Hollywood FL Storm Claim Lawyer: Get What You're Owed

Hollywood FL Storm Claim Lawyer: Get What You're Owed

Hurricanes, tropical storms, and severe weather events are a fact of life in Hollywood, Florida. When a storm damages your home or business, your insurance policy is supposed to be a financial lifeline. But what many policyholders discover — often too late — is that insurance companies routinely underpay, delay, or outright deny legitimate storm claims. A Hollywood storm claim lawyer fights to make sure that doesn't happen to you.

What Hurricane Damage Claims Cover in Florida

Florida homeowner and commercial property insurance policies typically cover a wide range of storm-related losses. Understanding what your policy covers is the first step toward a successful claim. Common covered losses include:

• Wind damage — torn-off roofing, broken windows, damaged siding, and structural failures caused by hurricane-force or tropical storm winds
• Water intrusion — rain-driven water that enters through storm-created openings in the roof or walls (distinct from flood damage)
• Fallen trees and debris impact — damage to structures, vehicles, fences, and outbuildings
• Loss of use — additional living expenses if your home is uninhabitable after a covered storm event
• Business interruption — lost income for commercial properties forced to close due to storm damage

Florida law distinguishes between wind damage, typically covered under a standard homeowner's policy, and flood damage, which requires a separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private carrier. Insurers sometimes exploit this distinction to deny coverage, claiming that damage was caused by flooding rather than wind. An attorney can investigate the true cause of loss and push back on wrongful denials on this basis.

Why Insurance Companies Deny or Underpay Storm Claims

Broward County — including Hollywood — is one of the most hurricane-exposed regions in the United States. Insurers know this, and they have sophisticated claims-handling systems designed to minimize payouts after major storm events. Common tactics include:

• Lowball estimates — sending adjusters who use outdated pricing software that dramatically underestimates true repair costs
• Causation disputes — attributing hurricane damage to "pre-existing wear and tear" or "deferred maintenance" rather than the storm
• Policy exclusion misuse — citing exclusions for mold, ordinance and law upgrades, or cosmetic damage to reduce the scope of the claim
• Delayed investigations — stretching out the claims process until policyholders accept whatever is offered out of financial desperation
• Reservation of rights letters — signaling that the insurer may deny coverage while the investigation drags on

Florida law imposes specific duties on insurance companies. Under Florida Statutes § 627.70131, insurers must acknowledge a claim within 14 days and either pay or deny the claim within 90 days of receiving proof of loss. Violations of these deadlines can entitle policyholders to additional remedies. If your insurer has gone quiet or keeps asking for more documentation without resolution, that pattern may itself constitute bad faith conduct.

Florida's Insurance Bad Faith Law and What It Means for You

Florida has one of the strongest insurance bad faith statutes in the country. Under Florida Statutes § 624.155, policyholders who have been the victim of bad faith insurance practices can pursue a civil action against their insurer — not just for the original unpaid claim amount, but potentially for additional damages including attorney's fees and court costs.

Before filing a bad faith lawsuit, Florida law requires the policyholder to file a Civil Remedy Notice (CRN) with the Florida Department of Financial Services. This notice gives the insurance company 60 days to "cure" the bad faith violation by paying the full amount owed. If the insurer fails to cure, the bad faith lawsuit can proceed.

This process has specific procedural requirements. Missing a deadline or filing an incomplete CRN can destroy an otherwise valid bad faith claim. This is one of the most compelling reasons to retain a storm claim attorney early in the process — before mistakes that can't be undone.

Steps to Take After Storm Damage in Hollywood, Florida

What you do in the days and weeks immediately following a storm significantly affects the outcome of your claim. Follow these steps to protect your rights:

• Document everything before cleanup begins. Photograph and video every damaged area, inside and out, before contractors begin any repairs. Timestamp your documentation.
• Report your claim promptly. Most policies require timely notice of a loss. Delays can give the insurer grounds to dispute coverage.
• Make only emergency repairs. You have a duty to mitigate further damage — covering a breached roof with a tarp, for instance — but do not make permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected the property.
• Keep every receipt. Emergency repairs, hotel stays, restaurant meals during displacement, and contractor estimates all support your claim for damages and additional living expenses.
• Get an independent estimate. Do not rely solely on the insurer's adjuster. Hire a licensed public adjuster or contractor to provide an independent assessment of repair costs.
• Do not accept a lowball settlement without review. Once you sign a release, your right to additional compensation for that claim is typically gone. Have an attorney review any settlement offer before signing.

Hollywood's proximity to the Atlantic coast and its low-lying geography make properties particularly vulnerable to combined wind and water losses. The overlap between wind and flood coverage — and the disputes that arise from it — are unusually common in this area. Local experience matters when navigating those disputes.

How a Hollywood Storm Claim Attorney Can Help

A storm claim attorney does far more than file paperwork. An experienced lawyer will conduct an independent investigation into the cause and scope of the damage, retain engineers and construction experts to counter the insurer's findings, and review your policy line by line to identify every available basis for recovery — including coverages you may not know you have.

Most storm claim attorneys in Florida handle property insurance cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you recover. Under Florida law, if your insurer acted in bad faith or violated specific statutory duties, the insurer may be required to pay your attorney's fees — further reducing your out-of-pocket exposure.

The statute of limitations on breach of contract claims under a homeowner's insurance policy in Florida is five years from the date of loss under most policies, though recent legislative changes and specific policy language may affect your deadline. Waiting too long, however, allows memories to fade, evidence to disappear, and insurers to argue that damage was caused by something other than the storm. The sooner you involve an attorney, the stronger your position.

If your storm damage claim in Hollywood has been denied, delayed, or settled for far less than the cost of repairs, you have options. Florida law gives policyholders real leverage against insurance companies that refuse to deal fairly — but only if you use it.

Need Help? If you have questions about your case, call or text 833-657-4812 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

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