Many homeowners faithfully pay monthly premiums to their insurance carrier only to find that their insurance company fails to live up to its obligations when disaster strikes. The financial loss experienced by a policyholder when this occurs is accompanied by the time and mental stress of struggling to get one’s insurance company to act fairly. An insurance company is in one sense your service provider. However, you will find that filing a claim can quickly transfer the customer-provider relationship into an adversarial relationship where the insurance company goes to enormous lengths to avoid paying a legitimate claim. When you are confronted by an insurance company that is giving you the run around, retaining an experienced insurance claims attorney is more effective than taking on your insurance company alone.
While your insurance company is your service provider, your primary objectives diverge when you need to file a claim. As a policyholder, your objective is to have your insurance carrier provide the protection you were seeking when you purchased the policy. In the case of homeowner insurance, you may have been paying premiums for many years since the day you purchased your home. Although your insurance company is more than willing to accept your premium payments, the carrier’s principal objective when you file a claim is to find a way to avoid delivering the financial protection you paid to receive. Insurance companies increase their bottom line by denying or drastically underpaying claims. Some examples of common strategies that insurance companies employ to deny claims after scouring your policy:
- Storm Damage: Many homeowners suffer severe damage because Florida experiences intense storms. Insurance companies frequently claim that the damage is not covered by the policy or that the damage suffered is far less extensive than the actual loss.
- Shell Game Claims Process: Insurance providers can make the process of pursuing a claim unnecessarily convoluted and complex. Delays and confusion about the process can result in a homeowner giving up and accepting an unsatisfactory result. The best approach to dealing with the tactic is to seek advice and representation of an experienced Miami insurance claims attorney.
- Liability for Injuries: If someone is injured while visiting your home, your insurance coverage generally should cover the loss because liability coverage is a common feature of such policies. However, insurance companies frequently deny such claims.
- Claims for Additional Expenses: Even if your insurance company agrees that a loss is covered, the insurance company may attempt to limit payment to repairing the loss. Although you may also be entitled to the cost of living expenses and alternate housing until your home is repaired, insurance providers often fight not to pay these costs.
You can reach Miami Homeowner Insurance Claims Lawyer J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo by dialing his direct number at (786) 272-5841, calling the main office at (305) 461-1095, or Toll Free at 1 (866) 71-CLAIM or email Attorney Gonzalez-Sirgo directly at [email protected].