When you own property, you purchase insurance to help protect your investment if anything were to ever happen to it. When something does go wrong, the last thing you want to do is worry about your insurance company being difficult – or worse, denying your claim altogether.
Unfortunately, property insurance claim denials are more common than you might think. Here are a few of the most common reasons claims are denied.
Damage Not Covered by Your Insurance
Property insurance doesn’t cover everything, and the damage you sustained may not be covered by your specific policy. Standard issues covered by property insurance include damage that results from wind, lightning, or fire. However, some types of damage may be covered only by an optional add-on that is not a part of a standard policy.
Common add-ons include:
- Flooding
- Sinkhole
- Earthquake
If an event damages your home that isn’t covered by your policy, it will be denied.
That’s why if your claim is denied and you feel that it shouldn’t have been, it is vital that you contact an attorney. Proper analysis of a claim is based upon the terms of the policy and the applicable law, as applied to all of the facts surrounding the claim. An insurance attorney can help to investigate and understand all of these factors to try to show that the claim should be covered.
The Claim Isn’t Filed on Time
You could have the best intentions to file your claim promptly, but sometimes deadlines can be missed — especially when you’re dealing with a disaster. Unfortunately, you can have an property insurance claim denied if you don’t file your claim on time.
Deadlines for filing a claim vary based upon the terms of the policy and the circumstances. Understand the terms of your policy to ensure you file on time.
The Premium Wasn’t Paid
Another very common reason for property insurance claim denials is simply that the homeowner forgot to pay their premium. That means that they didn’t actually have coverage when they thought they did.
Always make sure to pay your premiums on time so that your property is protected. Missing payments can also damage your credit rating, so it’s important to keep that in mind.
No one wants to have their property insurance claim denied, but it does happen. Other reasons include not documenting the damage well enough, which often happens to people who do not have experience following claim filing regulations or properly documenting a claim.
Sometimes though, insurers overstep in an attempt to avoid paying. If you think your claim has been denied without reason, contact the Florida Professional Law Group today. We’re here to help. There are no costs or fees if we don’t recover, meaning we don’t get paid unless you get paid. We have a full team of attorneys, claims specialists, support staff, and even a client services team available to guide you through this process. We also assist property owners with new, delayed, and underpaid insurance claims. Contact us for a free consultation by submitting this form or calling our Insurance Claims Helpline: 800-LAW-4141.
