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As a Florida insurance claim attorney, I often hear clients complain about their insurance companies and the way their property damage claims are handled. An area of special concern, especially following storm damage, is the amount their insurance companies are willing to pay for covered damage to their homes and personal property. Some of this legitimate concern is due to the homeowners’ lack of knowledge about their policies. For the most part, however, the homeowners are not to blame; their policies are abstruse and, in many instances, deliberately ambiguous. In this blog post, I’m going to try to demystify two […]

In October, 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated much of the Florida Panhandle region. The Category 5 storm caused 43 deaths and widespread catastrophic damage to residential and commercial properties. Undoubtedly, Michael is still fresh in our memories a year later as the 2019 Hurricane Season draws to a close. Unfortunately, Floridians who live and work in the areas hardest hit by Michael are reminded daily of the storm’s devastation, since their insurance companies have not yet paid their property damage claims and they are still struggling to recover. In fact, according to data on filings received by the Florida Office of […]

In my years of experience as an insurance claim attorney, I’ve often heard clients complain about their Florida homeowners insurance companies. Many of them have complaints about legitimate claims that were denied or underpaid. Others have complaints about the long, complicated process involved in filing a claim. Still others complain about the policies themselves and how difficult it is to understand them. In this blog post I’m going to explain some of these difficulties, the thorny elements of policies such as limitations, exclusions, replacement cost versus actual cost, and assignment of benefits. These are all parts of insurance policies that […]

Strong winds and flying debris during storms can damage your home’s roof in several different ways, including leaks, missing or damaged shingles, and gutter problems. Wherever the damage occurs, it is important to get it repaired as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your home. Most homeowners expect that their insurance policies will cover the damage, and this may be true. However, far too often, Florida homeowners are unpleasantly surprised and disappointed when their roof damage claims are denied. If this has happened to you, keep in mind that you do not have to immediately accept your insurance […]

Leading Orlando Insurance Claim Law Firm Helps Hurricane Dorian Relief Supply Drive and Florida Property Insurance Policyholders Malik Law P.A., a leading Orlando insurance claim law firm, helps clients throughout Florida get compensated fairly by their insurance companies when their property is damaged by wind, water, fire, hail, sink holes, and storms. The firm also helps communities in need of aid and insurance policyholders in need of advice. Presently, Malik Law, along with other Orlando businesses, is serving as a donation drop-off point for a local Hurricane Dorian relief supply drive. The Category 5 hurricane hit the Bahamas last week, […]

If you live in the Orlando area and haven’t yet boarded up your windows and stocked up on water, you still have time to prepare for Hurricane Dorian.  Here’s our list of five simple steps you can take to stay safe during the storm: 1. Store Water, Food and Other Essentials Make sure you have sufficient water and food on hand for 3 – 5 days. If bottled water is no longer available, buy juices and other drinks and as Hurricane Dorian approaches, fill pitchers, clean gallon jugs and large pots with tap water. Stock up on non-perishable food, such […]

Even if you’ve prepared for Hurricane Dorian, the storm and its aftermath can cause major damage to your Central Florida property. Tropical-storm-force winds can damage trees, roofs, windows, siding, lanais, patios, and items left outside. Heavy rain and storm surge can damage home interiors, furniture and other items inside your home. Knowing what kind of damage typically occurs from hurricanes and what to do immediately following a storm can make a big difference in how quickly and fully you recover from the storm.   Water Damage While weather predictions often focus on the strength and speed of the wind, water […]

When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle with 160-mile-per-hour winds last October, it caused billions of dollars of damage and left hundreds of people homeless and hopeless. Now recognized as the third most intense Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall in the U.S., Michael has given us much to think about. Although we aren’t expected to experience anything like Michael this year, it’s still well worth our time to reflect on lessons we can learn from last year’s storm. In this blog post, I’m going to suggest several takeaways from Hurricane Michael about personal safety, storm damage, and insurance claims. […]

Insurance policies are not enjoyable reading material; they’re long, confusing, and mostly, boring. That’s why most people file their insurance documents somewhere and forget about them . . . until their property is damaged and they’re desperate for help. At Malik Law, we highly recommend you read through your policy and make sure you understand your coverage before disaster hits. This is especially important now, since Florida law has changed, and insurance companies can restrict policyholders from entering into assignment agreements with contractors to do repair work on their property. I explain a little about the new restrictive policies in […]

The 2019 Hurricane Season officially began on June 1st, and so far, weather forecasters are predicting a “normal” season. While this sounds like good news, for those of us who live in Florida, the problem with “normal” is that it still means nine to fifteen named storms and at least two hurricanes with winds of 111 miles per hour or more. In fact, scientists caution us not to let our guard down, given the prediction of a relatively quiet season. Powerful winds, rain, and flooding can cause massive destruction during a “quiet season.” As the acting deputy administrator of the […]