Unresolved 2023 Florida Insurance Claim? Malik Law Can Help

As a home or business owner, you likely purchased insurance to cover losses and protect your financial investment. If you filed an insurance claim in 2023 that has yet to be resolved, you are probably feeling frustrated and anxious as you start the new year. Having a delay, underpayment, or denial related to an insurance claim hanging over your head is not the way you hoped to usher in 2024. The good news is that help is available.

A Florida insurance claim lawyer at Malik Law can review your claim and help determine why the claim has yet to be paid in full. Whether you filed a homeowner’s insurance claim or a business insurance claim, the team at Malik Law is committed to getting your 2023 insurance claim resolved and to ensuring that you are reimbursed in full for your covered losses.

Types of Florida Insurance Claims

Purchasing a home or running a business requires a significant financial investment. To protect that investment, you undoubtedly purchased a homeowner’s insurance policy or a commercial insurance policy. If you filed a claim with your home or business insurance company during 2023, that claim might have been for a variety of different types of damage or loss, such as:

• Hurricane damage
• Storm damage
• Water damage
• Wind damage
• Fire damage
• Hail damage
• Roof damage
• Sinkhole claims
• Business interruption claim

Why Has My 2023 Insurance Claim Not Been Paid Yet?

As a policyholder, you paid your insurance premiums as required for the life of the policy. Understandably, you expected to be reimbursed in full and in a timely manner when you filed a claim with your insurance company. Instead, your 2023 claim has been delayed, underpaid, or denied outright. While every claim is unique, there are some common reasons why homeowner’s and business insurance claims are denied, delayed, or underpaid, including:

• Your claim falls under a policy exclusion. Most insurance policies include specific types of damage or loss that are excluded from coverage. For example, damage or loss caused by floodwaters is routinely excluded from Florida homeowner’s insurance policies, requiring homeowners to purchase standalone flood insurance. Some assertions that damage/loss is excluded are valid; however, insurance companies are also known for inappropriately claiming exclusions to avoid paying for claims.
• Lack of or insufficient evidence. Insurance companies may claim that there is not enough evidence, or the evidence is not sufficient to prove that a loss occurred as claimed by the policyholder.
• Never-ending requests for documentation. A common tactic used by insurance companies is to inundate a policyholder with requests for documentation related to the claim in the hope that the policyholder will eventually give up and not follow through with the claim.
• Failing to mitigate damages. Another legitimate issue that an insurance company may raise is a policyholder’s failure to mitigate damages. This essentially asserts that the loss was made worse by the home or business owner because they did not take steps to prevent additional damage following the initial loss. For instance, failing to put a tarp over a hole in the roof would lead to additional damage inside the home.
• Undervaluing claims. Insurance companies often send out an adjuster to view the damage and to prepare an estimate showing what it will cost to repair or replace the damage. Not surprisingly, insurance estimates frequently underestimate the true cost of repairing or replacing property that was damaged.

Do I Need a Florida Insurance Claim Lawyer?

Anytime you are faced with the need to file a significant claim with your homeowner’s or business insurance company, it is a good idea to consult with an experienced Florida insurance claim attorney prior to filing the claim. If, however, you have already filed a claim in 2023, and the claim has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, it may be time to consult with a lawyer if any of the following apply:

1. The claim has been denied outright.
2. You have been offered less than the claim is worth and/or less than you believe it will cost to repair/replace the damaged property.
3. You have yet to receive a response to your claim despite sufficient time passing to warrant a response.
4. Your insurance company keeps asking you for more information, documents, or evidence.

If any of these common situations apply (or any other scenario that appears to be preventing the payment of your claim) to the insurance claim you filed in 2023, it is probably time to involve a Florida insurance claim lawyer. An experienced insurance claim attorney can contact your insurance company and act as your advocate during the claims process. In most cases, your attorney will be able to resolve the claim without the need to file a lawsuit; however, if a lawsuit is necessary, your attorney will protect your interests throughout the legal process.
 

Will I Need to Go to Court to Get My 2023 Insurance Claim Paid?

The thought of needing to appear in court is enough to prevent many home and business owners from pursuing a lawsuit when a claim remains unpaid. Insurance companies count on the fact that most people are apprehensive about going to court to discourage policyholders from pushing to get claims paid in full. In reality, most disputed insurance claims never turn into lawsuits, and of those that do, very few actually go to court. Do not let the fear of litigation deter you from pursuing full and fair payment for your insurance claim.
 

Will I Have to Pay My Florida Insurance Claim Lawyer?

Another concern that policyholders often have is that they will be required to pay a lawyer to represent them – something they cannot afford to do given that they recently suffered a significant financial loss. The good news is that a Florida insurance claim lawyer will not charge you anything upfront. You will only pay a fee if your attorney successfully settles your claim or wins at trial.
 

Where Can I Get Help with My 2023 Florida Insurance Claim?

If you have a 2023 Florida insurance claim that has been delayed, underpaid, denied, or otherwise not yet resolved, we can help. Call us at 407-500-1000 or submit our online form today. One of our experienced Florida insurance claims lawyers will explain your rights to you and discuss your legal options at no cost.