Sarasota Homeowner’s Insurance Attorney

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Homeowner’s Insurance Attorney in Sarasota, FL

Smart homeowners carry insurance to protect their home and belongings from disaster, and many banks even require homeowners to carry a certain amount of coverage before they’ll agree to a home loan. Whether you purchased a homeowner’s policy voluntarily or as part of a mortgage application, you expect to be covered in the event of a claim. Sadly, many homeowners find out the hard way just how difficult it can be to get what you are owed. Insurance companies delay and delay with endless requests for documentation before denying your claim on some technical ground. Sometimes their actions are simply unreasonable, bad faith attempts to try and get out of paying benefits under the policy. But an insurance policy is a contract, and insurance companies owe a legal duty of good faith and fair dealing towards you.

If you’re having trouble recovering benefits under your homeowner’s policy, call the Sarasota homeowner’s insurance attorneys at Hale Law We help homeowners in Sarasota and Bradenton get the benefits owed to them after damage or disaster has struck their home. Call Hale Law after any of the following if you are having trouble with your claim:

Fire
Flood
Wind damage
Storm damage
Sinkholes and subsidence
Damage from falling tree branches or other objects
Structural defects
Vandalism
Arson
Mold damage from a leaky pipe, high humidity or other factors

INSURANCE POLICIES ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, AND INSURANCE COMPANIES KNOW IT

Insurance contracts are typically very lengthy, complex, and highly technical legal documents that can sometimes feel like they were written in another language. It’s highly unlikely that you read through the entire document and understood all of its provisions. Rather, you probably relied on the insurance agent to confirm you were getting the coverage you desired and to tell you any important facts you need to know about your policy, like how to file a claim.

You bought the insurance and filed that policy away somewhere, and you’ve diligently paid your premiums month after month, year after year, but now that it’s time to file a claim, you learn about all the hoops you have to jump through to get paid, which you had no idea of previously. These hoops include providing timely notice of your claim within the time period buried in the policy and providing proof of loss in a form acceptable to the insurance company. Of course, your policy must be in good standing as well, and it’s only when you file a claim that the insurance company finds a problem that may go all the way back to your original application. These problems weren’t a concern when the insurance company was taking your money, but now that you have a valid claim that needs to be paid, suddenly there’s a problem.

HELP WITH GOOD FAITH COVERAGE DISPUTES AND BAD FAITH INSURANCE PRACTICES

Insurance companies may legitimately dispute facts about your claim, such as how the damage occurred, the amount of damage, whether you complied with your policy and whether you are in good standing. For good faith coverage disputes, Hale Law provides smart, strong and effective advocacy on your behalf. Examples of coverage disputes include the following allegations from the insurance company:

The claimed amount of damages is overstated
You lied about how the damage occurred
The damage is some other party’s responsibility
Policy is not in good standing
You did not comply with the terms of the policy
Your coverage does not apply to the claim

Insurance companies can also act unreasonably, with their actions motivated solely by a desire to avoid paying a valid claim. This is called insurance bad faith, and not only can you recover the value of your claim, but you may also be entitled to additional money damages caused by bad faith insurance practices. Examples of insurance bad faith may include:

Unreasonable delay processing the claim
Making an unreasonably low offer
Failing to investigate a claim
Canceling or rescinding a policy to avoid paying a claim
Denying a valid claim
Paying less than full value on a claim

INSURANCE CLAIMS ARE HARD; CALLING HALE LAW IS EASY

Insurance claims can be complicated, and the way you handle a claim or dispute can affect whether you are ultimately successful or not. Before you’re asked to make a recorded statement or sent for an examination under oath, contact Hale Law to discuss your issue with a dedicated Sarasota homeowner’s insurance attorney. Whether the insurance company has a good faith coverage dispute or is engaging in bad faith insurance practices, you can have faith in Hale Law to pursue your claim tirelessly, tenaciously and always in your best interests.