Was your home or business in Lake Charles, Louisiana, damaged or destroyed by a hurricane or named storm? Call the top-rated legal team at Hale Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. You can reach us at (337) 426-1071.
If you have hurricane insurance through your commercial or homeowner’s insurance policy, you can submit a claim to recover compensation to replace, repair, and rebuild your damaged property. Working with our Lake Charles hurricane insurance lawyers can help you force the insurance company to do the right thing and make you whole.
Reach out to our law office in Lake Charles to learn more. Your initial case review is free.
Why Trust Hale Injury Lawyers To Handle Your Hurricane Insurance Claim in Lake Charles, LA
Even though the insurance company has a legal duty to consider your hurricane insurance claim in good faith, don’t expect it to. Instead, know that hiring Hale Injury Lawyers will do more than level the playing field – it’ll make the insurance company think twice before offering anything less than a maximum settlement.
Injury victims in Lake Charles, Louisiana, trust our law firm to handle their insurance disputes because we’re:
- Award-winning Louisiana litigators with over six decades of collective experience
- Local to Lake Charles, so we understand the devastation and destruction a hurricane can cause
- Recognized by Super Lawyers, Top Lawyers in Acadiana, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, and TopVerdict.com for our commitment to our clients and record-setting case results
As former insurance defense attorneys, we know the insurance company’s playbook and the strategies they’ll deploy to stand between you and the hurricane insurance benefits you deserve. Benefit from our vast knowledge of insurance industry practices, in-depth understanding of the claims process, and cutting-edge legal strategies to make the most of your hurricane insurance claim.
Your first consultation with a Lake Charles hurricane insurance attorney is free, so call our law office for help today.
How Much Is My Hurricane Insurance Claim Worth?
Several factors can impact your hurricane insurance settlement. Important factors to consider include:
What Are the Terms of Your Hurricane Insurance Policy?
Homeowners’ insurance policies can cover between 50 and 70 percent of the value of your home if it’s damaged in a hurricane. In Louisiana, you can add hurricane, windstorm, and/or named storm insurance to your policy to enhance your coverage. You can also purchase flood insurance for added protection.
The amount of money you’ll be able to recover through a settlement will depend, in part, on which types of coverage you’ve purchased and the policy’s limits.
What’s Your Deductible?
A deductible is the amount you’re expected to pay out of pocket before your insurance company will pay benefits. Hurricanes, windstorms, and named storm insurance deductibles, which are triggered when wind speeds reach 74 MPH or a storm is named, usually range between two and five percent of your home’s value.
If your Lake Charles home was worth $500,000 before the hurricane and your deductible was two percent, you’d be expected to pay $10,000 out of pocket. Sometimes, hurricane insurance or named storm insurance deductibles can be a set amount, often ranging between $500 and $10,000.
It’s important to consider your anticipated deductible cost when calculating what your hurricane insurance claim is worth.
How Much Damage Has the Hurricane Caused?
Of course, the extent of the damage to your home (or business) will influence the amount of money you’re able to recover when you reach a settlement with the insurance company. The more extensive the damage, the more you can potentially get to conduct repairs and/or rebuild your losses.
The insurance company will try to deny your claim or offer the bare minimum. Don’t let them dictate the terms of your settlement. Instead, arm yourself with knowledge about your rights and losses, and force the insurance carrier to make you whole by trusting Hale Injury Lawyers to handle your claim.
What Compensation Can I Get by Filing a Hurricane Insurance Claim?
You can recover different types of compensation for different losses, depending on the type of insurance you’ve added to your homeowner’s policy to protect your assets in the event of a hurricane.
However, it’s common for hurricane insurance, flood insurance, and named storm insurance to collectively cover:
- Water damage caused by storm surges, heavy rains, and flooding (e.g., physical damage to property, mold, structural damage)
- Roof damage such as missing shingles, torn off metal sheeting, structural damage, and roof collapses
- Foundation damage
- Damaged siding
- Electrical damage
- Window and door damage
- Personal property damaged by the storm
- Damage to your yard and landscaping
Homeowners’ insurance won’t cover your car if it’s damaged in a hurricane. However, your car insurance policy should cover damage to your vehicle if you have comprehensive coverage.
How Can I Maximize My Hurricane Insurance Settlement?
While the insurance company works to minimize your recovery, there are steps you can take to enhance your claim’s value.
- Read up on your homeowner’s insurance policy and familiarize yourself with your coverage – know what coverage you’ve added and what it protects.
- Document any damage you discover to your home, personal property, and land – take pictures and record videos as proof.
- Create a comprehensive list of property and assets that have been damaged by the hurricane.
- Get preliminary estimates from contractors to understand what it’ll cost to repair the hurricane damage.
You’re much more likely to win your hurricane insurance claim and maximize your recovery if you’ve hired an experienced hurricane insurance attorney in Lake Charles, LA, to represent you. Your choice of representation matters, which is why you’ll want Hale Injury Lawyers in your corner.
We’re a powerhouse litigation firm known for smart, aggressive, and winning legal strategies. We’ve forced insurance companies and other powerful adversaries to pay our clients tens of millions in monetary awards. Trust us to help you maximize your hurricane insurance settlement, too.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Hurricane Insurance Attorney?
The hurricane has wreaked havoc on your life, your daily routine, and your bank account. Hiring a Louisiana hurricane insurance attorney to help you recover benefits shouldn’t add to the stress you’re under.
That’s why Hale Injury Lawyers represents hurricane insurance claimants on a contingent basis. Our fees are wholly based on our ability to win your hurricane insurance claim. We’ll only get paid when we recover compensation for you.
How Long Do I Have To File an Insurance Claim After a Hurricane in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
Under Louisiana state law, you’ll have up to 180 days from the date of a catastrophic event to submit a proof of loss to your insurance company. This essentially gives you about 6 months to file a claim with your hurricane insurance company.
If the statute of limitations expires before you’ve submitted your claim, you’ll lose the right to recover benefits from your hurricane insurance policy.
What if the Insurance Company Denies My Hurricane Insurance Claim?
Even though you have a contract, your homeowner’s insurance company might still try to deny your claim for hurricane insurance benefits.
The insurance company might deny your claim if:
- The policy wasn’t triggered by a qualifying event
- The damage you’ve experienced isn’t covered by your policy (e.g., you have water damage caused by flooding, but didn’t add flood insurance to your policy)
- The policy’s premiums haven’t been paid
- The policy has lapsed
If your claim is denied, you can ask the homeowner’s insurance company for a written explanation and, once that’s been reviewed, submit a formal written appeal. If the insurance company still denies your claim, an experienced Lake Charles personal injury attorney can help you take further legal action.
Insurance companies sometimes act in bad faith, which means that they deny claims or offer reduced payouts without a legitimate reason. In these situations, you may have the right to file a bad faith lawsuit against the provider to force them to pay the original claim and for additional harm you’ve suffered.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Lake Charles Hurricane Insurance Lawyer
Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage and turn your life upside down in Lake Charles, LA. Your homeowner’s insurance policy can cover some of your losses. If you added hurricane insurance, flood insurance, and/or named storm insurance to your policy, you can potentially recover a sizable monetary award to help you rebuild.
Hale Injury Lawyers can help you fight to maximize your recovery. Our Lake Charles hurricane insurance lawyers can offer the resources and experience you’ll need to force the insurance carrier to do the right thing. We offer a free consultation, so reach out as soon as possible.
