Over the course of the past five years, Florida has borne the brunt of some of the most violent storms in recent history. Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton's arrival has only brought more destruction, killing hundreds of people along the Atlantic coast and inflicting economic damage now believed to exceed $25 billion.
When dealing with insurance claims in Florida for hurricane damage, things can often get delayed, or even worse, denied. With the help of our hurricane damage attorneys, we'll work with you and the insurance company to make sure you and your loved ones are taken care of.
Read more to learn about hurricane property damage claims in Florida, or contact DeLoach, Hofstra & Cavonis, PA, today to speak to a lawyer and schedule your free consultation.
[Related: Hurricane Preparedness & Recovery Resources]
Hurricane Property Damage Claims in Florida
If you have property insurance, you shouldn’t have to pay the costs of recovery out of your own pocket. Your premium should act as a shield against a storm’s financial fallout, with most policies providing coverage for:
- Wind damage
- Loss of use
- Structural damage
In Florida, many standard policies will also offer or include a separate “hurricane deductible.”
Claims submitted under a hurricane deductible will usually cover the costs of damage inflicted by wind, hail, or a named storm. However, these benefits and any policy riders you may have purchased are still subject to critical exclusions, some of which could leave homeowners vulnerable.
How to Submit a Hurricane Damage Claim
Your property insurance policy should detail your coverage, deductible, and the limits of any additional options you’ve purchased. Most of the information you’ll need to submit your claim can be found on:
- Your policy limits page determines the maximum amount of reimbursement and benefits your insurance company will provide.
- Your deductibles page sets the rate for your standard or “regular” deductible and your hurricane deductible.
- Your declarations page should include your policy number and specific information on what is and isn’t covered by your policy.
If you’re having a hard time following the language used in your policy, you aren’t alone—many agreements go into excruciating detail about what types of damage will and won’t be covered, and they are often riddled with exclusions, exemptions, and disqualification clauses. Although you can’t know how an adjuster will assess your claim, note down your policy number and any other information that seems like it could affect your claim.
[Related: How You Should Handle a Hurricane Damage Claim With Insurance]
Below are some steps you should follow when filing a claim for hurricane damage in Florida:
Contact Your Insurance Company
You typically have between 90 days and one year to submit hurricane damage claims in Florida, but that doesn’t mean you should wait. Many policies require prompt reporting, with procedures set by the insurance company.
Document Your Damage
You can document your damage before or after starting the claims process. You can do this by:
- Using a smartphone or camera to record footage of how the storm impacted your home.
- Taking pictures that show the full extent of damage to different parts of your home and your property.
- Capturing detailed photographs of damage to personal possessions, home appliances, and any out-buildings on your property.
After you’ve taken a full accounting of the damage, try to create an itemized list of your losses.
Coordinate with the Adjuster
After big storms like Hurricane Helene, some insurance companies may pay small claims after receiving and reviewing your evidence. However, larger claims usually require verification beyond your own evidence. At some point, you’ll likely have to coordinate with an insurance adjuster, who’s supposed to work with you to evaluate the extent of your property damage and determine the value of your claim.
Why You Can’t Let Your Guard Down Around Insurance Adjusters
You have a contractual relationship with your property insurance company: you pay a premium, and they provide compensation when you incur costs covered by the terms of your policy.
In practice, obtaining compensation isn’t always as easy or straightforward as it should be.
Insurance companies are for-profit enterprises, and it is rarely in their best interest to fulfill claims without trying to minimize their own liability. Instead of paying what you deserve, an adjuster could try to drive down the value of your claim by:
- Underestimating your damage
- Refusing to accept evidence you’ve collected
- Offering unreasonable or unfair settlements
- Delaying the claims process or taking too long to disburse a payment
- Claiming that your policy won’t cover certain types of hurricane-related damage—even if you paid extra for flood insurance or wind protection
You Paid for Insurance: Our Florida Hurricane Damage Attorneys Can Help You Assert Your Rights to Recovery
You don’t have to accept excuses in place of the protection you pay to receive.
If your property insurance company won’t resolve your claim the right way, we could help you file a lawsuit to secure the compensation you deserve. Since we work on a contingency fee basis, you don’t have to worry about paying out-of-pocket for representation. Instead, we’ll take payment as a reasonable percentage of your settlement—and if we can’t help you win, we won’t charge you for our services.
To request a consultation with our experienced hurricane damage attorneys in Florida, click the button above to fill out our online contact form. For immediate assistance, call our office at 727.777.6842 now!
