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Frequently Asked Questions

• After I filed my claim my insurance company offered me a settlement for less than my damages. Must I take it?
• Are attorney fees recoverable in a claim for insurance bad faith in Florida?
• Are claims for accidental damage handled differently than claims resulting from a natural disaster?
• Are insurance policies treated differently from other kinds of contracts?
• Can a lawyer help me recover full dollar value for my items?
• Can a policyholder get paid for residing elsewhere while repairs are made to their home?
• Can an insurance company cancel my policy in Florida for any reason it chooses?
• Can I afford an attorney if I have to sue my insurance company?
• Can I hire my own contractors/builder or do I have to use those recommended by my insurance company adjuster?
• Can I sue my insurance agent for not selling me enough insurance to cover my losses?
• Can I sue my insurance agent for selling me the wrong kind of fire insurance?
• Can I sue my insurance company if they don’t pay my claim?
• Can the insurance agent be at fault for not offering me maximum coverage?
• Do I have coverage if my property is vandalized while it is vacant?
• Do I have to give the insurance company my tax returns, cell phone records, and bank and credit card statements?
• Do I need to contact the police for a theft or burglary?
• Do I need to provide the insurance company with receipts for items stolen from my house?
• Do lawyers and adjusters do the same thing?
• Does my homeowners’ policy cover me if there is a sinkhole or is that a separate policy?
• Does my homeowners’ policy cover water damage?
• Does my policy cover damage caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes?
• Does my property insurance policy cover flood damage?
• Does our homeowners’ insurance company have the right to tell us what contractor to use?
• How are ambiguities in insurance policies resolved?
• How can I get a copy of my homeowners’ policy?
• How do I determine my damages?
• How do I file a home insurance claim?
• How do I fill out the property inventory forms? I do not remember when I bought something or how much I paid for it.
• How do I fill out the sworn statement in proof of loss?
• How do I know what I have to do in order to be fully paid by the insurance company for my familys loss?
• How do I prove that I owned an item that was stolen?
• How do law firms work with public adjusters?
• How does a lawyer get paid if I hire them to fight the insurance company?
• How does a public adjuster get paid?
• How does my lawyer get paid if I sue my insurance company?
• How long after missing an insurance premium payment can I still keep the insurance policy?
• How long after the fire do I have to file a lawsuit?
• How long does a policyholder have to report a claim?
• Hurricane season is almost here what should we do to make sure our policy covers us?
• I have water damage to my home and the insurance company won’t pay what I think the damage is worth. How can a lawyer help?
• I haven’t been charged criminally. How can the insurance company accuse me of arson and deny my claim?
• If I am a tenant, what does my renters policy cover?
• If I make a claim will my homeowners insurance be cancelled?
• If I make a claim will my insurance rates go up?
• If I sue the insurance company can I get damages for bad faith slander or emotional distress?
• If my insurance claim is denied for arson can the mortgage company make a claim?
• Is condo insurance different than insurance for a house?
• Is damage caused by burglary, vandalism, or other crimes covered by my policy?
• Is my car covered under my homeowners’ policy if a fire in my garage caused the loss?
• Is our mold damage covered?
• Is termite damage covered under my homeowners’ insurance policy?
• Is the insurance company’s adjuster looking out for me?
• Is there anything I have to do before filing a lawsuit?
• My house isn’t safe to live in because of my loss. What should I do?
• My insurance company has denied my claim. What can I do?
• My insurance company is offering me pennies on the dollar for my claim. What can I do?
• My insurance company won’t pay my claim. What should I do?
• Should a policyholder hire a professional to assist them with their insurance claim?
• Should I accept my insurance company’s first settlement offer?
• Should I hire a public adjuster?
• Should I keep making my mortgage payments after the fire?
• Should I take my own pictures of the damage to my home after it’s had water damage?
• Should I take pictures of everything in my home?
• Should I talk to the insurance company’s adjuster?
• The insurance company adjuster wants to take a recorded statement. What should I do?
• The insurance company hired a fire investigator. Should I hire my own or rely on theirs?
• What are additional living expenses?
• What are some examples of bad faith?
• What are the basic steps involved with handling a home claim?
• What are the best types of coverages that I should have?
• What can a lawyer do for me that a public adjuster can’t?
• What can I do if my insurance claim was denied because the information on the application was wrong?
• What can I do if my insurance company has accused me of arson?
• What can I do if the insurance company won’t pay what my items are worth?
• What do condominium owners need to know about their unit owner’s insurance?
• What do public adjusters do?
• What does business interruption insurance really cover?
• What does it mean to bind insurance?
• What does the master condominium policy cover?
• What happens if I cannot provide a receipt to the insurance company for an item that was damaged or stolen?
• What happens if I disagree with my insurance company ?
• What happens if I, or my contractor, finds additional damage after my claim is settled?
• What happens if my toilet overflows and damages my home?
• What happens if the insurance company won’t budge on their offer?
• What if I can’t get a receipt for an item that was stolen. Will the insurance company pay me back for it?
• What if I do not know how the fire started?
• What if I don’t have pictures of an item that was stolen. How do I prove I owned it?
• What if I withheld information from my insurance company during the investigation?
• What if my receipts burned up in the fire? What if I do not keep receipts?
• What if the insurance company and I disagree regarding damages?
• What if the property damage was caused by a long term leak?
• What information do I need to report my homeowners’ insurance claim?
• What information will I need when I meet with my claims adjuster?
• What is a bad faith claim?
• What is a reservation of rights letter?
• What is a sworn statement in proof of loss?
• What is agent negligence?
• What is an examination under oath?
• What is an exclusion in an insurance policy?
• What is an insurable interest?
• What is an insurance policy?
• What is appraisal? Who pays for what?
• What is insurance bad faith?
• What is ordinance and law coverage?
• What is the broad evidence rule?
• What is the difference between a toilet overflowing and a sewer backup?
• What is the difference between water damage and mold damage?
• What is the duty of cooperation?
• What is the insurance company required to do if I notify it that I have a claim?
• What is the insurance company typically responsible for?
• What may constitute fraud in the context of an insurance claim?
• What questions should I ask a public adjuster before hiring them?
• What right do I have if I disagree with my insurance company?
• What should I avoid saying when talking to the insurance company about damages to my home?
• What should I do after a pipe bursts in my home?
• What should I do after my home is burglarized?
• What should I do after my home is damaged from a fire?
• What should I do after my home is damaged from water?
• What should we know before we report our insurance claim?
• What’s the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost?
• What’s the difference between flood damage and water damage?
• When does a homeowners’ insurance company act in “bad faith”?
• When making repairs, does my homeowners’ insurance policy cover to match the damaged areas to the undamaged areas?
• Who can I call with questions about my homeowners’ insurance claim?
• Who is an insured under the policy?
• Why do I need a lawyer at an examination under oath?
• Why does the insurance company want to take statements from my family members and friends? What should I tell them?
• Why does the lawyer for the insurance company want me to go to an examination under oath?
• Why is the insurance company entitled to all of this personal information?
• Why is the proof of loss so important? Does it have to be filed in time?
• Why should I hire a public adjuster? Isn’t the insurance company adjuster going to help me?
• Will I need receipts for everything that is damaged from a flood in my house?
• Will my policy be cancelled if I file a claim?
• Will the insurance company make me more than one offer?
• Will the insurance company make me whole on my claim?
• Will the insurance company pay me for heirlooms that are damaged?

Preguntas en Español

• ¿Cómo cobra sus honorarios y costos el abogado cuando se demanda a la compania de seguros?
• ¿Cómo puedo obtener una copia de mi poliza de seguro?
• ¿Cómo se les paga a un tasador publico?
• ¿Debo llamar a la policia si mi propiedad fue dañada por vandalismo o robo?
• ¿Debo tomar fotos despues de una pérdida?
• ¿Hacen los tasadores publicos el mismo trabajo que los abogados?
• ¿Necesito los recibos de la propiedad dañada que estoy reclamando a mi compania de seguros?
• ¿Por qué debo llamar a un tasador publico si mi compania de seguros está enviando el de ellos?
• ¿Puedo demandar a mi compania de seguros si niegan mi reclamo?
• ¿Que debo hacer si mi casa o propiedad es dañada por el agua?
• ¿Que hace un tasador publico?
• ¿Quien es un asegurado bajo la poliza?
• Mi casa fue dañada por el agüa y ahora tengo moho. ¿Hay cobertura por el daño causado por el moho?
• Mi compania de seguros quiere un examen bajo juramento. ¿Debo contratar a un abogado para ir conmigo?
• Por lo general, ¿Cuáles son las responsabilidades de mi compania de seguros cuando presento una reclamacion?
• Si la oferta de mi compania de seguros para resolver mi reclamacion no es satisfactoria, ¿Puedo negociar para una mejor oferta de acuerdo?