In March of this year, a severe storm swept through Alabama, leaving power outages, downed trees, and highly damaged homes. Dealing with damage from severe tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, or other natural disasters can be extremely difficult and frustrating. Homeowners take out homeowners' insurance to be financially protected from devastating storms. Unfortunately, many insurance companies act in bad faith and deny legitimate storm damage claims, delay payment, or make settlement offers that are too low.
What Does Storm Insurance Cover?
Every homeowner or commercial building insurance policy is different. It is important to work with an attorney who can review all your policy details and help you understand your rights under it. Some policies are basic and do not cover any time of flood damage from a sewer backup or storm surge, limiting the amount of compensation you can pursue in your insurance claim. Other policies are broader, and do you have wind, flood, and hurricane coverage? You may have purchased additional coverage for wind and flood insurance in addition to the original policy. If you are not sure what type of damage is covered, an attorney can help you understand the following:
- Whether you have wind, flood, hurricane, and/or sewer backup insurance coverage
- What is your deductible, and your hurricane damage deductible is higher
- Whether your policy covers the current replacement cost of your property or the price you paid for your property years ago (actual cash value)
- The limits of your insurance policy and the terms of the maximum compensation you can pursue
Bad Faith Insurance Practices After Storms
If you suspect that your insurance company is denying payment of your storm damage claim, it may be acting in bad faith. Insurance companies cannot unlawfully deny claims, create unnecessary red tape to delay paying claims, or undervalue your property. Suppose you are still at odds with your insurance company after the damage you have experienced from an Alabama storm. In that case, the insurance company will probably not correct its errors on its own. After large storms, insurance companies have thousands of claims to pay out. Whenever possible, they will try to avoid paying out damages to keep their profits as high as possible. We recommend discussing your case with an insurance claims attorney to resolve the issue.
At Heninger Garrison Davis, our insurance attorneys have seen many insurance companies deny paying claims they are required to pay or try to pay out as little as possible by undervaluing our clients’ properties or the damages they have incurred. We know how frustrating it can be to be waiting for compensation to repair your home or other property after a storm. Our attorneys know how to hold insurance companies accountable. When necessary, we are prepared to go to court to enforce your legal rights. Our litigators have extensive experience taking on powerful insurance companies and corporate defendants.
Demanding Additional Damages for Bad Faith Practices
Under Alabama law, insurance companies must handle claims honestly. They must have a reasonable justification for denying claims, and they cannot unreasonably delay paying them. Dishonest insurance companies or corporate defendants may try to deny reimbursement pay claims without valid reasoning to cut their losses. When insurance companies act in bad faith, victims have a right to sue for damages.
Depending on the facts of your case, we may be able to demand additional damages on your behalf if the insurance company is wrongfully denied, underpaid, or only paid after an unnecessary delay. You may still be able to file a claim for additional damages even if you have already accepted compensation from your insurance provider in order to begin repairs to your property. Similarly, if you were paid a fair amount, but your insurance provider acted in bad faith at any point during the process, you may still be entitled to additional damages from the insurance company.
Our Bad Faith Insurance Attorneys are Here to Help
Dealing with damage from a storm in Alabama is overwhelming. Going through all of your receipts, gathering your documents, and putting together a claim is difficult, especially when you are not living in your home because it is damaged. You do not have to go through the insurance process alone. If the insurance company denies your claim, trying to pay you less than the fair value of your claim, you will benefit from having an experienced attorney on your side. Contact the skilled insurance attorneys at Heninger Garrison Davis to schedule your free initial consultation and learn more about how we can represent your interests.
