Whether you were impacted by a devastating hurricane or a fire that took out your home and property, repairing the damage to your property can quickly take top priority in your life. You may be unable to live in your home or generate income due to difficulty accessing your property after significant damage. Unfortunately, in some cases, getting the help you need to rebuild your property can prove very difficult.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we offer the support you need to proceed with a property damage claim and get your property repaired as soon as possible. Contact us today for your free consultation.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA: Help for Your Aventura Property Damage Claim
Many people find that when they file a property damage claim, they have to fight with the insurance company to get the compensation they deserve. Insurance policies should provide much-needed assistance that can help property damage victims cover the cost of repairs.
Unfortunately, insurance companies may make that process more difficult than anticipated.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we aim to help our clients navigate those challenging claims as they pursue the compensation they really deserve.
The Support You Need as You Deal With Significant Property Damage in Aventura
When you have significant property damage, dealing with everything that goes along with it can feel incredibly overwhelming. Many property damage victims look for small law firms that can support them personally in that quest for compensation.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we aim to provide our clients with that small-firm support, including ready communication and clear answers to questions you usually get from a smaller firm.
The Results You Expect From Big Law Firms
Property damage can create a serious financial burden. When you file a claim on your own, the insurance company may try to decrease the compensation it has to pay out, including using several tactics designed to wear you down and pressure you into accepting a low settlement.
At Dolman Law Group, we help our clients avoid those challenges and increase the compensation they can actually recover. We have a strong history of results, including the ability to help our clients navigate complicated property damage claims, and we bring that experience and dedication to every claim. While no results can be guaranteed, contact us today to see what we can do for you.
Ease of Access so You Can Get the Help You Need
When you need an attorney, you do not want to fight just to get to the office. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Attorneys, PA, we have law offices across both Florida coasts, including an office located directly in Aventura, just a short distance from the local Target. We also offer virtual consultations for clients who, for any reason, cannot come into the office in person.
Do you need help with your Aventura property damage claim? Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, today.
Compensation in Property Damage Claims in Aventura: What to Expect
Generally, you will file a property damage claim for one of two reasons.
1. You Suffered Significant Damage to Your Property in Aventura Because of the Negligence of Another Party.
In some cases, property damage may occur because another party commits a devastating act of negligence that leads to substantial property damage. For example, you might suffer damage to your home because a driver mistakenly drives into your home.
When someone else’s negligence causes severe damage to your property, you may need to file a claim against that party or with that party’s insurance company.
The insurance company will generally pay for:
- The cost of repairs. The cost of repairs can include everything that goes into fixing the property after damage. Generally, it will not include the cost of upgrades to the property.
- Compensation for the loss of the use of the property. For example, you might receive compensation for staying in a hotel room if your home suffers such severe damage that you cannot live there while repairs take place.
2. You Suffered Damage to Your Property in Aventura Because of a Condition or Situation Covered by Your Property Insurance.
When you purchase property in Aventura, your mortgage institution will generally require you to take out insurance on that property. Even after you pay off your mortgage, having property insurance can prove essential to taking care of the property and paying for repairs in the event of damage from events like hurricanes, fires, or flooding.
When you file a claim against another party’s insurance company, your insurance company will generally pay for repairs to your property. Depending on the terms of your policy, you may also have the right to claim additional compensation, including compensation for the loss of the use of the property. However, you may need to consider several things as you file your claim.
Your Deductible
Your deductible lays out the cost you will have to take responsibility for before your property owner’s insurance kicks in.
You will generally set your deductible when you choose the insurance policy you want. A high deductible may leave you personally responsible for more of the damage to your property. In contrast, a low deductible can make taking care of those vital repairs much more affordable.
Exceptions to Your Policy
In many cases, your insurance policy will lay out the type of coverage you may have for specific events, including specific exceptions that your insurance may not pay for.
For example, many Aventura insurance policies may not come standard with flood insurance, which means that you may need to add a specific rider to your policy to cover that type of damage. Unfortunately, if you do not have that rider in place before the damage occurs, the insurance company may refuse to cover the cost of repairs.
Common Types of Aventura Property Damage Claims
Property damage claims can take a number of types, depending on the kind of damage that occurs.
Flooding
Aventura sits in an area with a high risk for flooding. Homes in Aventura must sit at a specific elevation to help protect against those risks. Unfortunately, although construction companies working in Aventura must follow specific protocols to help protect the property, many properties can potentially suffer considerable damage in a flood. FEMA designates Aventura as a Special Flood Hazard Area, which notes that the area sits in an area at a high 100-year flood risk.
Flood damage can cause significant property damage. Not only does flooding often lead to a high degree of water damage, but it can also lead to high mode potential. Mold can cause substantial damage to a property and its inhabitants over time. Quick cleanup after a flood can make protecting your home and property easier.
Fire
Aventura sees an average of 38 fires each year. Around 41 percent of fires involve fixed structures, while around 23.8 percent of them involve mobile property, including vehicles. Fires can quickly wipe out a structure and everything in it. Not only do property owners have to consider the damage caused by the fire itself, but they may also face substantial damage from the water used to put out the fire. Fire remediation often takes a long time. In some cases, contractors may need to fully replace much of the structure of the building to make it safe for habitation again.
Hurricanes
Heavy storms and hurricanes can pose a substantial danger throughout South Florida, including in Aventura. Hurricanes often cause significant damage to homes, including ripping off roofs, flood damage, and damage to windows, doors, and the structure’s exterior.
Hurricane damage can prove problematic for some Aventura residents because when a hurricane does occur, it often means substantial damage to multiple properties within Aventura. That can delay insurance proceedings and make it harder for property owners to get back into their properties as soon as they might like.
Theft
Often, property damage claims will include claims for theft. Many families today have high-value electronics throughout their homes. When a theft occurs, it can mean thousands of dollars in losses. Many homeowners insurance policies and renters insurance policies will include theft coverage. To prove that you have the right to file a claim for theft in Aventura, you may need to show a police report that shows evidence that someone broke into your home.
Vandalism
Sometimes, in cases of vandalism, you might have the right to pursue compensation from the party that caused the damage to your home. In other cases, however, you may need to move forward with a claim with your insurance company. Your insurance will often cover repairs to your home required because of vandalism.
Fighting the Insurance Company in an Aventura Property Damage Claim
You have insurance to help cover the costs associated with severe damage to your property, whether you suffer damage because of a natural disaster, theft, or vandalism. Unfortunately, the insurance company may not always make it easy to get the compensation you deserve.
Low Compensation Offers
As with any insurance claim, when you file a property damage claim, the insurance company may attempt to offer you a low settlement amount, which may reflect only a fraction of the damages you actually sustained. Unfortunately, many insurance companies will pressure their clients to accept a low settlement amount.
The insurance adjuster might even try to convince you that you must accept the offer fast, lest it disappears completely. However, accepting a low settlement offer will leave you without the compensation you deserve for the damages you may have sustained. As a result, you may struggle to repair your home or repair and replace damaged property.
Denying the Extent of the Damage
Sometimes, the insurance company may deny the extent of the damage to the property. Insurance companies may send in contractors with whom they have a contract to look over the property and provide a low estimate of what it will cost to repair it.
Unfortunately, when repairs occur, taking care of the damage to your property may be much more challenging. You may have a hard time paying for the full repairs, or the contractor may end up having to use substandard materials to get the job done, which could lead to further complications in the future.
Insisting Damage Occurred Due to an Exception to the Policy
Water damage can prove particularly difficult to deal with when you have a claim for property damage because many policies set hard lines regarding what they will cover in the event of flooding or water damage.
If you do not have flood insurance, for example, your insurance company may try to claim that water damage to your home occurred because of flooding, not because of a leaking pipe in the walls. If you have severe damage to your roof after a storm, the insurance company may try to claim that roof damage occurred due to wear and tear over time.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we have the resources to take on the big names in property insurance. We understand our clients’ challenges as they deal with those insurance companies. We aim to streamline the claim process as much as possible, including helping our clients maximize the compensation they can recover for damage to their homes.
Aventura Property Damage FAQs
Where you need to file a property damage claim in Aventura may depend on how the damage to your property occurred.
Another Party’s Insurance Policy
You may need to file a claim against another party’s insurance policy when you suffer property damage due to the negligence of another party. Using another party’s insurance policy to cover the cost of the damage to your property may take more time to file a claim since you may have to wait for that insurance company to conduct an investigation that will offer a better look at who bears liability for the incident. A claim against another party’s insurance coverage may also rely on the limits and coverage of that policy.
Property Owners Insurance
Property owner’s or homeowners insurance can provide much-needed assistance in managing the cost of repairs to a property. Property owner’s insurance may, in cases where the owner lives in the property or uses it for business purposes, cover both the cost of damage to the property itself and the cost of damage to any contents of the property. For landlords who do not live in the property, on the other hand, property owner’s insurance will not cover the cost of repairs to the property itself.
Renters Insurance
Renters insurance will usually cover the cost of repairs or replacement to the property’s contents: a tenant’s personal possessions. In general, however, it will not cover the cost of any structural damage or damage to the property itself since it protects the property resident, not the owner.
In some cases, after a disaster, the property owner or landlord and the property resident may both need to file claims to pursue compensation for damages. While the property owner will focus on the cost of repairs to the property itself, the renter or resident may focus on the cost of replacing items in the property.
Finding out that your property has suffered substantial damage can feel overwhelming. In many cases, you may not know what to do next or how to protect yourself.
Secure the Property Against Further Damage.
It can take time for insurance adjusters to come out and look over your property following a damaging incident. In some cases, it can take even longer when multiple people in the area suffer damage simultaneously, as in a hurricane or flood, since insurance adjusters and contractors may need to visit numerous properties and deal with a number of damage claims.
You can take photos of your property’s damage as you see it, then go ahead and secure your property against further damage. For example, you may need to board up damaged windows or hang tarps to help protect against further water damage.
Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately.
Once you have the chance, after you realize that you have suffered property damage, get in touch with your insurance company. During major events, including hurricanes and floods, your insurance company’s office may get calls from many people simultaneously.
That can make it difficult to get through, but pushing persistently forward can help get your claim taken care of sooner. Furthermore, by contacting your insurance company ASAP, you may end up higher on the list.
Take Photos and Inventory the Damage.
If you can safely move around your property, you may want to start taking photos that will give you a record of what damage the property sustained. You may also want a specific inventory of items in your home that suffered damage, including major appliances, electronics, artwork, and furniture.
Do not enter dangerous areas of the property or take steps that could put you in additional danger. Your inventory and damage report can make it much easier to put together your claim for the insurance company.
Do Not Conduct Any Repairs to Your Property.
You may consider jumping on repairs and cleanup as you inventory the damage. You can take steps to protect against further damage, including installing fans to help dry water damage or covering windows or doors that ended up broken in a storm.
But you should not conduct any repairs to your property until the insurance company comes out to take a look or permits you to move forward. If you conduct repairs before the insurance company’s evaluation, the insurance company may deny coverage for the damages you have already repaired.
Contact a lawyer to review your policy and learn what compensation you may deserve.
Your insurance coverage may offer considerable help with many of the things associated with repairs to your property, including both the cost of repairs and the cost of the loss of the use of your property.
You might, for example, have coverage that will help with the cost of a hotel room or alternative lodging if you cannot live in your home while repairs take place. You might even have coverage covering the increased cost of gas as you drive back and forth between your current location and your home. However, your insurance company might not volunteer information about that coverage. You may end up having to fight to learn more about what compensation you have.
By talking to a lawyer, you can get a better idea of all the compensation offered by your policy and how you can best ensure that you receive the help you need with your claim.
When you have a property damage claim, you may wonder, “Do I really need a lawyer to deal with this claim?”
Your insurance policy lays out your coverage in case of these types of damage. You might assume the claim will prove fairly straightforward. However, in the case of extreme property damage, the claim often will not progress as smoothly as you might have hoped. Working with an attorney can often raise the odds of a positive outcome to your claim.
You may need to contact an attorney under several circumstances.
Someone Else Caused Your Property Damage.
When someone else’s negligence causes significant damage to your property, you may need to file a claim through that party’s insurance.
A lawyer can offer significant help at several stages of that process.
- A lawyer can identify what insurance coverage the liable party has, including who you might need to file a claim with within the event of an incident that causes significant property damage.
- A lawyer can help collect evidence related to the incident, which can help establish that you have the right to compensation from the liable party.
- A lawyer can help you evaluate the damages you have sustained due to the damage to your property, making it easier to put together a claim that includes all those essential details.
When someone else caused your property damage, a lawyer can also deal with the insurance company on your behalf, increasing the odds that you will recover reasonable compensation for those damages.
The Insurance Company Denies Coverage for the Damage to Your Property.
Any time the insurance company denies coverage for damage to your property, you may want to have a lawyer look over the terms of your policy and the damage to your home to give you a better idea of what coverage and compensation you should expect.
The insurance company may deny coverage for the damage to your property for several reasons. Most notably, the insurance company may insist that damage did not occur because of a covered event.
For example, the insurance company might try to claim that damage occurred because of a low-quality product or because of neglect on the homeowner’s part, which most policies do not cover. In addition, the insurance company may deny coverage based on specific exceptions to your policy, which may include water or flood damage.
A lawyer can help review your policy, get a better idea of what coverage you likely have, and provide a solid assessment of what to expect as you move forward with your insurance claim.
The Insurance Company Offers A Settlement Offer That Does Not Fit the Extent of the Damages.
Sometimes, you may have difficulty getting the insurance company to issue a payment reflecting the full extent of the damages you sustained. In many cases, you may have substantial property damage, for which you might deserve substantial compensation.
Unfortunately, the insurance company might try to minimize the compensation it has to pay out by pressuring you to accept a settlement offer that fails to include all those essential damages. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we aim to help our clients understand the compensation they deserve and fight for those rights as they move forward with an insurance claim.
You Have Any Questions About Your Rights Under Your Insurance Policy.
Sometimes, you may simply need a lawyer to review the terms of your insurance policy and give you a better idea of what to expect as you move forward with your claim. A lawyer can help look over the terms of your policy, evaluate the damage you sustained to your home, and provide you with more information.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we start with a free consultation to go over the terms of your policy and the compensation you may deserve.
You should expect it to take some time to move forward with a property damage claim. In the case of some types of property damage, you may notice an extended timeline due to delays on the insurance company’s part. Multiple claims coming in simultaneously, like after a hurricane, can slow down the process and lead to longer wait times.
You may also have to consider:
- Estimates for damage repair. Often, insurance companies will want to bring out their own experts to conduct estimates and get a better idea of what the cost of repairs will look like.
- Negotiation. When you have significant damage to your property, you may need to negotiate with the insurance company to get the company to provide reasonable compensation based on the damages sustained.
- Investigation. In some cases, such as fires, the insurance company may want to investigate what caused the damage to the property and how it occurred. You may have to wait until the end of that investigation period to get compensation for the damages to your property.
A lawyer can give you a better idea of how long you can expect your specific claim to take based on the damage to your property and how it occurred.
If the insurance company denies a property damage claim in Aventura, get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we have offices on both Florida coasts, including an office in Aventura.
Contact us to learn more about your rights, including how you can best proceed with an appeal after the insurance company denies your claim. You may want to continue to protect your property while you wait for a resolution to your claim, but you may not want to make any repairs until the insurance company fully processes that claim and you know how your claim will progress.
Contact an Aventura Property Damage Attorney Today
If you suffered significant property damage, working with our Aventura property damage attorneys can help you understand your rights and ensure that you know what coverage you really have under the terms of your policy.
With offices across both Florida coasts, including right here in Aventura, you can easily reach Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, at (954) 302-7068 or write to us using our online contact page.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
20803 Biscayne Boulevard Suite 101,
Aventura, FL 33180
(954) 302-7068