Texas Hurricane Damage and Insurance Claims Attorney
Hurricane season goes strong within the Atlantic Basin. It's just
another thing to feature to the list of potential hazards that cause personal
injury and structural damage in 2020. Texas has now experienced their
first significant hurricane with Hurricane Laura, which made landfall
near the Louisiana and Texas border as a Category 4 hurricane.
Year over year, Texas sees its justifiable share of hurricanes and tropical
storms. However, communities still haven't fully recovered from Hurricane
Harvey's turmoil and financial damage in 2017. That's why it's
more important than ever, given the tenuous times we live in, that Texans
understand why a Houston hurricane attorney could be in their best interest.
If you're on the Texas Gulf Coast, or other areas of Texas susceptible
to hurricanes, you'll want to take a position during a Texas hurricane
lawyer; here's why:
Why hire a Texas hurricane lawyer?
Hurricane Harvey was the second-costliest hurricane in our history between
1900 and today, and it could happen again. The storm, which made landfall
in Texas, affected many property owners. It wrecked homes, cars, and lives
in its path at an unprecedented level for Texans.
But it didn't stop there. Harvey's devastation broke another record,
too. It had been the wettest hurricane in history, releasing a frightening
27 trillions of plenty of water onto Texas because it raged through Texas,
devastating what was in its path.
In the aftermath of Harvey, Texas saw new laws passed that made it harder
for plaintiffs to settle a lawsuit over an insurance damage claim with
the full payment of their legal fees. Steeper penalties also applied to
insurance companies, intending to reduce the number of frivolous suits
through Texas courthouses.
For survivors of Hurricane Harvey and future natural disasters in Texas,
this suggests new things to think about when making claims and seeking
payment for damages. Sometimes a Houston hurricane attorney could also
make sure you receive adequate compensation for property damage on insurance claims.
With many thousands of Hurricane Harvey claims, the Texas government initiated
a "Help After Harvey" program that's geared at helping consumers
get payments from insurance companies. If nothing else, that punctuates
how important it's to possess representation in Texas if you plan
to hunt damages on insurance claims that are drawn out, underpaid, or
denied altogether.
Texas Insurance Law: Hurricane Coverage
Texas is one of several states that need certain hurricane losses to be
covered by a hurricane deductible. This is often a separate deductible
from one homeowner who would file for more typical property damage and
casualties. Texas requires insurers that cover a policyholder to supply
coverage of injury thanks to windstorms. This is often referred to as
windstorm insurance and is out there through private insurers who operate
in Texas or via the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA).
Secondarily, Texans can buy flood insurance. Texas law doesn't require
policyholders to possess flood insurance. However, suppose someone is
buying a replacement house on a real estate loan. In that case, their
lender may require flood insurance as a condition of the loan in exceptionally
high-risk areas. While windstorm coverage is applied to any damage that
would are avoided if the wind hadn't damaged a structure, it doesn't
account for flood damage sustained through unsealed doors and windows
and other vulnerabilities within the home that don't stem from wind
damage. For this reason, it's favorable that Texas homeowners in risky
areas invest flooding insurance, albeit they don't need to.
When should I hire a hurricane lawyer in Texas?
If you're in Houston, or any a part of Texas for that matter, you
ought to call a claim attorney immediately if you experience any of the
following:
Longer than typical time to listen to back from insurance adjusters on
your claim
Outright denial of a hurricane-related claim by your homeowner's insurance
Asked to accept an amount much less than the worth of the hurricane damage claim
Receive misinformation or believe the corporate could also be operating
in bad faith
Any of those might be a red flag. In Texas, hurricane attorneys are essential
to make sure your needs as a policyholder are met.
Hurricane Harvey Insurance Claims
Looking back at hurricane damage insurance claims filed under Hurricane
Harvey, Texans can get a thought of what quite vulnerabilities to their
home they ought to be careful for. Here's an inventory of various
sorts of hurricane damage that would affect your home:
Damage and destruction of buildings, homes, businesses, and structures
Flooding of residences and businesses
Hurricane damage affecting rooftops and windows
Water damage from exposure to elements thanks to wind damage
Structural damage to the building infrastructure
Wind and fire damage caused by hurricane conditions
Total loss of private and business inventory
Alternative living expenses and lost profit
Agricultural losses, like livestock or seasonal crops
Losses are often severe or maybe life-altering. That's why you shouldn't
wait to contact an attorney to represent your hurricane damage claim against
insurance companies who act in bad faith or make mistakes when handling
your request.
How To Hire A Hurricane Lawyer In Texas
When you hire a hurricane lawyer in Texas, you would like to form sure
you come prepared. That's why the method of hiring an attorney is
more of a process of what to try before you create the decision. Hiring
an attorney is straightforward, but pursuing your claim could take longer
if you aren't prepared. Here's the way to hire an attorney in
Texas, starting with what steps you ought to take before you call:
Step 1: Document Damage
It's essential to itemize damage and document the extent of your losses.
Once it's safe to examine your home, do so by surveying the whole
family and taking pictures of the damage and creating an inventory of
inventory and determining where you experienced losses. These are belongings
your insurance firm will likely want to ascertain to handle your claim,
and are essential preparations for any attorney who goes to require on
the insurance firm.
Step 2: Be Prompt and Timely
Don't wait to start out documenting damage. Once it's safe, begin
assessing your property and taking photos directly. If the damage changes
over time, as an example, unstable roof caves in, take pictures of the
hurricane's progression damage to pointing out the extent of injury
from once you started the claim onward.
Step 3: Take Photos Of All Damage
No damage is just too small when it involves preparing to rent an attorney.
Please take pictures of all injuries and losses regardless of how insignificant
you feel it's going to be. When it requires hurricane damage, it's
better to possess more documentation than not enough.
Step 4: Photograph Different Angles
Expanding on the point, don't stop at one photograph of a damaged
area. Instead, get an image from every angle you'll. And take close-ups,
also as pictures from farther away. The goal is to completely record the
extent of the damage and confirm that your attorney can see every part
of the damage to your home. Then can the insurance firm assist you in
avoiding an insurance dispute?
Step 5: Photograph with Proper Lighting.
Hurricane damage to crawlspaces, attics, basements, and other areas that
will not be lit is often tricky to photograph. When you're assessing
for property damage claims, confirm to try so during the day when there's
any sunlight. If you're photographing a neighborhood that doesn't
get tons of sunshine, think about using a flashlight, or merely your camera
flash to form sure you've got documentation that's usable.
Step 6: Find the Proper Attorney.
When hurricane damage gets bad, policyholders, like business owners or
homeowners, should hire an attorney directly before an insurance dispute
occurs. But how does one know whom to hire? Search for these qualities
during a hurricane lawyer to service all of your legal policy needs in
Houston, Galveston, Rockport, or wherever you're on the Gulf Coast:
Experience: Your attorney should have a history of successful cases where
they represented Texans with insurance claims.
Reputation: Attorneys know their reputation is everything. Before selecting
an attorney, confirm you are doing a reputation check by watching reviews
online and asking around to friends and family.
Appraisal: an honest hurricane damage claims attorney will send only the
foremost experienced public adjusters and appraisers to examine the damage
on your home and make sure you get what you would like to repair it. Your
attorney knows insurance companies will have an adjuster working for them,
and you ought to too.
Specialization: When handling hurricane damage, it's essential to
figure with someone who understands Texas insurance law, your policy,
and how it applies to policyholders. Whether you're a homeowner, business
owner, or both, your attorney should be ready to show you cases like yours
that they need successfully prosecuted.
Integrity: an honest attorney operates with a high level of integrity.
That's especially important for Texas hurricane lawyers who often
try cases where the court has got to determine the result of an insurance
dispute and if an insurance firm acted in bad faith. This needs A level
of skill, tact, and integrity when presenting allegations that may be damaging.
Relationship: Establishing rapport and trust are essential to the attorney-client
relationship. Consider how easy it's to speak with the attorney and
the way you feel once you do. If you determine rapport early, odds are
you'll be ready to establish a cushty relationship together with your attorney.
By prioritizing experience, reputation, specialization, integrity, and
relationship, you'll make sure the absolute best attorney is handling
your case. That's precisely what you get once you partner with the
firm of Eric Dick with Dick Law Firm PLLC.
Houston Hurricane Attorney: Support For Your Home and Business
The hurricane damage and insurance lawyers at the law offices of Eric
Dick with Dick Law Firm PLLC know that your claim is vital. That's
why we've experts waiting to talk to you about hurricane damage in
Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Rockport, and, therefore, the surrounding
Gulf Coast areas. If you're in Texas and wish a hurricane attorney,
don't wait, contact Eric Dick with Dick Law Firm PLLC so that we will
start on your claim today. Hurricane Laura caused catastrophic damage
from not only wind but flooding thanks to storm surge. Nobody wants to
ascertain the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Ike, or
Hurricane Laura. However, if it does occur, you would like the law offices
of Eric Dick with Dick Law Firm PLLC to be fighting for you. Call us today
for a confidential free consultation with the hurricane property damage
claim experts.