Vandalism occurs when someone, often an unidentified person(s), causes deliberate or negligent damage to your property. From graffiti to broken windows to smashed property, vandalism can come in a wide variety of forms. While Broward County is one of the safer counties in Florida, vandalism still occurs here. In this post, our experienced Fort Lauderdale insurance attorneys explain what you need to do if your home or business was vandalized to protect your insurance claims rights.
- Know Your Policy
Most Florida homeowners’ insurance policies contain at least some coverage for vandalism. Still, you need to know if your specific policy provides sufficient coverage for your individual needs. Having your home or business vandalized is bad enough; you do not want the additional frustration of finding out that you do not actually have insurance for it. Review your policy to ensure that you actually have the coverage you need.
- Document Your Losses
As soon as you discover vandalism to your property, you will need to jump into action. You should begin immediately documenting your losses. Get the camera and start taking photographs. The more pictures you take, the better off you will be. You can always delete the useless photographs once your claim is officially settled to your satisfaction. Next, file a police report, informing the authorities of the damage. Get a copy of the police report to provide to your insurance company. Finally, try to get ahold of all financial documents and records that can be used to prove the cost to repair or replace the damaged property.
- Submit a Claim
Under the terms of your insurance policy, you have certain responsibilities. Most importantly, you have the duty to report your loss and submit your claim in a timely manner. The insurer will send out an adjuster to inspect the loss, and will request the documents and information that you have to support the claim. Hopefully, the insurance company will then quickly pay you to repair the vandalism. Unfortunately, this is not always how the process goes. There may be many different reasons why an insurer may either significantly undervalue your damage, or may deny coverage outright. If this happens, do not give up. You need to seek assistance from a professional. Your Fort Lauderdale lawyer can help you escalate your insurance claim to the next level.
Was Your Vandalism Insurance Claim Denied?
We are here to help. At Geyer Fuxa Tyler, our top-rated property insurance dispute lawyers have deep experience handling Florida insurance disputes, including vandalism claims. If your claim was denied or underpaid, please call us now at (954) 990-5251 to set up a free, no strings attached review of your situation. From our office in Sunrise, we represent homeowners and business owners throughout Broward County.
