Hurricanes and more cause extensive property damage, affecting Louisiana home and business owners along the Gulf Coast and further inland.
If your insurance company has denied or lowballed your storm damage claim, our lawyers can help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Learn why people in Lafayette and New Iberia, LA, come to the Law Offices of Richard R. Kennedy for help with their insurance claims…
Hurricanes and more cause extensive property damage, affecting Louisiana home and business owners along the Gulf Coast and further inland.
If your insurance company has denied or lowballed your storm damage claim, our lawyers can help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Learn why people in Lafayette and New Iberia, LA, come to the Law Offices of Richard R. Kennedy for help with their insurance claims…
High winds from hurricanes and tornadoes can tear at roofs and compromise the integrity of a home or business. Strong winds can also hurl debris at properties, causing structural damage and potentially catastrophic injuries.
Heavy rains can cause water damage to a property or business. In addition to roof damage, rainwater can seep into a property. This can cause leaks and even the collapse of ceilings, walls, or support structures.
Heavy or prolonged rains can lead to flooding, which can destroy a home or business. Flooding could also be the result of storm surge, a type of coastal flooding caused by the low pressure of hurricanes and storms.
The mix of strong wind and rain-saturated soil often leads to uprooted trees. When a hurricane or tornado causes a tree to fall over, it can cause catastrophic damage to nearby homes, businesses, vehicles, and power lines.
According to the Insurance Information Institute
The Louisiana coastal counties most frequently affected by hurricanes in recent decades are Lafourche Parish, Jefferson Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Cameron Parish, and Terrebonne Parish.
According to The Daily Advertiser, Louisiana is becoming part of tornado alley. The state now ranks third in the nation for tornadoes per square mile. From 2010-2019, the state averaged 32 tornadoes per year.
Your homeowners insurance policy will typically cover storm damage repairs due to wind, fallen trees, lightning, hail, and fire. Additional coverage may be needed to cover damage to personal property in your dwelling.
Damage from flooding is not part of homeowners insurance even though it’s a common type of hurricane damage. Separate flood insurance is needed to cover property damage from heavy rain or storm surge.
Commercial property insurance covers damage from different hazards associated with storms and hurricanes. However, a separate flood insurance policy will be required to cover flooding and storm surge damage.
Contact Your Insurance Company
It’s important that you contact your insurance company as soon as possible after a hurricane or severe storm. Insurers often visit areas that were hit hardest by the storm first, which may allow you to get the claims process underway soon.
Before cleaning up, be sure to take extensive photos and video of the severe storm or hurricane damage. Collecting evidence of the hurricane damage and taking inventory of your losses will help with the insurance claim process.
Insurance policies can vary if you are a homeowner or business owner. It’s important that you review the details of your insurance policies to determine if the damage is eligible for coverage and what potential disputes may arise.
Get Damage Quotes from Contractors
While adjusters will assess your property, it may be worthwhile to consult a third-party to review the property damage. A storm repair contractor can give you a comprehensive cost estimate for repairs to your home or business.
You’ll talk to many people while making an insurance claim, from insurance representatives and adjusters to contractors and lawyers. Keep a diary of who you talked to, their job title, the date and time, and their contact info.
OUR LAWYERS ARE HERE TO HELP
Going it alone against an insurance company can be intimidating. That’s why it’s crucial to have a hurricane and storm damage attorney on your side.
A storm damage lawyer can review the hurricane damage that occurred and factually present the claim to the insurance company. Homeowners and business owners can count on our attorneys to be strong advocates for their claims.
The attorneys at our Lafayette law firm can negotiate on the behalf of property owners to reach a fairer and more equitable settlement. This will allow you and your family to focus on your safety, recovery, and planning for your future.
If we cannot negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company, our lawyers can take the property damage claim all the way to court. We are willing to litigate the storm damage claim if it is in your best interests to file a lawsuit.
HOW INSURERS DENY OR UNDERVALUE CLAIMS
Insurance companies have strategies to downplay storm damage or deny fair compensation to policyholders. Below are four such tactics that could be used to deny or underpay a property damage claim.
An insurance provider may claim that the damage to a property existed prior to the wind damage or hurricane damage that was sustained.
Sometimes the insurance provider will claim that there is insufficient evidence or documentation of the damage in an insurance claim.
An insurance company could state that the proposed repairs to a damaged property are not necessary for safety or structural integrity.
Some insurance providers could state that the storm-related damage (such as flood damage) is technically not included in your policy.
CONTACT OUR LAW FIRMFOR A FREE CONSULTATION
If you’ve experienced hurricane, tornado, or storm damage and need help dealing with your insurance company, the Law Offices of Richard R. Kennedy can help. Founded more than 50 years ago, our law firm has proudly represented people from Lafayette, New Iberia, and countless other communities across the state.
In addition to free consultations, our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. That means you will not pay our lawyers unless we can reach a favorable settlement from your insurance company.
Get help covering repairs and losses after a hurricane. Contact our lawyers online, or get in touch with the Law Offices of Richard R. Kennedy by phone.
