Orlando Insurance Claims Lawyer

The history of insurance dates back thousands of years. In some communities, when a family’s home was destroyed, the neighbors would help rebuild it. Asian ship merchants in ancient times often paid an additional sum on top of a particular loan, a sum that was used as insurance payment to call off the loan if the shipment was lost at sea or stolen. Marine insurance can be traced throughout history and across the continent to Europe, where the great London fire of 1666 destroyed tens of thousands of buildings. The event spurred marine insurers to offer fire insurance, and from there the industry eventually grew to cover health, cars, boats, and a plethora of other pieces of personal property.

Unfortunately, not everything always goes smoothly when dealing with these insurance companies. If you have never had to collect on a claim from your insurance provider, consider yourself one of the lucky few. While insurance exists as a safety net for when we fall on hard times due to to health problems, auto accidents, or home damage, it becomes blatantly obvious that the social wellbeing of society is not the reason why insurance companies exist. It becomes obvious that they exist to make a profit. And, they will undoubtedly put profit before the people, their customers. In order to increase profits, insurance companies will undervalue the damage to your home, drag their feet, or even deny coverage for damage that they lawfully owe to you. If you are dealing with false claims, delays, or outright denials on the part of your insurer, it may be time to contact an experienced Orlando insurance claims lawyer. We can help file the often complex paperwork and put the pressure on your insurer to pay you what you are rightfully owed.

Insurance Claim Denials Spike During Natural Disasters

The more carnage a particular storm causes, the more an insurance provider will have to pay out in that area. If a large storm ravages the Florida coastline and the surrounding Orlando area, thousands of homeowners will file claims to their insurance companies. Insurance adjusters will offer less than what is owed to those thousands of people in an attempt to limit their losses. Unfortunately, these catastrophic events are becoming more devastating by the season, according to the Washington Post. This means that homeowners are experiencing more and more claim denials and conflict with their insurance providers. Tropical storms are not the only area of our expertise. We also deal with the following types of home damage:

• Hurricanes;
• Floods;
• Storms;
• Tornadoes;
• Winds;
• Pipe leaks;
• Mold;
• Fires
• Thefts; and
• Sinkholes.

Sinkhole or Catastrophic Ground Cover Collapse?

Florida has the greatest number of sinkholes of any state due to its porous bedrock that allows water to rise up underneath the ground cover. This erosion can carve out caverns under your lawn, house, or street and cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. A number of years ago, insurance industry lobbyists successfully altered the law to eliminate liability in most sinkhole cases. All Florida insurance policies are required to provide protection against “catastrophic ground cover collapse” but none are required to provide sinkhole liability. What is the difference? Semantics. Catastrophic ground cover collapse and sinkholes are one and the same, except now, according to Florida statute 627.706, catastrophic ground cover collapse must meet the following to be defined as such:

• An abrupt collapse of the ground cover clearly visible to the naked eye; that
• Caused structural damage to a building and its foundation; and
• The damage was severe enough to cause the building to be condemned or ordered vacated by the government.

If your home is destroyed but the foundation is fine, your insurance company does not have to pay out. Whenever the damage to your property does not meet all criteria, your insurance company will not cover you unless you also have a separately purchased sinkhole policy.

Hurricanes are Getting Worse Due to Warming Oceans

We are seeing a new level of hurricane strength and destructive ability due to warming oceans. Researchers believe that super storms of sustained winds greater than 190 miles per hour will begin happening at increasing rates throughout the next century, as reported by The Washington Post. Modeling predicted 32 such super storms happening between 2016 to 2035, and 72 storms from 2081 to 2100. With this new level of hurricane, a new category (category six) may be necessary. It is difficult to work with home insurance companies even when a tropical storm or hurricane only causes minimal damage to a community. The more serious and widespread the damage, the less likely it is for each individual homeowner to be fairly compensated. One of the problems caused by hurricane damage is irreparable water damage that leads to mold infestation. An insurance company may be willing to pay for a new roof, but may neglect the fact that the entire interior of your home needs to be redone. Often hurricane damage is more extensive than a homeowner may originally believe it to be.

Wildfires May Increase in Prevalence

When it comes to natural disasters, Florida may be best known for its hurricanes, yet wildfires are another serious threat to be reckoned with. According to St. John’s Emergency Management, Florida has a three to five year cycle for wildfires, which feed off of increasing vegetation growth on the shoreline, often caused by lightning strikes It does not take a forest to start a wildfire either. As subdivisions are built further out into rural areas, supplying thousands of tons of timber to areas that are otherwise only populated by low trees and shrubs, the chances of a wildland/urban interface fires increase drastically. In 1998, 45,000 people were evacuated during the Palm Coast subdivision fire. As temperatures increase throughout the year and more homes are built in semi-rural areas, the risk of wildfire grows.

An Aggressive Orlando Insurance Claims Denial Lawyer

Don’t let your insurance provider get out of paying what they owe. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average claim for wind or hail is just over $8,000. Few people have that sort of money just sitting around in their bank account for such a disaster. Contact our experienced and aggressive Orlando insurance claims lawyers at The Pendas Law Firm at 1-844-200-0000 today to get the resources you need to make those crucial home repairs.