Many people are unaware that appealing a hurricane claim denial is not only possible, it can be your best course of action when you feel the insurance company has unfairly denied your claim. A hurricane is one of the most destructive forces of nature. Hurricanes can destroy entire communities in a few hours. Surviving a hurricane, if you were not evacuated, is traumatic in itself. Being left without a home, or with a home that has extensive damage is the second part of the trauma. Then, as if you and your family have not been through enough, having your insurance company deny your hurricane claim can feel like the final straw.
Download: 10 Steps To Take After Hurricane Property Damage
Through absolutely no fault of your own, it feels as though you are being victimized yet again. What you need now is a solid legal advocate in your corner. Someone that really cares about you, your family, and your future. Someone that will work aggressively to ensure the insurance company does not get away with their claim denial. New Orleans Legal, LLC, is that advocate—an experienced legal team of compassionate, knowledgeable attorneys who simply won’t allow a huge insurance company to exhibit bad faith behaviors.
Why It’s Important to Challenge an Insurance Denial
If you’ve carefully gone over your hurricane insurance policy and are fairly certain your hurricane damage is covered, yet still receive a claim denial from your insurance company, you should absolutely appeal. Of course, there are instances in which the insurance company has a clear reason to deny your claim. Perhaps you let the policy lapse, or the policy contains clear exclusions. The company may be claiming that you made material misrepresentations about the property when you applied for insurance. (And if you didn’t, that is yet another reason to appeal).
Few people can afford to repair or rebuild on their own a home that has been hit by a hurricane, so you have very little to lose—and much to gain—by challenging a hurricane claim insurance denial. Conversely, insurance companies have little reason to immediately pay you what your claim is worth. Despite the television commercials that portray insurance companies as your best friend, there in your time of need, the reality is significantly different. Insurance companies care about their financial bottom line. It is standard practice for insurance companies to delay and deny claims.
Many policyholders eventually give up, which is exactly what the insurance company is counting on. Don’t be one of those people! Fight for what is right, and for what the insurance company agreed to when you signed up. Even better, let a highly skilled New Orleans attorney fight this battle for you. The attorneys at New Orleans Legal, LLC, have been helping people just like you for many years. We understand that you are feeling anxiety, stress, frustration, even anger. We want to help you alleviate this one stress, allowing you to take care of all the other issues associated with the hurricane. You should expect tactics like the following from your insurance company:
Common Denials and Delays from Insurance Companies for Hurricane Claims
- The company may deny you have coverage at all (even if you do) as a method of making you think you did something wrong and don’t deserve to have your claim paid.
- The insurance company may say your claim is either wholly or partially excluded under the terms of your policy. Your attorney may be able to find things in your policy that you did not, so before you think about giving up, let your attorney read your policy.
- The process of getting you the money for your claim—that you likely desperately need—may unreasonably be delayed.
- The insurance company may refuse to pay you under an entire coverage category by attempting to force you to settle under other policy categories.
- You may be offered ridiculously low estimates, offers, or payments for your loss.
- Your insurance company may tell you that you do not need an attorney to resolve your claim and that this is the best offer you will get (usually not true).
- You may be required to sign a written release of any supplemental claim as a condition of payment on your claim, i.e., you will have to sign a release that says even if you discover more damage from the hurricane, you will not be allowed to file a supplemental claim.
- The insurance company might write “final,” or “full” on your settlement check when you believe you will have an additional claim for that loss.
The Process for Appealing a Hurricane Claim Denial
Once you decide to appeal your hurricane claim denial, you can appeal directly to your insurance provider, asking them to re-examine the claim. It is imperative that you file your appeal within the timeframe of appeals, providing a documented description of all the evidence you have to back up your claim. If appealing to the insurance provider is ineffective, you can file a complaint with the state insurance board. The best thing you can do at this point is to speak to an attorney from New Orleans Legal, LLC who will carefully assess your options, then be your advocate in all future attempts to force the insurance company to pay you what your claim is worth.
How an Attorney Can Help You With Appealing a Hurricane Claim Denial
Appealing a hurricane claim denial can be a complex, frustrating, time-consuming process. This is why you should have an experienced team of attorneys in your corner who will handle all the appeal details for your denied hurricane claim. At New Orleans Legal, we are dedicated to solving your problems and helping your future get back on track. Our goal is to provide every client with individualized attention, prompt communication, and diligent representation. Contact New Orleans Legal, LLC today!
