Unfortunately, storms happen in Louisiana with more frequency than anyone would like to see. Severe weather conditions, such as high wind, heavy rain, hail, and tornadoes, can create significant surface and structural damage to your home or business. When you suffer property damage after one of these severe weather occurrences, consider retaining our Marksville storm damage lawyer to protect your interests.
Should your homeowners’ insurance company or business property insurance company refuse to settle your claim in a fair or timely manner, our team is ready to provide professional representation for you. We can help you work through the often-confusing language in a property insurance policy.
We Understand the Frustration a Disputed Insurance Claim Can Cause for Property Owners
After you suffer property damage in a Louisiana storm, you expect your insurance company to give you a high level of service. After all, insurers always tout their friendly service on television commercials and in communications with you.
However, once you need to file a claim, you may find that the insurance company’s tune changes. For example, the insurer may question the level of damage from the storm you are claiming. They may use technicalities to try to delay paying your claim. They may even ignore your questions and concerns, leaving you feeling as if you have no recourse.
Rather than taking a lowball settlement offer and paying for your repairs out of pocket, you can hire a storm loss attorney from our firm to advocate for you.
Our Storm Damage Attorneys Are Ready to Help Combat the Bad Faith Tactics
Through many years of experience representing clients in the state of Louisiana and the Marksville area, we have a strong feel for how insurance companies operate after severe storms.
We will work hard to study the facts in your case to determine the best path forward. If your insurer is operating in bad faith, we will put together a strategy to combat these insurers’ unethical behaviors. Some examples of bad faith tactics from an insurance company include:
- Altering the terms of the policy without notifying you
- Creating new rules for you to follow when making a claim that are not part of the policy
- Misrepresenting the coverage rules in the policy to confuse you
- Delaying the payout process without a valid reason
- Threatening you with an insurance fraud charge for making an honest, simple mistake
- Failing to send an adjuster or investigator to the property in a timely manner
- Failing to set up your payment within 30 days after receiving your valid claim forms, as the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) requires
- Refusing to communicate with you when you or your legal representative have questions
- Threatening to cancel your policy
- Purposely undervaluing the damage to your home
- Wrongfully denying your claim
Our Marksville storm damage lawyers will aggressively pursue your right to fair compensation from your insurance company. After years of dealing with insurance companies, we know how to navigate these policies and will confidently work to protect your legal rights.
Reviews from Our Satisfied Marksville Clients
- “I’m sure they have hundreds of clients if not thousands but they honestly make me feel like the only client they have.” — Larry L.
- “Communication was great and they were always available to answer my questions. They truly fight for you and I’m very happy with how my case was resolved. I would definitely recommend their service to others.” — Charlene V.
- “The firm is very professional and caring. They were interested in not only my needs but my well being. The legal advice they provided moved me through a very difficult situation. I would seek help from them if needed in the future, and would also recommend them to anyone that asked.” — Adrianna Martinez
Laborde Earles injury was great for me they took care of me very fast and professional. If for any reason I need legal help they will be who I use.
ClientTypes of Reimbursable Items Your Insurance Policy May Cover
Surface damage such as dented siding, damaged roofing, and broken windows can allow rainwater and debris to enter your home and cause extensive damage. Structural damage affects the structural supports of your home, including beams, piles, and thefoundation. Either type of damage can significantly affect your home’s habitability and property value.
As a property owner, you need to educate yourself about exactly what kinds of storm damage your insurance policy covers. Some insurers may misrepresent what items have protection under the policy to avoid paying some parts of your claim. Common items for which you can receive payment from a storm loss include:
- Personal property items
- Building roof
- Building frame
- Walls
- Detached buildings
- Fencing on the property
- Removal of debris
- Cleanup costs
- Costs for temporary living arrangements
If you have suffered losses due to severe weather, you may be able to claim compensation for the above damages and more. A Marksville attorney from our firm can help you compile evidence and establish the value of your claim, even for highly complex insurance policies.
Let Us Help You Decipher Your Insurance Policy’s Wording
To prevent the insurance company from denying parts of your storm damage claim because of confusing wording in the policy, you should familiarize yourself with all aspects of your coverage.
If you are struggling to understand exactly what the policy says, or if you believe the insurer is misinterpreting the policy’s language, our team is ready to help. We can give you advice on how to proceed with your claim based on the exact language in your policy.
Things You Can Do to Support Your Claim
Your insurance company will require documented proof of the damage to your home. You can strengthen your claim by taking photos of the damage and documenting the items that were destroyed by the weather event. Try to keep damaged items separate from undamaged property so the insurance company can’t claim that you are seeking compensation for undamaged items.
In addition, you can reach out to a storm loss attorney for assistance. We can also help you compile the necessary evidence to pursue the compensation you deserve.
I thank God for Digger & David. I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t have been for them.
Rick Smith | ClientWhy Retain a Storm Damage Attorney for Help With My Claim?
All property owners want to believe the insurer will protect them in case of storm damage. Sometimes, this does happen. Other times, though, the insurance company simply does not ethically treat you like it should. Because we deal with these situations on behalf of our clients regularly, we have the experience that may give you an edge.
You pay a premium to maintain insurance coverage on your home, and your premium entitles you to coverage that is consistent with your policy contract. If your insurance company does not honor the terms of your insurance agreement, they should be held accountable, no matter how large the company.
An insurance company should not be able to renege on your policy just because they have a legal department committed to denying claims. Our Marksville storm damage lawyers will not hesitate to take on even the biggest insurance companies to help you secure the compensation you deserve.
You Can Focus on Putting Your Life Back Together
Significant property damage from a storm can leave your life turned upside down. You may have many things to try to work through in your personal life. And dealing with a stubborn insurance company might be more than you want on your plate at this point. While it may be tempting to just accept whatever settlement they’re willing to offer, you may end up paying significantly more out of pocket than necessary.
If you choose to retain our law firm, you can be confident that we will stand by your side from the start of the process to the conclusion. Hopefully, by allowing us to deal with the insurer on your behalf, you can spend more time focusing on the other aspects of your life that need attention.
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientDealing With Flooding Issues in Marksville, Louisiana
One of the most confusing aspects of making an insurance claim after a storm involves flooding. Very few homeowners’ policies include coverage for flooding, especially those written for property in Louisiana that often sees flooding.
Frequently, property owners in the Marksville area must purchase flood insurance as an add-on coverage. This may occur through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or a private insurer. Depending on the elevation of your home, your only option for flood insurance may be through FEMA, however.
Water Damage Claims That do Not Involve Flooding
A dispute with your insurance carrier may occur if you believe the water damage in your home or business occurred for a reason other than flooding. For example, perhaps high winds damaged the roof, allowing rainwater to enter the building. Perhaps the storm damaged a water pipe, causing significant water leakage and damage.
Insurance companies need to do a thorough inspection of the property after a storm with water damage. If the insurer simply assumes the water damage involved flooding without checking for other causes, this would be an example of operating in bad faith. Our legal team can help you present your version of events to the insurer.
They treated us like no other people would. Whenever we needed something they were there for us. I put my trust in them and I don’t regret it.
ClientWe Fight Hard to Protect the Rights of Our Clients Against Insurance Companies
At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, our Marksville team of attorneys has won judgments for our clients totaling more than $200 million over the years. We are ready to work tirelessly for you. Call us today for a free consultation.
