Alabama Hurricane Damage Attorney
When natural disasters like devastating hurricanes or tropical storms impact Alabama, they may cause serious damage to your property. No one can forget the effects of Hurricane Sally and how it left many homeowners and businesses with massive property damage.
You may think that your homeowners’ insurance company will step in to promptly take care of your property damage claim. Unfortunately, those affected by Hurricane Sally and other weather events learned the hard way that insurance companies tend to be difficult to reach in their time of need.
It doesn’t take a category 5 storm to cause the need to file a hurricane claim. Your entire life on the Gulf Coast may be washed away by a storm, large or small. When your hurricane insurance claims go ignored, you may feel hopeless. If your insurance company is not responsive or denies your hurricane insurance claims, you need Hedge Copeland, P.C.
We offer dedicated legal support for those affected by hurricanes in Alabama. With a focus on guiding clients through the complexities of hurricane insurance claims, we have a high success rate for getting the compensation you deserve.
The insurance company will have an entire legal team to fight hurricane insurance claims. We will be a formidable force when negotiating with your insurance carrier for what is fair to cover your property damage and other losses in your insurance claim. Contact the hurricane damage lawyers at Hedge Copeland, P.C. today for a free case evaluation.
What to Know About Making a Property Damage Claim for a Hurricane or Tropical Storm
When you pay your insurance company to provide your property with insurance coverage, you expect it to be there for you when there is a natural disaster. Unfortunately, many insurance companies make the claims process needlessly complicated.
Our law firm has seen how these insurance companies treat the people they insure in a natural disaster and witnessed the most common issues that lead to a lawsuit.
Unnecessary Claim Delays
When you begin the claims process, your insurance company may not return your messages or calls about your claim. They may also fail to promptly schedule an inspection of your property following this natural event. It’s not right for them to make you pay to cover hurricane damage and then not respond to you in your time of need.
Request Additional Documentation
When your home or business has severe property damage, it is beyond frustrating when the insurance company asks you to send additional documentation. They may even ask you to send something that you have already sent them to prove your claims or even push to have multiple inspections done.
Offering Partial Payment or Underpaying for Your Damages
It is common for insurance companies to offer only part of the payment for your insurance policy and underpay your property damage. While it is understandable that your insurance company may be inundated with claims for hurricane and flood damage, it is unacceptable for them to offer less than you deserve.
Your insurance company owes you a duty of care to fully investigate your claims in Alabama and provide what is promised under the coverage of your insurance policy. If you are getting no response, inadequate payment, or your claims are denied, contact our law firm to speak with an experienced attorney about your legal options.
Types of Storm Damage You Can Seek Compensation For in an Insurance Claim
Insurance companies will always be there to sell you flood insurance, hurricane insurance, and other types of coverage to protect your property if a hurricane rolls through Alabama. These policies are meant to help you recover the costs of dealing with the aftermath of a powerful storm.
The damages from these weather events include:
Flooding
Water damage from floods can impact your foundation and destroy everything inside your property.
Roof Damage
Storms are notorious for tearing roofs off homes or making the home structurally vulnerable.
Structural Damage
When these weather occurrences arise, you may have your windows, doors, and other structural features damaged. You can’t stay in your home when it isn’t secure.
Downed Utilities and Trees
There is a greater risk of fire when power lines fall down on or near your home or business. You should be covered for these events and protected in the aftermath.
If you have a hurricane claim in Alabama that is being ignored or denied, let our attorneys help you recover what you deserve as we have done for many other clients. At Hedge Copeland, P.C., we won’t back down in the fight for what is fair in your Alabama hurricane claim.
Steps to Take in Your Claim with Your Insurer
When storms cause damage, you must take action by filing a claim. While it is understandable that the insurer will have many other claims to handle, you should not be ignored. Make sure that when you report the damage you are thorough in the details.
By all means, let the insurer know if you are unable to stay in your home due to the damage. You should be provided with temporary accommodations and not be forced to stay in a dwelling that is unsafe.
Your insurer should send an adjuster to your home in a reasonable amount of time to assess the situation. You should have all information and evidence organized, which can help expedite your claim. When insurers operate ethically, your claim will be handled and you will be able to pick up the pieces. However, if they don’t, you will need an attorney to lead the way in your case.
Are You Facing an Alabama Bad Faith Claim?
An insurer must work in good faith to represent its clients. While many insurance companies ensure that their policyholders are properly compensated for these damages, some unscrupulous agencies work in bad faith.
Bad faith occurs when insurers violate the terms of your contract. A claim made in bad faith may involve:
- Refusal to pay your valid claim
- Failing to conduct the investigation of your claim
- Unreasonable delays
- Denying coverage without a proper investigation
- Failing to acknowledge your claim in an appropriate amount of time
If you’re not sure if you are facing a situation involving bad faith by your insurer, it is important to have an attorney review your case. It isn’t fair that you paid for your insurance only to be stuck dealing with repairs and feeling unsettled by the sudden interruption to your life.
You may also experience lost wages and medical bills caused by this damage, further adding to your stress. Those who have suffered in this way should get the money they deserve. Contact our law firm today and our lawyers will help determine if you have a valid claim.
Our lawyers will work to prove that you had a valid contract that the insurer breached by refusing to hold up their end of the deal and pay you money for your claim. If your insurer has no valid reason to deny your claim, our attorneys will see to it that we recover compensation on your behalf.
The Importance of Hiring a Hurricane Damage Lawyer to Negotiate with Your Insurance Company
Major and even minor weather systems have the potential to create serious destruction. From fire to floods, the cost of their impacts can quickly turn your life upside down. If you have suffered any losses and your insurer is denying your claim, it is essential to hire an attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Our lawyers will investigate your insurer to determine if they denied your claim without properly or thoroughly reviewing the facts. This intentional failure on their part is a breach of their duties to you. You paid for protection and in your time of need, they are letting you flounder.
As a policyholder, it is your right to file a claim and it is expected that the insurer must take the time to go through the procedures to review what happened. Our team of lawyers will step in and take action when your insurer refuses to cover the cost of your losses as promised in your insurance contract.
Contact Hedge Copeland, P.C. to discuss your case with our team of lawyers who will help you understand your legal options and how you can take action.
