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How Can a Lawyer Help with Your Insurance Claim?

On Behalf of | Mar 24, 2017 | Insurance Claims |

When your insurance company is being unreasonable, there comes a point when you need to get aggressive about enforcing the terms of your policy and your rights under Florida’s insurance laws. If your insurer is refusing to investigate or pay the full value of your claim, there is only so much you can do on your own. At some point, to move your claim forward and hold your insurance company accountable, you will need to hire an attorney.

What can an attorney do for you? How can an attorney help when you have not been able to make progress on your own? There are a few different answers.

3 Reasons to Hire a Lawyer for Your Insurance Claim

1. Providing the Documentation Needed to Support Your Claim

The first way an attorney can help is by making sure you have done everything necessary to be entitled to payment under your policy. Some insurance companies tend to be less than forthright about the documentation you need to submit, and adjusters oftentimes will not effectively communicate what they need from you in order to process your claim.

From photographs to the proof of loss form required under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), an attorney can help make sure you have submitted everything required to put the ball in your insurance company’s court. An experienced attorney will know what you need to provide and will not need to wait on your adjuster to provide answers.

2. Negotiating a Settlement with Your Insurance Company

Second, if you hire an attorney, he or she will be able to negotiate with your insurance company for a fair settlement. The goal is to get paid in full as quickly as possible, and if you are being stonewalled an attorney will be able to help you break through. An attorney experienced in handling insurance claims will know not only how to get through to the insurance companies, but also how to accurately calculate your losses so that you do not unknowingly settle for less than you deserve.

3. Taking Legal Action for Breaches and Bad Faith

Third, if your insurance company simply refuses to meet its obligations, your attorney will be able to take it to court. While this may sound like an extraordinary step, the reality is that individuals and businesses regularly sue their insurance companies, and taking legal action is often the only way to get an insurance company to pay what is rightfully owed. Filing a lawsuit for breach of contract, insurance bad faith or any of the variety of other potential claims policyholders can have against their insurers will often spur settlement negotiations as well. In fact, most insurance disputes settle prior to trial.

Contact the Broward County Insurance Claim Lawyers at Saavedra | Goodwin

If you would like to speak with a lawyer about your property damage claim in South Florida, we encourage you to get in touch. To schedule a confidential initial consultation, call Saavedra | Goodwin at (954) 928-9568 or request an appointment online today.

Founding Partners Damaso W. Saavedra and Allyson D. Goodwin

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