Attorney at Law Magazine partners with lawyers to provide the most up-to-date information about hurricane damage claims and options to connect with a lawyer to move forward with your claim.
When you signed up for your insurance policy, you were most likely required to pay extra to maintain hurricane coverage. Over the years, you’ve diligently paid your bill. Then the unthinkable happens and you actually need to turn to your insurance company for help paying for your property damage.
Insurance companies are in the business of making a profit. They employ a staff of lawyers and adjusters to ensure that the claims paid out don’t undercut their profit. To ensure you get what you’re owed, bringing your own team of professionals to the process is essential.
Homeowners could employ the services of a lawyer and/or a public adjuster to fight for their rights against the insurance company. Lawyers provide all the same services as a public adjuster AND they’re able to provide you with legal advice regarding your coverage under your insurance policy. Additionally, if your claim is not settled and a lawsuit must be filed to obtain the insurance coverage you deserve, you will be required to retain an attorney.
If you hire a public adjuster before a lawyer, you will have to pay a percentage of the recovery you receive to both the public adjuster and the attorney. By hiring a lawyer from the beginning, you know they’ll be able to take your claim all the way and keep more of your own recovery.
Most hurricane damage lawyers work on contingency and you won’t need to pay for their services until they obtain a settlement from your insurance company. The lawyer will be paid a percentage of your total recovery amount. They won’t be paid until you’re paid.
On average, the lawyer will receive 10% of the total recovery for most hurricane damages claims. The exception to this rule is flood damage claims, for which lawyers will generally receive 40% of the total recovery. This higher rate is because these claims are under the jurisdiction of the federal courts.
When a case is litigated, the upfront costs for the lawyer are quite significant. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the recovery will be enough to compensate the lawyer for their out-of-pocket costs. Due to the increased costs and the time and skills required, not all lawyers will litigate a case.
When interviewing lawyers, ask them up front if they are willing to litigate your case if it’s required or what would occur if it gets to that point. In some circumstances, the lawyer you retain may refer your case to another firm if litigation is required. As with a public adjuster some lawyers will still charge a percentage of your recovery despite referring the case to another firm. Be sure to check with your lawyer before signing the retainer.
Attorney at Law Magazine has partnered with hurricane damage attorneys to provide our readers with up-to-date information on claims and trends in the industry. Additionally, we will connect our readers who have received property damage in a hurricane with these lawyers. If you’re ready to pursue a claim against your insurance company (or learn more about filing a claim), you can complete the form below or call one of the numbers to be connected directly with a lawyer who will help you maximize your insurance claim.
All the attorneys we partner with provide a free case evaluation to determine the value of your claim and offer you the opportunity to ask questions of their services. Additionally, they all work on contingency, meaning they won’t be paid until you’re paid. By contacting an attorney through our website, you’ll be connected directly to the lawyer. No middle man. We review the lawyers who work with us to share their knowledge with our readers. Below are some of the settlements they’ve achieved in the past. Please note, these are just representative samples of real settlements and lawsuit results. Prior results should not and cannot be relied upon to create any expectation about what can be recovered for a client in any other case.
Ready to move forward with your claim? Complete the form below or contact a lawyer directly via phone:
Florida: 239-758-7577
South Carolina: 843-896-2984
Georgia: 912-502-1793
If your property has been damaged by a hurricane, you may be eligible to file a claim with your insurance provider. Below are some details to help you determine if your claim qualifies. This is general information, please contact a lawyer to review the particulars of your claim.
You can’t file a hurricane damage claim for every type of property. Below are the types of property for which you can file a claim.
Below are the types of property damage caused by a hurricane for which you can file a claim.
Wind damage can cause various types of damage to your property, including downed trees, damage to the structure, the siding or the roof, etc. Depending on the category of the hurricane that caused damage to your property, the sustained winds could have varied from 74 MPH (category 1) up to 157 MPH (category 5). Since 2016, there have been eight category 5 Atlantic hurricanes in the United States – Hurricane Lee (2023) and Hurricane Ian (2022), Hurricane Dorian (2019), Hurricane Lorenzo (2019), Hurricane Michael (2018) Hurricane Maria (2017) Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Matthew (2016). With category 5 hurricanes the wind damage is, according to the National Hurricane Center, catastrophic.
Hurricanes not only produce top wind speeds that can cause damage to property, they also bring water damage through torrential rain (often in excess of six inches) and storm surges (waves that can reach over 20 ft and span hundreds of miles). According to the National Hurricane Center, “flooding is the major threat from tropical cyclones for people living inland.” However, storm surges are very destructive to the coast and can cause damage for miles inland.
“Flood claims must be pursued in federal court,” Marc Wites, a hurricane damage lawyer with Wites and Rogers shared. “I anticipate we will see a surge in flood claims in the coming years and there aren’t enough lawyers with experience arguing a case in the federal courts. That will be a key differentiator ahead.”
Some of the most common types of damage to a property due to a hurricane are roof, shingle and siding damage. The wind can directly cause damage to the roof, the shingles on your roof or the siding of your property. Similarly, the wind may cause powerlines, trees or other structures to fall onto the roof of your property and cause damage.
These are just some of the most common property damages that can occur during a hurricane. If your property received significant property damage, contact a lawyer to review your case and see if you can file a claim with your insurance company.
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