Florida’s residents are accustomed to powerful storms that ravage the state during the Atlantic hurricane season. Those storms bring with them torrential rain and strong winds that frequently cause roof damage. Even minor damage to your roof can leave your family and your possessions vulnerable. Naturally, you assume that your homeowner’s insurance will take care of the damage in a timely manner. Unfortunately, that does not always happen.
If your homeowner’s insurance company has denied, delayed, or underpaid your roof damage claim the experienced Florida roof damage insurance claim lawyers at Malik Law can help. We are all too familiar with the numerous and varied tactics insurance companies employ to justify not paying a claim immediately and in full.
Why Might My Roof Damage Claim Be Denied, Delayed, or Underpaid?
When you purchased your homeowner’s insurance policy you did so to protect the investment you made in your home, which was likely the largest investment you will ever make. The contract between you and your insurance company requires you to pay your premiums in full and on time. In return, you expect your insurance company to cover losses in full and on time. What you may not be considering is the fact that an insurance company is a business. As such, it needs to make a profit each year. That need provides an incentive to minimize the amount of money paid out in claims each year. Common explanations given for denying, delaying, or underpaying a roof damage claim include:
- Procedural requirements. When you file your roof damage claim, your insurance company may inundate you with requests for supporting evidence, documents, and forms. Although some of these requests are reasonable, they may also be intentional obstacles. If you are unable to provide the required information, your insurance company can use that as justification for denying, delaying, or underpaying your claim.
- Exclusions to coverage. Most homeowner’s insurance policies have legitimate exclusions to coverage included in the policy. Unfortunately, not all policyholders read that fine print. In Florida, for example, homeowner’s insurance often specifically excludes coverage for damage caused by hurricanes or floodwaters. A policyholder may have the option to purchase separate coverage; however, if you did not do that your insurance company may claim that the roof damage is not covered. Even if your policy does include hurricane damage, you may have a separate, higher, deductible that applies which can justify an underpayment of the actual cost to repair the damage.
- Third-party liability. Roof damage claims are frequently denied or underpaid based on the insurance company’s claim that a third party is wholly or partially responsible for the damage. They may blame the manufacturer of the shingles or tiles, the company that installed the roof, or anyone who performed previous repairs/maintenance on the roof.
- You do not have replacement coverage. Sometimes the damage to a roof is so extensive that repairing it would cost more than replacing it. Although it makes logical sense to replace the roof if the damage is that severe, some homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover replacement costs. If that is the case, your claim may be denied outright.
- Damage is cosmetic. Conversely, your claim might also be denied if your insurance company claims the damage is only cosmetic, not structural. In fact, insurance adjusters often intentionally characterize damage as cosmetic, when in fact it is (or could lead to) structural damage, to justify denying the claim.
What to Do If Your Roof Damage Claim Was Denied, Delayed, or Underpaid
If you submitted a roof damage claim and your insurance company has failed to pay the claim in full within a reasonable time or has outright denied the claim, you have options. You have the right to dispute an underpayment or denial as well as to question unreasonable delays.
An experienced Florida roof damage insurance claim lawyer can help you resolve disagreements regarding the terms of your policy as well as the cause or extent of the damage. Your attorney can even advocate on your behalf if it becomes clear that the insurance company’s unfair business practices played a role in the disputed claim. Let the Florida roof damage insurance claim lawyers at Malik Law put their years of successful experience litigating against insurance companies to work for you.
Get Help from Experienced Florida Roof Damage Insurance Claim Lawyers
The Florida roof damage insurance claim lawyers at Malik Law P.A. are committed to advocating on your behalf when you have a dispute with your insurance company to ensure that your claim is paid in a timely fashion and that you are fully compensated for your losses.
Call us at 407-500-1000 or submit our online form today. One of our experienced Florida roof damage insurance claim lawyers will explain your rights to you and discuss your legal options at no cost.