Naples, Florida Insurance Claims Lawyers

The Naples, Florida insurance claims lawyers at Smith & Vanture can help you with your denied or underpaid insurance claim. You’ve paid for your policy and expect your homeowner’s insurance company to follow through on their obligations to you. Yet, your interests and your homeowner’s insurance adjuster’s interests are not the same. The less your insurance company pays you in your settlement, the more money they save. And of course, as a homeowner who has suffered property damage, you want to receive the maximum possible settlement to make necessary repairs. Insurance companies might sometimes try to find ways to reduce their liability. It can be difficult to distinguish between covered damages and uncovered damages, especially when covered damages include wind-driven rain and non-covered damages involve flooding. Most standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. Sometimes insurance companies might miss key details of a claim, or miss damages, resulting in inaccurate settlement estimates. While insurance companies have a legal obligation to honor their contracts, it is your responsibility to submit proof of damages, get proper damage repair estimates, and prove your claim.

Homeowners are at a disadvantage when it comes to making a claim. Who has read every bit of fine print of their insurance policy? Who has made many insurance claims in their lifetime? An insurance adjuster understands the law when it comes to insurance claims and knows where they have “wiggle room” to offer less. They may want to make you prove that you deserve the claim you’re making, especially if you are filing a high value claim, like a full home rebuild, a full roof repair, or other major damages. If you think your insurance company is offering you less than your repairs will cost, you may want to speak to the Naples, Florida insurance claims lawyers at Smith & Vanture today. The Naples, Florida insurance claims lawyers at Smith & Vanture are here to help you with your denied or underpaid claim.

Naples, Florida Insurance Claims Denial Lawyers

There are many reasons why a Naples, Florida insurance claim might get denied. The Naples, Florida insurance claims denial lawyers at Smith & Vanture can help you appeal a wrongfully denied claim. Here are some reasons why claims get denied, and what you can do if you think your insurance company is denying your claim in error:

• Coverage Exclusions. The most common reasons why homeowner’s insurance claims get denied is because the damage was caused by an excluded event. What does this mean? Standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. Flood damage insurance typically needs to be purchased separately. If your home was flooded, and also damaged due to wind-driven rain, your claim could get complicated. Some homeowner’s insurance policies might exclude all water damage claims if flooding was one of the causes of water damage. Other policies might cover water damage claims if the water damage was caused by a covered cause, like rain damage, roof damage, or wind-driven rain. Differentiating between uncovered and covered causes can be really challenging. This is where hiring a private adjuster, and speaking to a Naples, Florida insurance claims denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture can help.
• Coverage Type and Deductibles. The type of homeowner’s insurance coverage you have will affect the value of your settlement. For example, there are two types of insurance coverage you can hold: actual cash value insurance or replacement value insurance. If you have replacement value insurance, your insurance company is required to pay for the full cost of repairs or replacement of property minus your deductible. If you have actual cash value insurance your insurance adjuster will consider depreciation when evaluating the value of your claim and then subtract your deductible from this amount. A used piece of furniture isn’t worth as much as a new one and an older roof isn’t worth as much as a newer one. With actual cash value insurance, you’ll only receive the value of the used item. Your deductible must also be considered. If you have a high deductible, and the cost of repairs is less than your deductible, you might receive no money when you make a claim.
• Claim Wasn’t Submitted in Time. You may only have a limited time to submit proof of loss forms, to document your losses, and file a claim. If you delay in filing your claim, your claim could be denied. That said, in the aftermath of a major weather event like a hurricane, insurance companies might be receiving a flood of claims and documentation can get lost. If your insurance company claims you didn’t file your claim on time, but you submitted a claim within the insurer’s deadlines, a Naples, Florida insurance claims denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you.
• Coverage Lapsed. If you don’t pay your premiums on time or if you let your coverage lapse, you may not be entitled to make a claim. It is important to pay your premiums on time. Yet, sometimes in the aftermath of a storm where insurance companies are receiving many claims, insurance companies might sometimes make mistakes and wrongfully think your coverage has lapsed when it has not. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to prove that you still have coverage, you may want to speak to the Naples, Florida insurance claim denial lawyer at Smith & Vanture today.
• You Didn’t Take Steps to Secure Your Property. If your roof was damaged, a window was damaged, or if you cannot continue to live in your home while it is being repaired, or until it is repaired, you may need to take certain steps to prevent further damage to your home. For example, you may need to put a tarp on your roof, or board up a window, or turn off water and electricity to your home to prevent further damage. If you fail to take these steps and your home is damaged, your claim could be denied, or your insurance company might refuse to pay for the full damages to your home. Sometimes, however, a homeowner’s insurance company might wrongfully claim that a homeowner was negligent to reduce its liability. If you took steps to protect your property after a storm or were unable to return to your home after a hurricane because of damaged bridges or hazardous conditions, you may have the right to fight a negligence claim on the part of your insurer. The insurance claim denial lawyers in Naples, Florida at Smith & Venture can review your situation and fight your insurance company’s attempt to reduce its own liability. Contact us today to learn more.
• You Don’t Have Evidence to Support Your Claim. It is important to document your damages thoroughly. Take photos. Get estimates from a licensed contractor. Gather receipts for property that was damaged or destroyed. If your claim is incomplete, your claim might be denied or underpaid. The insurance claim denial lawyers in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you.
• Bad Faith. Sometimes insurance companies act in bad faith. They wrongfully deny claims, fail to properly investigate a claim, or may misrepresent the language of your insurance policy to you. If you believe your insurance company was acting in bad faith, you may have the right to seek the settlement you may deserve, fight your denied claim in court, and even receive interest for late payment of your claim. Contact the Naples, Florida insurance claim denial lawyers at Smith & Vanture today to learn more.

These are just some of the reasons why a claim might be denied or underpaid. If you have questions about your rights following a denied homeowner’s insurance claim, reach out to the Naples, Florida insurance claim denial lawyers at Smith & Vanture today. We are here to help.

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

Under Florida homeowner’s claims bill of rights, homeowners have important rights and responsibilities when submitting insurance claims. Insurers also have important responsibilities when it comes to the timelines and deadlines they must meet when paying or responding to claims. A homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture can review why your insurance claim was denied, estimate the value of your claim, read your insurance policy’s fine print, and fight to ensure that your homeowner’s insurance meets its responsibilities to you. Here are some ways a homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture can help you:

• We can read the fine print of your policy and help you understand your rights. Different policies may have different exclusions, limitations, and ways that insurance adjusters must calculate your claim. Our homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyers in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture can look at your deductible, evaluate what type of insurance policy you have (actual cash value or replacement cost), and determine whether the type of damages you are claiming is subject to an exclusion.
• We can help you document your losses. It is your responsibility when making a homeowner’s insurance claim to properly document your losses and submit evidence or proof of loss. You cannot expect your insurance adjuster to catch mistakes. A homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture can review your losses, look at the information you have provided your insurance company, and take steps to properly document your losses.
• We can help you appeal a denied or underpaid claim. If you believe your claim was denied wrongfully or underpaid, we can evaluate your situation, and fight to appeal a wrongfully denied or underpaid claim. Claims can be underpaid for a wide range of reasons. Sometimes insurance adjusters fail to properly document all losses. Other times, where there are multiple sources of damages and some of these damages are covered or uncovered, an insurance company might try to reduce its liability by claiming that more of the damages were uncovered. The homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture can help you with your claim.
• We can assist you with a complex claim. Some homeowner’s insurance claims can be more complicated than others. If you have a complicated claim or are facing major reconstruction of your home, you may be more likely to face pushback from your insurance company. The more the insurance company needs to pay, the more evidence they are going to want to support the claim. If you have a complicated claim, reach out to the homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyers in Napes, Florida at Smith & Vanture today.

These are just some of the ways that a homeowner’s insurance claim denial lawyer in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture can help you. If you have questions about your rights, reach out to us today. Homeowners are often at a disadvantage when making an insurance claim because they may never have gone through the process before and may not have read the fine print of their policy. Sometimes insurance adjusters and insurance companies might take advantage of these limitations. Contact Smith & Vanture today to learn more about how we might be able to protect your rights.

Hurricane Damage Lawyers in Naples, Florida

If your home was damaged in hurricane Ian, or another hurricane and you are still waiting to receive the settlement you need to repair your home or replace damaged items, the hurricane damage lawyers in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture may be able to help you. In the aftermath of a major hurricane, insurance companies might be flooded with claims. Yet, this is no excuse for the insurance company to fail to properly investigate your claim. If you aren’t receiving the settlement you feel you deserve, or if your hurricane damage claim was denied and you don’t know why, reach out to the hurricane damage lawyers in Naples, Florida at Smith & Vanture today. We can help you.

Contact a Hurricane Damage Insurance Claim Lawyer in Naples, Florida

 Smith & Vanture are hurricane damage insurance claim lawyers in Naples, Florida that may be able to help you if your insurance claim was denied or underpaid. Our Naples, Florida insurance claim lawyers understand the challenges that can arise when a family’s home is damaged. The insurance claim process can often be complicated. Add to this the fact that most homeowners don’t know the fine print or exclusions on their policies and you have a situation where many homeowners rely on their insurance companies’ assessment of their losses. Unfortunately, there may be more “wiggle room” on these settlement amounts than you might realize. If you believe your insurance claim was underpaid or denied wrongfully, contact a hurricane damage insurance claim lawyer in Naples, Florida today. We are here to help.