As a homeowner in South Florida, you know you need homeowner’s insurance. But, do you know why (aside from the fact that your mortgage company requires it)? While many homeowners put little thought into their coverage options, making informed decisions about your home insurance policy can be critical to making sure you are able to rely on your coverage when you need it. Read More

When your home is damaged in a storm or other casualty event, you only have a limited amount of time to file a claim with your insurance company. If you wait too long, your insurance company may be justified in denying your claim entirely. However, this is not the only timeframe homeowners need to be worried about – especially since most homeowner’s file their insurance claims right away. There is also a statute of limitations that applies to lawsuits against homeowner’s insurance companies; and, if you are not aware of this limitations period, your insurance company may be able to use it against you. Read More

When you buy homeowner’s insurance, you don’t expect it to cover everything. But, you might expect it to cover more than it actually does. While homeowner’s policies often start with broad coverage language, this language is subject to a laundry list of exclusions; and, in order to have these excluded perils covered, homeowners must pay extra for “endorsements.” Read More

If you own a condo in South Florida, your condo association’s insurance policy should provide coverage for any damage to your home. Florida law imposes strict coverage requirements for condo associations; however, for individual unit owners, purchasing home insurance is no longer required. So, if you own a condo, should you still purchase home insurance? Read More

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season is over, and as we await the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) first predictions for the 2019 season – which will be released on May 1 – it is worth taking a look back at what we learned last year. With a total of 15 named storms, including a record seven storms eventually classified as subtropical, 2018’s total storm activity, “fell within NOAA’s predicted ranges in [its] pre-season outlook issued in late May [but] was more active than predicted in the updated outlook issued in early August.” Read More

It is the holiday season, and now that it has been several months since Hurricane Michael passed through Florida, some homeowners are starting to receive settlement checks from their insurance companies. But, while it may seem that these checks are coming at the perfect time, homeowners need to be careful to avoid resolving their claims too soon. Read More

From noteworthy court decisions to the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Michael, it has been another busy year in the world of property insurance claims and litigation. Here is a recap of 10 of our top articles from throughout the year: Read More

If you have flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and you receive a denial of coverage, or the coverage you receive is inadequate to cover your flood-related losses, what options do you have available? Unfortunately, this is a question that many policyholders are forced to ask, as NFIP payouts often fall short of homeowners’ expectations. Read More

As an insured homeowner, if you get displaced from your home as a result of damage sustained in a hurricane, storm or other casualty event, the “additional living expense” clause in your insurance policy is designed to help cover the costs you incur as a result of relocating to temporary housing. But, insurance companies will often attempt to deny coverage or pay less than the full amount to which policyholders are entitled; and, as a result, it is important to make sure you have a clear understanding of your right to “ALE” coverage. Read More

One of the most complicated (and most frustrating) issues involved with substantial homeowner’s insurance claims is the issue of “concurrent cause.” Under standard homeowner’s insurance policy language, if two factors concurrently cause property damage and one factor is covered while the other is not, then the insurer has the right to deny coverage based upon concurrent causation. Read More