Holiday Property Damage Attorney

When a natural disaster or unforeseen event cause loss or damage to your home or business and the insurance company isn’t cooperating with your claim, it’s time to hire a property damage attorney. Holiday residents can rest assured that property damage attorney Jonathon W Douglas will fight for you with no fees until we win. The Property Damage Team and Battaglia Ross Dicus & McQuaid have handled many different types of property damage insurance claims. We aggressively and effectively represent insurance policyholders in Holiday to help recover the insurance proceeds that you need and deserve.

We have handled property insurance claims for the residents of Holiday, FL in the following areas:

Fire Damage Insurance Claims

Fire damages can be severe, expensive and extremely hard to deal with for any Holiday property owner. Fires can rapidly damage building structures, ruin personal property and often destroy sentimental items. They quickly spread and can affect every piece and part of the building.

We know how devastating it can be for you emotionally if your property has been involved in a fire. Whether it was your home or business, we know you’ve lost items that can never be replaced and may now face daunting repair bills.

It’s important to remember that insurance companies have little compassion for your situation. They run a business and unfortunately will treat your claim accordingly. This mentality by the insurance company often translates into underpaid or denied claims.

Filing a Fire Claim in Holiday, Florida

If you have yet to file a claim, it’s wise to get started as soon as possible and use the support of a Property Damage Lawyer so you aren’t left frustrated, underpaid or denied. Fire Damage Attorney Jonathon W Douglas will immediately contact your insurance company and develop a thorough understanding of your loss and the coverage provided by your policy.

It is critical to keep any and all evidence you have from before and after the fire, such as pictures and videos, as well as any statements made to the insurer and receipts for repair costs you may have incurred.

Sinkhole Insurance Claims

Florida law has been written to make it more difficult for property owners to recover money for their sinkhole claims. The initial determination an insurer has to make is whether there has been structural damage that may be a result of sinkhole activity. Insurer’s use this structural damage requirement as a barrier to entry for property owners sinkhole claims. If the insurance company does not identify “structural damage” then they will likely deny your sinkhole claim.

Unfortunately for the property owner, a denied sinkhole claim without the insurance company performing geological testing puts the burden on the property owner to demand that the insurance company perform testing in accordance with Florida Law. The property owner may be on the hook for some of the testing costs if the insurance company’s testing company does not verify the presence of a sinkhole loss.

An experienced sinkhole attorney seeks to help you develop a winning strategy to prepare your sinkhole claim for success. Like many other types of claims, sinkhole claims can be complex in nature due to Florida Law and the insurance policy both having requirements which a homeowner must meet if challenging an insurance company’s denial of their claim.

Storm & Hurricane Insurance Claims

Florida residents know all too well about the devastating power of hurricanes and the property damage they can cause in just a few hours. Having a homeowners policy should give you the chance to rebuild if your property has suffered in a storm. However, getting full compensation for your property damage claim isn’t always the case. Some Insurance companies are notorious for making bad claims decisions and using claims handling tactics which amount to “bad faith.”

Storm damage to homes and commercial properties varies depending on the strength of each storm, but commonly seen damage which need repairing include:

• Roof Damage
• Broken Windows
• Smashed Cars
• Water Damage
• Interior damage
• Cracked Building Foundations
• Uprooted Trees and torn apart gardens
• Damage to garages, swimming pools and decks

We know how tough a property damage insurance claim can be, and that you are desperate to fix your home rather than deal with the small print of insurance policies. If you are suffering after a Storm or Hurricane with an Insurance Company underpaying, denying or delaying your claim, we can help.

We’ll work from start to finish to help get the money that you deserve and seek to remove the pressures of working with daunting insurance companies.

Theft Insurance Claims

Burglary and theft are some of the most frightening experiences any property owner can experience. The fear of having your home or business broken into or having belongings stolen is the reason many people protect their homes with expensive security systems. These same burglary or thefts is also why victims turn to a Property Theft Attorney to help make a claim. Insurance Companies will use tactics which may unfairly exploit flaws in your properties’ security, in an attempt to avoid paying to replace your stolen items or fix the damaged areas of your property.

What to do immediately following theft or burglary?

Once you are safe and calm, the following steps can prove crucial and extremely helpful in any property claim:

• Call the police and file a police report
• Contact your insurance company and inform them of the incident
• Make a list of everything you notice that has been stolen
• Make a list of everything you see that has been damaged
• Take photos and videos of the damage
• Contact a Property Theft or Burglary Attorney so they can provide you the best guidance

Tree Damage Insurance Claims

Many Holiday residents are familiar with property damage caused by trees following tropical storms, hurricanes, thunderstorms and strong winds. The storms can rip trees from the ground, throw tree debris across yards and collide with buildings, causing substantial damage. However, in Florida, palms, oaks and pines often cause tree damage which occurs naturally. This is usually due to the entire tree falling, broken tree branches, encroaching roots and disease.

It may seem like an easy task to make a property damage claim for tree damage, but they are often complicated and tedious. Roots and overhanging branches can cross property lines, which can cause confusion regarding which property owner is liable.

What can you do to help your claim or prevent tree damage?

If the tree is not yours, but you believe it is a risk to your property, then you can still help prevent damage or prepare for a future claim.

• Make clear warnings of your concerns to the neighbor
• Make at least 3 separate warnings
• Take photos and videos of the tree and the signs of its weaknesses
• Trim roots and overhanging branches that are on your property, up to the property boundary lines
• Contact a Tree Damage attorney

Underpaid or Denied Insurance Claims

Insurance Companies involved in Property Damage claims to home or commercial properties in Holiday are notorious for using tricks and minor technicalities to avoid paying their insureds the money they deserve. Unfortunately, it’s a familiar scenario to see homeowners and business owners left empty-handed. Property Damage Insurance Claims filed by homeowners and business owners are often denied or underpaid and result in insureds feeling they are left with no other choice than to accept a denied claim or low-ball offer after lengthy and frustrating communications with their own insurance company.

However, insurers don’t have the final say. There are still options available, and a Property Damage Attorney can help you get what you need to cover your costs, even if you initially were denied.

Here are some reasons why a property damage claim to a home or business may be denied regardless of the insurance policy language:

• Damage wasn’t documented well enough
• Evidence of the damage of cause of loss was discarded
• The adjuster took down the wrong information which they used against you
• Seeking legal assistance from a Property Damage Lawyer is the only realistic chance of turning around denied claims

A property damage attorney will evaluate your situation, thoroughly analyzing the details of your claim and applicable policy provisions before making contact with your insurer. An attorney will then have the option to attempt negotiations with the insurance company, pushing it to reconsider its wrongful denial or file a suit.

Water Damage Insurance Claims

Water Damage to any property or home can quickly cause long-lasting problems. Broken pipes, sudden plumbing system failures, flooding, flash flooding and hurricanes can all quickly leave Holiday property owners with expensive problems to fix. Damaged wood, rust, compromised structural integrity, mildew and mold damage are just a few of the common issues caused by water damage. While the extent of the water damage may be clear to you, it is often seen differently by insurance companies who often attempt to pay their policyholders as little as possible. Your attorney will help you communicate with your insurer to prove the severity of the damage your property has received.

Generally, Insurance Companies are tasked with attempting to find coverage for your loss, but experience tells us that it all too often not the case. Insurance companies will attempt to pay as little as possible initially with hopes that the unprepared property owner will simply accept a settlement without being fully informed about what they are actually entitled to. Remember, the adjusters work for the Insurance Company and NOT the property owners. While some insurance adjusters may seem accommodating at first, they all too often don’t have the authority to make decisions or not enough monetary authority to settle your case for what it is actually worth. They may also try to exclude the cause of the damage under policy language which is not applicable to the subject loss. Whether these tactics are intentional or not, a Property Damage Attorney will seek to give you the reassurance that the settlement you ultimately receive is what you are actually entitled to.

Wind Damage Insurance Claims

Filing any claim for wind damage in Holiday is a complicated affair. Oftentimes, insurance companies enlist the help of out of state insurance adjusters to come in after a disastrous wind event such as a hurricane. These out of state adjusters, or storm chasers, are often ill-prepared to deal with a Florida homeowners insurance claim. These storm chasers prepare estimates which the Insurance Company rely upon in determining whether to deny or cover a claim. These storm chasing insurance adjusters are not only ill-prepared to adjust a Florida wind loss claim but unfamiliar with Florida Building Code requirements.

Taking on insurance companies on your own is often times a difficult task. They will attempt to use the claims process with its many requirements and nuances against you. When you take on these insurance companies alone, you can struggle to battle their power and you most likely won’t have the experience or legal knowledge to persuade them into paying you the full coverage you deserve.