Homeowner Insurance Claims

The Stephan Lopez Law Firm can examine your policy to determine your coverage and any payment(s) the company is required to make. We will thoroughly investigate your case and employ the necessary experts if need be to get you the best possible result.

Dealing with insurance companies is difficult. These companies have made the process of filing and collecting on insurance claims a very intimidating process, with the hopes that most policyholders will abandon their claims, especially after being denied compensation.

Our goal is to streamline the process of disputing insurance claims to help you the homeowner receive the full amount available under your policy.

Determining whether the damage incurred is covered by the homeowner’s insurance contract is one of the most common issues presented by insurance claim disputes.

Typically, homeowner’s insurance covers property damage (including residential premises, unattached structures, and personal property) as a result of unexpected events such as fire, wind, hail, vandalism, and theft; however, coverage will be determined by the policyholder’s specific insurance policy coverages. Some polices also cover accidental water damage not caused by flooding. 

There are five standard residential insurance policies, each covering different types of damage. It is important to note that flood insurance is not included in homeowner’s insurance and must be purchased separately.  If you live in a flood prone area please ask your insurance agent about purchasing separate flood insurance.

If your claim has been denied, the first thing to know is that insurance companies do this routinely notwithstanding the merit of your claim.  Insurance companies are for-profit businesses and will do all they can to help avoid paying claims. If a home has been damaged, the insurance company may offer a low-ball settlement or deny the claim altogether.

To avoid paying claims, the insurance company will claim that the damage exceeds the scope of the policy. They also blame the damage on factors other than those covered by the policy, such as age of the roof or wear and tear or they will offer a low-ball settlement should they determine it is a valid, unavoidable claim by minimizing the amount of the actual damage and or the actual cost of repairs. 

Here are some tactics that insurance companies may use to make it harder to receive money for damages sustained in a storm:

• Denial that insurance coverage even exists;
• Denial of your claim because your claim is excluded or partially excluded under your policy;
• Denial of a part of your claim;
• Refusing to pay you under one coverage category, instead attempting to force you to settle under other policy coverage categories;
• Trying to lowball you with undervalued estimates, offers, or payments;
• Requiring a written release of any supplemental claim as a condition of settlement or payment on your claim;
• Writing “full” or “final” on the check for payment when you reasonably believe that you have a supplemental or additional claim for that loss

There may be various filing deadlines that apply under the terms of your policy.  If you encounter any of those problems — or any other dispute with your insurance provider — handling it on your own may be long drawn-out and difficult process.

Don’t hesitate to contact us case review form for a free, no-risk case evaluation.

Call us right away and don’t let the time pass. We want to hold your insurance company accountable, and to give you the opportunity to get your life back on track.

Homeowner Insurance Claims – F.A.Q