If Hurricane Ian has damaged your property, you may be living in a damaged home due to high forced winds and water damage. This can be devastating and costly to repair, but the first thing you should do to recover compensation is to file property damage Hurricane Ian claims.
Contact Your Homeowner’s Insurance Company to File a Claim
The Florida statute of limitations gives individuals living in the state a limited amount of time to file a hurricane claim with their insurance company. According to Florida law, a notice of a hurricane or windstorm claim must be given to the insurance company within three years after it hits land. The statutes of limitations for filing Hurricane Ian claims is five years and runs out on September 28, 2025.
It is important to file your insurance claim as quickly as possible in Hurricane Ian’s aftermath. This gives you time to fight for benefits your paid for under your policy. This also give you time should you have to dispute your claim with the insurance carrier. If your property is covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, you should not have an issue getting compensated after Hurricane Ian. However, property insurance companies sometimes act in bad faith, refusing to pay for damage that should be covered under a policy.
In these cases, you may need to hire an experienced attorney, who will go head-to-head with your insurance company, holding them accountable for the money they owe you. Once a claim is submitted, the carrier has ten (10) days to open its investigation after your Proof of Loss is submitted, and then has ninety (90) days to approve or deny your claim. If this process is delayed, you should contact an attorney to help you figure out what the next steps should be.
Compile Evidence for Hurricane Ian Claims
Gather as much evidence of the damage to your home and other property as possible for your Hurricane Ian claims. Some of the most valuable pieces of evidence are photographs and videos of the damage. Your lawyer and the insurance company will better suited to understand the severity of the hurricane damage if you have images of the damage. Documenting the aftermath of hurricane damage can also assist in showing how much of your property will need to be repaired.
If you have neighbors that can attest to the property damage caused by the hurricane, this can also be helpful. Your neighbor may be able to provide a different perspective on the damage that can be helpful to your potential case.
Make sure you save any receipts for any money you have spent to repair any damage that may be covered. Documentation of expenses is extremely important to substantiate your claim.
Keep Detailed Records
It is critical that you keep a record of any information that you learn from the insurance company or its agents, after Hurricane Ian. Take notes when you speak with the insurance company, and make sure you capture and save the following:
- Phone numbers
- Names of the insurance claim adjuster(s)
- Contact info
- Letters
- Phone calls
- Emails
By keeping all the communication to and from the insurance company in one organized place. This way, the claims adjuster will not be able to deny that they told you something, and you will be able to tell the company exactly who said it and when it was said. This can help you further protect your rights and gather more evidence for your Hurricane Ian claims and increase your chances of a fast claims process so that you can get compensation get full compensation for your damages.
Why Should I Hire an Attorney to Assist with my Hurricane Ian Claims?
Insurance companies are for-profit companies who want to retain as much money as they can. In an effort to do this, they may attempt to deny a portion, or all of, your claim. An attorney can help you negotiate with the insurance company by presenting the evidence and the damages that you have suffered in order to show that the hurricane caused damage that qualifies for compensation.
Insurance company may use intimidation tactics and may try to get you to say something that discredits you. Our attorney’s can speak on your behalf so you do not say anything that has a negative impact on your claim. Our attorney’s know how to read the insurance policy and know what should and should not be covered.
DO NOT sign a release from any insurance company without speaking to an attorney. The carrier should make undisputed payments that do not require a release to be signed. After a hurricane, carriers typically send many checks to their insureds as more damage is discovered and the claim is adjusted. If you sign a release, these checks will likely end.
If you have any questions about your Hurricane Ian claims, or the insurance claim process generally, please feel free to call Schwartz Law at 813-537-3600 or email – [email protected]
