Now that Hurricane Irma has deescalated and run most of its course, many residents throughout South Carolina are assessing the damage it caused and making insurance claims. In Mt. Pleasant, Charleston, and the surrounding region, Hurricane Irma wrought havoc as a powerful tropical storm that brought plenty of rain and strong gusts of wind. Although the damage is not nearly as widespread as that in Georgia and Florida, it is entirely likely that many structures throughout southern South Carolina were damaged by rain inundation and wind strong enough to tear away paneling and tiles.
Insurance Company Menaces After Hurricane Irma
While assessing the damage to your property in Mt. Pleasant – please remember to only return after authorities have provided the “all clear” for your area or evacuation zone – be as thorough as possible when it comes to cataloguing and photographing damage. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to give as little coverage as possible, and even entirely denying claims, after a natural disaster like Hurricane Irma. With so much devastation caused by just one event, insurance companies know that there will be an influx in claim filings, which could mean handing out troves of money for coverage. Rather than being responsible and helping those in need, some dishonest insurance providers may attempt to use bad faith insurance tactics top reduce their own losses.
Common bad faith insurance strategies used by insurance companies following natural disasters:
- Denying claims: The most egregious and harmful bad faith insurance tactic is denying a hurricane damage claim without any due cause. In situations where this occurs, the insurer will probably send a letter of denial but not pair it with a list of their reasons why, or will be vague at best. Unfortunately, many people will be tricked by this bad faith insurance since they do not know the full extent of their rights and legal options.
- Delaying investigations: In order to get an accurate assessment of the damage and how much it will cost to repair everything, an investigation must be carried out by an insurance adjuster as soon as possible. Waiting too long will make it difficult to determine what was caused by Hurricane Irma and what was a preexisting problem. Bad faith insurance is carried out when an insurance company intentionally delays its investigation or other portions of the handling of a claim.
- Offering lowball amounts: Insurance adjusters may be encouraged to knowingly undervalue the cost of repairs and total damages when investigating Hurricane Irma insurance claims. If you are told that you can receive a coverage amount that seems suspiciously low, you might be facing bad faith insurance.
Take Control of the Situation with Our Firm
Dishonest insurance companies that use bad faith insurance fear one thing in particular: honest bad faith insurance attorney. At Lawton Law Firm, our Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina civil litigation lawyer is defenders of the rights of the people. If you are being mistreated or your case is mishandled by your insurance provider when you try to file a Hurricane Irma claim, you can depend on us to give you the power and confidence to stand up and seek justice for fair coverage or compensation.
Contact our law firm as soon as you suspect bad faith insurance has manipulated your hurricane damage claim and caused you financial harm.