Hurricane ETA is on her way through Florida and seems to be circling back for another pass. Weather forecasts are having trouble predicting what path ETA will take next and the models seem to be changing often. One thing we know for sure is that Hurricane ETA will cause damage to homes.
Damage caused by Hurricane ETA can be handled if you are prepared.
Homeowners should be prepared to face the storm, and to contact their homeowner’s insurance company as soon as the storm passes; to make sure they are fairly and quickly compensated for damage caused by Hurricane ETA.
Important Hurricane Damage Claim Information
House Flooding is Not Covered: That’s right, most homeowners are shocked to learn that their home insurance plan, and hurricane protection, does not cover flooding damage. IMPORTANT: water that comes into the house from the roof, rain, or pipes, is covered, but flooding from the ground is not. If you want flooding covered, you have to purchase it.
Car Flooding IS Covered: Yes, this is kind of strange. Car insurance DOES cover flooding from a hurricane. If you have any problems with this, speak to a car insurance lawyer.
You MUST Begin Documenting Right Away: All the damage caused by Hurricane Eta must be documented as thoroughly as possible. Take pictures, make notes, and be sure to keep a log of any and all repairs and payments you had to make after Eta passed.
You Homeowners Insurance May Cover Accommodation: You may be able to get your temporary accommodation covered by your homeowner’s insurance company. Discuss this with your insurance adjuster before you go to a hotel and start charging everything to the room.
Be Prepared to Wait: After Hurricane ETA passes, your insurance company will likely be flooded with calls about house damage. Be patient but persistent. If you can work on emails as well as phone calls, then do! Emails are a great way to keep insurance companies accountable. But be sure to call as well and put yourself on their radar as they deal with the calls claiming damage caused by Hurricane Eta.
How House Damage Layers Help
Most homeowners decide to work with their insurance adjuster first to agree on a dollar amount needed to fix and repair home damage that resulted from the hurricane. And that can work sometimes. But if you find yourself arguing for repairs and compensation, but getting nowhere, then Florida homeowners should consider speaking to a hurricane house damage lawyer as soon as possible.
Expert Negotiators: Property damage lawyers have years of experience dealing with homeowner’s insurance adjusters to make sure that their clients get the most money possible for any damage caused by Hurricane ETA.
Your Policy Analyzed: Once you sign on to work with a property damage lawyer, provide the lawyer with your homeowner’s insurance policy, which is analyzed, with special attention paid to your hurricane damage protection.
Lawyers Know How to File: The law is a messy and confusing world. But, ignorance of the law is not an excuse for not getting the compensation you deserve. So, learn how to file a property damage claim after a hurricane, or simply let your lawyer take care of that stuff for you.
Free Home Independent Inspection: A good home damage lawyer will send an independent home inspector to evaluate the damage caused by Hurricane ETA. That inspector will write up their own report that the lawyer can use to ensure you get every penny you are owed.
You Don’t Pay Until It’s Over: Property damage lawyers will not collect a fee until after the case is concluded, at which time, the lawyers fee will only come out as a percentage of the fee that you collect. Often, lawyers ensure that you make more than 3X more than you would, which means that on average, you will likely earn more for your home damage claim, even after the fee is deducted. (Lawyers.com)
You are entitled to hurricane damage coverage through your home insurance and you should work with your insurance adjuster to ensure that all your home repairs are covered through your policy.
Areas of Florida Affected by Hurricane Eta
Eta is predicted to strengthen in the Gulf (Sun-Sentinel). If that is the case, the damage caused by Hurricane Eta will likely be worse than what we are currently projecting.
- Key West
- Naples
- Miami
- Tampa
- Fort Lauderdale
- West Palm Beach
- Boynton Beach
- Okeechobee
- Port St. Lucie
- Fort Myers
Make sure you prepare your home for Hurricane Eta.
Although Northern and Central Florida has been relatively untouched by Hurricane Eta, flooding has been the biggest cause of the damage so far in South Florida. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and even West Palm Beach have been soaked by nonstop rain for the past few days and flooding could be getting worse.
About the Author
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients.
He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels.
Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients. He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels. Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.