The Tampa area is no stranger to some of the unique weather patterns typical for the state of Florida. Thanks to our unique location near the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Tampa sees a lot of extreme weather, including hurricanes, thunderstorms, and even severe flooding. When this extreme weather hits, it’s important to not only make sure your home is prepared to withstand it but to make sure your insurance is fit to assist you should your home take any damage.
Home insurance is vital to any property owner in order to make sure your greatest investment isn’t completely ravaged by the forces of nature. Therefore, it’s important to carefully review your home insurance policy to ensure it covers natural disaster and flooding damage before every storm season (from June through November) as part of your preparation process.
If a storm or any other natural disaster causes damage to your home, and you want to make a claim with your home insurance, what should you expect from your provider? First of all, so long as you have the correct insurance, you should expect that your home was likely not the only one damaged and that you will be one of the numerous claims from your area that your company will likely be dealing with. However, it is important to expect that your claim will not be ignored or delayed as a result.
When filing your claim, you want to be as specific as possible. Take detailed pictures of the damage, and see if you can find any pictures that show the condition of your home before the damage occurred to try to limit condition disputes. These pictures can also come in handy when it comes to demonstrating to your provider that you took precautions against weather damage to your home. Likewise, also make sure to list of all of your possessions that were inside, and inventory all of the damages to those items.
And lastly, if for some reason your claim is delayed or denied, or your policy is unnecessarily dropped, seek legal representation. Your insurance company is required to adhere to the terms of the policy they sold you, and if you feel as though they have not done so, you may seek legal representation to file an insurance bad faith claim against them. This can not only recover the compensation you are owed but expedite the process to make sure you get it faster than you would have without legal assistance.
Murray + Murray is a Tampa insurance law attorney who specializes in all forms of insurance law cases, such as insurance bad faith, natural disasters, and more. Our extensive legal experience has helped numerous clients recover compensation for many types of insurance claims, including home insurance. We work quickly and efficiently to ensure our clients’ needs are met in a prompt and budget-conscious manner.