Homeowners throughout South Florida are still making insurance claims
for damage from Hurricane Irma. Many did not realize that the storm had
damaged their home until months later when water stains began appearing
on their ceilings. This was the situation for a homeowner who made a
claim with her insurance company for roof damage more than a year after
Hurricane Irma. Her insurance company sent an adjuster to inspect the
damage, which included cracked tiles on various parts of the roof. A few
weeks after the inspection, the insurance company denied the claim,
explaining that the damage observed was not enough to exceed the $5,000
deductible.
The homeowner contacted us. She has been
told by several roofing contractors that the roof could not be repaired
and that a roof replacement would cost more than $50,000. The homeowner
was first surprised to find out that law firms, like Spicer &
Chambers, P.A., would investigate her claim, let her know what her
options were, and represent her at no out-of-pocket cost. This is
possible because, in many situations, Florida Statute 627.428 requires
the insurance company to pay for an insured’s attorney’s fees.
Ultimately,
it was determined that to properly restore her property, the entire
roof would have to be replaced. The homeowner learned that replacing the
individual broken roof tiles was not possible because the tiles were no
longer manufactured. The homeowner also learned that partial repairs
would not be sufficient because Florida Statute 626.9744 requires the
insurance company to cover the cost of matching any replaced roof tiles
with materials that match adjoining portions of the roof. She also
learned specific building code requirements must be met when repairs are
made. Because of these statutes and code provisions, the insurance
company was responsible for paying for the replacement cost of the
entire roof, not just the broken tiles they had told the homeowner were
all that needed to be replaced.
With a law firm’s involvement, the insurance company reversed course of its denial and agreed to pay for the client’s entire roof to be replaced. The insurance company also paid for the client’s attorney’s fees and costs.
With a law firm’s involvement, the insurance company reversed course of its denial and agreed to pay for the client’s entire roof to be replaced. The insurance company also paid for the client’s attorney’s fees and costs.\
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sponsored/20190120/attorney-can-help-with-denied-hurricane-claim