Florida property owners face a major threat from fires. All policyholders deserve fair compensation for their covered fire damage losses, but unfortunately, all too often insurance companies fail to live up to their end of the bargain. Losing your home or business to a fire is devastating, and the last thing you need is a headache related to your property insurance claim.
If you have any questions or concerns about fire damage insurance claims, please contact an experienced Broward County property insurance lawyer for immediate legal assistance.
You Need to Act Quickly
Insurance policies generally require fire damage claims to be filed as soon as reasonably possible. Beyond the legal and policy requirements, it will be much easier for you to document your damage and craft a successful damage claim if you act quickly. Typically, when filing a fire damage claim, you will need to include:
- The date the fire occurred;
- Information on the condition of your property;
- A description of all damaged contents; and
- An assessment of necessary repairs.
You Must Carefully Assemble Your Records
Remember, a complete recovery will require that the full extent of your property damage be properly documented. Even if you can prove your fire damage is covered, it is critical that you can establish the full extent of your damages so that you can receive a fair resolution to your claim.
Unfortunately, fires often cause a tremendous amount of damage to personal property. This makes the process of documenting damage challenging. This is why you need to take care to be extremely thorough when assembling your records. You should take extensive photographs of the fire damage, as pictures will go a long way towards helping you make a successful insurance claim. Further, you must get your hands on any records you can that are related to expenses and repairs.
Be ready for a Dispute
Insurance companies can be far too restrictive when it comes to assessing fire damage. Believe it or not, you can actually submit a nearly perfect claim and still get a denial from your insurance company. If your fire damage claim was denied, you need to understand exactly why the insurance company reached that decision. Under Florida law, your insurance company is legally required to send you a denial letter that clearly explains your denial. Fire damage claims are denied for a number of reasons, including policy exclusions, pre-existing damage, lack of documentation, simple errors, and the failure to pay premiums. If you have received a denial letter after filing a Florida fire damage claim, and it does not make sense to you, or you disagree with the decision, you should contact an experienced property insurance attorney as soon as possible.
Need Legal Help?
Policyholders deserve recovery for the full extent of their fire damage. If you are in a property insurance dispute over your fire damage, or you have any questions about fire damage claims in general, please contact our office at (954) 990-5251 to schedule a free review of your case. At Geyer Fuxa Tyler, our property insurance dispute attorneys proudly serve clients throughout Florida, including in Broward County.
