The impact of a hurricane on your business can be severe. If you’ve experienced damages to your commercial property due to a hurricane, obtaining compensation is crucial for rebuilding your life. Following a destructive storm, a hurricane damage lawyer can assist you in recovering the funds needed to begin to rebuild your business.
If you have suffered losses to your business due to a hurricane, getting help from an experienced attorney is the best way to recover the money you need. Contact us today to set up a free initial case evaluation with one of our Lafayette hurricane damage lawyers. We’ve created this guide to help commercial property owners with their hurricane damage claims.
Business Owners Can Face Challenges Recovering Compensation From Their Insurer After a Hurricane
While you likely have insurance coverage to protect your business in the event that anything should happen to your commercial property, that doesn’t mean you will have a smooth road to recovering damages after a hurricane. Policy exceptions may apply that affect your claim, or your insurer may act in bad faith in attempting to deny or devalue your claim.
Natural disasters, including hurricanes, can hit insurance companies hard, and they will often respond by fighting claims even more vigorously than normal to protect their bottom line. The sad truth is that these companies tend to frequently put their own financial interests ahead of the needs of the clients that their coverage is meant to protect.
If you filed a storm claim after suffering losses to your commercial property in a hurricane, an experienced attorney can help you hold your insurance provider accountable and ensure that your rights are protected.
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.
ClientProtecting Your Business From Potential Problems With a Hurricane Damage Claim
Insurance providers will look for any reason to deny or devalue your claim. The best way to ensure you are in a position to recover the full compensation you need and deserve for your losses is by taking steps before a storm hits.
Keeping Up Regular Maintenance and Repairs to Your Property
A common excuse insurers use to deny or devalue a claim is that there was pre-existing damage to the property, which either played a part in the damage caused by the hurricane or that the claims you are making are solely for damage that already existed.
The best way to fight these claims from your insurer is to carry out regular inspections of your property and perform regular maintenance to ensure everything is in working order and safe.
Carefully Documenting All Aspects of Your Business
In addition to documenting the maintenance you perform on your property, you should also ensure that you document everything else about your business, including maintaining a detailed inventory and receipts for everything on your property.
By keeping detailed records, your insurer will struggle to fight your claim. The more evidence you have to back up your claim, the better positioned you will be to recover the full value of your losses.
If your insurer still attempts to fight your claim, Louisiana’s Storm claim lawyer can help you secure the money you need. Your thorough documentation will make it easy for us to build a strong case on your behalf.
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 | ClientTake Action Before Time Runs Out
Knowing how long you have to file a claim after a hurricane is critical. In Louisiana, commercial property owners have 180 days to file an insurance claim following a hurricane or after a declared state of emergency has ended, allowing property owners to return to their businesses. This timeframe is specified in Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 22:1264.
The law also protects business owners from insurance companies acting in bad faith, such as automatically denying a claim due to a lack of proof of loss when circumstances make it difficult to gather evidence. Once you submit proof of your loss to your insurer, they have 60 days to review and pay your claim.
An experienced attorney can take steps to help ensure your insurance provider fulfills its obligations, complies with the law, and does not deny your storm claim prematurely. These legal protections are designed to support property owners who have incurred losses due to hurricanes when insurance companies fail to uphold their duty to their clients.
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientSteps to Take to Protect Your Business After Damage Done By a Hurricane
While you can take steps to minimize your losses in a hurricane, unfortunately, the power of these storms can still result in massive damage and significant losses. There are several things you should do if your property is damaged in a hurricane to put yourself in a position to recover the money you need to rebuild.
Inform Your Insurance Provider of the Damages
Notifying your insurance company of the losses you sustained as soon as possible after a hurricane will help speed up the process of recovery. These companies will be swarmed with claims after a hurricane, and filing early can put you at the front of the line to have your claim processed and receive compensation for your losses.
Document All Damage to Your Property
When you are able to return to your property after a hurricane, it’s critical that you document all the losses you incurred. Take photos of your property along with a video walkthrough of your property. Furthermore, you should create a spreadsheet of all the items that were destroyed and gather your receipts.
Don’t Make Any Unnecessary Repairs Until Your Claim Is Approved
While you may need to make some necessary temporary repairs to your property to prevent further damage, protect any undamaged property, and prevent injuries to visitors, you should not make any further repairs until your insurer has viewed the damages and approved your claim.
Submit Your Claim to Your Insurer
As soon as you have collected the evidence you need to prove your damages, you should file your claim with your insurer. In addition to having a limited amount of time to file, the sooner you submit your claim, the quicker you can get the money you need.
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.
ClientGet Help From Louisiana’s Storm Claim Attorney Today
If your insurance provider is attempting to delay, deny, or underpay your claim, it is important to reach out to an experienced attorney who can help you fight for the compensation you deserve. At Laborde Earles, we have secured more than $1 billion for our clients. Our team is committed to holding insurers accountable for the losses of their clients.
By following our guide to hurricane damage claims for commercial properties, you’ll be in a good position to get the money you need. Contact us today by completing our online contact form or giving us a call and set up your free case review. Feel free to check out the recorded testimonials from our clients to get a better idea of the type of service we provide.
