If you own property in Florida, you undoubtedly prepare every year for the Atlantic hurricane season. As the hurricane season gets noticeably longer and more active year after year, the need to protect your property intensifies as well. That should be as simple as making sure you have adequate insurance coverage that will cover losses if a hurricane does damage your property. What happens though if you file a claim with your insurance company and they refuse to fully compensate you for the damages?
At Malik Law, we are keenly aware of the direct and indirect damage a hurricane can cause. We have also seen first-hand how stressful – and potentially dangerous – it can be for property owners when a claim is not paid in a timely fashion. Repairs cannot be made, often leaving a homeowner without a safe and sanitary place to live or causing a business owner to lose crucial income. If your property was damaged by a hurricane, and your insurance company has not paid your claim in full, the experienced Florida hurricane insurance attorneys at Malik Law are here to help you.
The Increasingly Dangerous Atlantic Hurricane Season
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an average Atlantic hurricane season has 12 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), six hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater), and three major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater). Those figures, however, are based on data going back over a century. In recent years, the Atlantic hurricane season has been both more active and more powerful. The 2021 hurricane season produced 21 named storms, making it the second most prolific season on record. Moreover, Tropical Storm Ana formed on May 22, 2021, making 2021 the seventh consecutive year to have a named storm form before the official start of the hurricane season.
Colorado State University atmospheric scientist and Triple-I non-resident scholar, Dr. Philip Klotzbach, and his forecast team released a discussion of Atlantic basin hurricane activity for 2022 estimating that there is a 40 percent chance that North Atlantic sea temperatures will be above average, and that no El Niño occurs. Those conditions make another higher-than-average Atlantic hurricane season more likely for 2022. The CSU team estimates 13-16 named storms, 6-8 hurricanes, and 2-3 major hurricanes for the 2022 hurricane season.
Hurricane Property Damage
The 2021 hurricane season produced seven hurricanes (Elsa, Grace, Henri, Ida, Larry, Nicholas, and Sam). Four of those hurricanes (Grace, Ida, Larry, and Sam) were classified as major hurricanes, meaning a category three or above, with Ida and Sam reaching category four status. According to the Insurance Information Institute (iii), these hurricanes caused catastrophic and costly damage to homes and businesses. For example:
- Hurricane Elsa estimates put the cost of damages from wind and storm surge at around $240 million.
- Insured losses from hurricane Henri were $155 million excluding losses for the National Flood Insurance Program.
- Hurricane Ida brought with her catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds of 150 mph, and flash flooding, leaving more than one million homes and businesses without power that took weeks to restore. Ida also resulted in damage to about 94 percent of oil and gas production in offshore Gulf of Mexico facilities. All told, estimates put insured losses for Ida at $18 billion to $29.5 billion
- Estimates for the heavy rain and flood damage caused by hurricane Nicholas are around $950 million.
Common Florida Hurricane Damage
If you own residential or commercial property in Florida, your property could be severely damaged by the powerful wind and rain that accompanies a hurricane. That damage could render the property uninhabitable, posing yet another threat to your safety and/or to your livelihood. Common hurricane damage includes things such as:
- Roof damage
- Electrical damage
- Water damage
- Broken glass
- Structural damage
- Cosmetic damage
- Downed trees
- Landscape damage
- Damaged vehicles
- Damaged electronic equipment
Florida Hurricane Insurance Claims
As a property owner, you expect your insurance company to approve and pay a hurricane damage claim submitted by you within a reasonable amount of time. All too often, what happens is that a claim is:
- Denied. Your insurance company may claim the damage is the result of an uncovered loss. This is particularly common when the damage was the result of a hurricane because basic homeowner’s insurance policies frequently exclude hurricane losses or impose a significantly higher deductible for hurricane damage claims.
- Delayed. Insurance companies often impose burdensome procedural requirements on claimants to try and delay payment of the claim. This may include endless requests for supporting evidence or the completion of redundant forms.
- Underpaid. Insurance companies have a vested interest in paying out as little as possible on claims filed with the company. One way they keep payouts low is to use repair/replacement estimates created by their own adjusters which can lead to receiving far less from your insurance company than it will cost to fix the damage.
Get Help from Experienced Florida Hurricane Insurance Claim Attorneys
The Florida hurricane insurance claim attorneys at Malik Law P.A. are here to help if your hurricane damage claim has been denied, delayed, or underpaid. We will aggressively advocate on your behalf to ensure your claim is paid in full and without further delay.
Call us at 407-500-1000 or submit our online form today. One of our experienced Florida hurricane insurance claim attorneys will explain your rights to you and discuss your legal options at no cost.