The property damage attorneys in Metairie, Louisiana at the Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC work with individuals who are having difficulties with their property damage claims. The Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC is a property damage law firm that assists clients with a wide range of property damage claims, including: hurricane damage claims, wind damage claims, fire damage claims, flood damage claims, denied property insurance claims, and more. If you have reported property damage to your homeowner’s insurance company or commercial property insurance company, and you feel like the settlement amount being offered isn’t sufficient to cover your losses or feel like your claim has been wrongfully denied or delayed, the Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC may be able to help you. We can review your insurance policy, help you understand your rights and obligations, and negotiate with insurance adjusters to help you get the settlement you may deserve under the law. Insurance policies can be complex documents with lots of exceptions and provisions. If you don’t understand your policy, the property damage lawyers in Metairie, Louisiana can help. Reach out to our lawyers today.
You paid your premiums on time. You purchased insurance to back you up when things go wrong. If your insurance company isn’t honoring its obligations to you or if you feel you aren’t getting the settlement you deserve, reach out to the Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC, a property damage law firm in Metairie, Louisiana today. We can get your settlement moving again.
Insurance Bad Faith in Metairie, Louisiana
Insurance bad faith is when an insurance company fails to honor its contractual obligations to an insurance policy holder. This can occur when an insurance company intentionally denies a claim it should have paid, or delays in paying a claim to avoid having to pay or to force a policyholder to accept less money than is deserved. Sometimes insurance companies intentionally delay in paying a claim, resulting in desperate policyholders who will accept crumbs as a settlement. If a settlement being offered after a long delay doesn’t sound right to you, it may be worthwhile to reach out to an insurance bad faith lawyer in Metairie, Louisiana.
Insurance bad faith can also include an insurance company’s failure to properly investigate and adjust a claim in a timely manner. While it is normal for insurance adjusters to be overwhelmed with adjusting claims after a hurricane, insurance companies still have an obligation to investigate claims in a timely manner, and many hire contractual workers to assist them with this process. There is no excuse for an insurance company to fail to meet legal deadlines to send an investigator to your property.
Another way insurance bad faith occurs is when an insurance company or adjuster uses the complexity of a policy’s legal language to confuse a policyholder. This can occur when an insurance adjuster fails to properly honor what is covered by the policy, or misinterprets intentionally the policy’s language to avoid having to make a claim. Insurance companies and adjusters are well-versed in the language of their policy and understand the legal terms. When a company uses this complexity against a customer who may not have experience in this area, they are breaking the law.
One way that a property damage claim can end up in bad faith territory is when an insurance adjuster asks a policyholder to meet onerous or unreasonable demands when proving that damage or losses have occurred. Are you being told you haven’t submitted the right information or is the information “lost?” The property damage claim lawyers in Metairie, Louisiana at Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC may be able to help you with your claim, assisting you with navigating the process of negotiating with adjusters if you believe your insurance adjuster is making unreasonable demands to settle your claim.
Finally, in some cases, paying a claim for less than it is worth can also be insurance bad faith. While many insurance companies will require you to document your damage, if an insurance company intentionally undervalues your claim or makes it its policy to intentionally undervalue claims, you may have the right to pursue an insurance bad faith lawsuit. Insurance companies utilize many tools when adjusting a claim. They may use tables and estimates or they may use algorithms to estimate the value of your claim. While these algorithms may help them save time, sometimes they don’t always utilize the most up-to-date or accurate information, especially if your community has been hit by a hurricane or other economic issue that has led to inflation or higher prices. Always get a quote from a reputable contractor. If the quote and your insurance company’s settlement estimate doesn’t add up, something is wrong.
The Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC is a property damage claim lawyer in Metairie, Louisiana that may be able to help you settle your insurance claim. Our attorneys can review your policy, translate your policy into plain language, and assist you with settling your claim for the maximum possible settlement under the law.
When to Hire a Property Damage Lawyer in Metairie, Louisiana
If your insurance company has offered you a settlement for property damage in an amount you are pleased with, then you may not need to hire a property damage claim lawyer. But if you are not satisfied with the settlement amount being offered, or if the settlement amount isn’t enough to cover your full claim, then you may want to speak to a property damage claim lawyer in Metairie, Louisiana at the Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC. If your insurance company is dragging its feet about making a claim, or weeks or months have passed an investigator still hasn’t been sent to your property, you may want to speak to a property damage lawyer in Metairie, Louisiana. If your property damage claim has been denied, a property damage claim lawyer in Metairie, Louisiana may be able to help you fight back. There are sometimes legitimate reasons why a claim settlement may be less than you expect, but it can be helpful to have a lawyer explain why.
The property damage lawyers in Metairie, Louisiana at the Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC can help you every step of the way. We can investigate to see whether your insurance company is acting in bad faith. We can push back if a settlement amount is too low. In many cases, when clients team up with a lawyer, insurance adjusters get to work in settling a claim and may even be more willing to settle for the amount you seek. When you have a lawyer willing to go to court for you, insurance companies and adjusters may be more likely to take your claim seriously.
You may only have a limited amount of time to fight back if an insurance claim has been denied. Keep records of all your interactions with insurance companies and if a claim is denied, ask for reasons for your denial in writing. If the settlement amount being offered is lower than you think you deserve, ask the insurance adjuster to provide you a rationale for the settlement amount being offered. Finally, reach out to the insurance claim lawyers at the Houghtaling Law Fim, LLC in Metairie, Louisiana today. We can help.