Naples Property Damage & Casualty Claims Lawyer
Florida Insurance Claims Lawyer Handling Property Damage and Casualty Claims in Naples
Nobody wants to think about the possibility of their house, condominium, or apartment sustaining serious property damage as a result of inclement weather or another party’s intentional wrongdoing or reckless behavior. For most people in Southwest Florida, property damage is angering and frustrating, but homeowners’ insurance or renters’ insurance, or in some cases casualty coverage depending upon the cause of the property damage, can provide compensation. Yet seeking compensation for property damage through an insurance claim can be complicated, and it is important to understand rights and responsibilities under Florida law. An experienced Naples property damage/casualty claims lawyer can help.
What Are Property Damage and Casualty Claims in Florida?
What are property damage and casualty claims in Florida? Generally speaking, property damage claims are any type of insurance claim for damage to your property instead of to your person (such as an insurance claim for bodily injury in a motor vehicle collision). Property damage claims are most often filed under homeowners’ insurance or renters’ insurance policies in the state. In some cases, property damage claims can also involve physical injury to the person, but the central focus of the claim is compensation for property damage.
Casualty claims are those brought under casualty insurance, which is a type of insurance policy that provides liability coverage in the event that the policyholder is responsible for injuries to another person or to their property. In Florida, as in most other states, property and casualty insurance are usually part of the same policy.
Types of Property Damage and Casualty Claims in Naples, Florida
There are many different types of property damage claims that a person might file in Southwest Florida, including but not limited to the following:
- Hurricane damage;
- Fire damage;
- Lightning damage;
- Roof damage;
- Flooding or flood damage;
- Water damage;
- Theft loss;
- Third-party auto insurance claim for damage to a motor vehicle; and
- Bad faith claims for failure to investigate or pay property damage/casualty claims.
Key Things to Know About Naples Property Damage and Casualty Claims
While you should always discuss the particularities of your case with an insurance claims lawyer in Southwest Florida, the following are a few key things to know about property damage and casualty claims in the state:
- Sinkhole coverage is not automatic on homeowners’ insurance policies, although it must be offered as an option;
- Flood insurance is required for some homes, but not all homes, in Southwest Florida;
- Most insurance claims must be investigated and the insured must be provided with a decision from the insurer within 90 days about whether the claim was approved or denied;
- Insurance company’s failure to investigate a claim or to provide a timely decision could amount to bad faith;
- Denied property damage/casualty claims can be appealed; and
- Property damage claims must be made within two years from the date the property damage occurred, which is a shortened statute of limitations following the passage of a recent law in Florida.
Contact Our Naples Property Damage/Casualty Insurance Claims Attorneys
If you need assistance with a property damage/casualty claim, whether it involves filing an initial claim, appealing a denial of benefits, or filing a bad faith claim, the attorneys at Cardinal Law, P.A. can assist you. An experienced Naples property damage/casualty insurance claims lawyer at our firm can speak with you today about your case and your options for getting the insurance coverage you need and deserve. Contact Cardinal Law, P.A. to learn more about how we can assist you.