or her obligations, and understands where he or she may have room to legally offer you a lower settlement when you may be entitled to receive more. A Cape Coral, Florida homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture understands the claim process and can fight for your rights.

Hurricane Damage Lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida

The hurricane damage lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida at Smith & Vanture can help you with your hurricane claim, especially if you believe your claim was underpaid or denied wrongfully. In the aftermath of a hurricane, many homeowners may be making an insurance claim at once and insurance adjusters may be more likely to rush claims or fail to properly investigate a claim. The hurricane damage lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida can help you understand your rights, negotiate with insurance companies if your policy was wrongfully denied or underpaid, and fight for your rights in court, if needed. In the aftermath of a hurricane, you might be waiting for your settlement to repair your home. A hurricane damage lawyer in Cape Coral, Florida at Smith & Vanture can help you.

Contact a Hurricane Damage Insurance Claim Lawyer in Cape Coral, Florida

Hurricanes can cause billions of dollars in damage. If your home was damaged in a hurricane like hurricane Ian, the damage is personal. Insurance companies have an obligation to honor your claim if your home was damaged in a storm. Unfortunately, sometimes insurance adjusters may fail to properly estimate the value of a settlement or may wrongfully deny a claim, leaving homeowners struggling to pay for repairs and rebuild their lives after a storm. If you find yourself in a situation where your hurricane damage insurance claim was denied, reach out to the hurricane damage insurance claim lawyers in Cape Coral, Florida at Smith & Vanture today. We can evaluate your claim, estimate the value of your losses, and negotiate with insurance adjusters or take your case to court. We are here to help. We understand how stressful the insurance claim process can be after a storm. You don’t have to navigate it alone.