Vandalism, otherwise referred to as malicious mischief or criminal mischief, can happen anywhere. Whether it is a broken window or spray-painted graffiti, you want to be able to rely on your insurance for your losses. But it may not be that simple. Despite vandalism being a named peril in most home or business policies, many insurance companies train insurance adjusters to make it as difficult as possible to submit a valid claim. And even when you submit a valid claim, insurance adjusters may undervalue a claim to try to get you to take less. Other times an insurance adjuster may even flat out deny a valid claim. This is not fair, and our experienced vandalism attorney in Pembroke Pines can help protect your rights.
Here at Schlacter Law, we know that having valuable property damaged due to vandalism can make you feel violated and cost you time and money in repairs and the replacement of property. Adding to this, your insurance company could unlawfully or improperly deny your claim. This can leave you, your family, or your business being victimized twice. Do not let that happen. Ask our experienced vandalism attorneys in Pembroke Pines how we can help you like how we have helped many other clients navigate the often tricky waters of vandalism insurance claims in Florida.
A public adjuster is an insurance professional that works with a policyholder to help investigate, submit, and negotiate a claim. While an insurance professional, a public adjuster is not an agent of the insurance company. Rather, a public adjuster represents the policyholder to help increase the reimbursement of a vandalism claim.
While a public adjuster is a great option to increase a claim’s value, a vandalism insurance claim attorney is a better option to maximize a claim’s value. This is for a few important reasons, including the following:
The insurance pays for the legal fees for a vandalism attorney, whereas the policyholder pays up to 20% of the total claim to the public adjuster Most public adjusters do not have law degrees, whereas all vandalism attorneys have a juris doctor and law license Vandalism attorneys can commence a lawsuit in court and hire experts to help support a claim, whereas public adjusters cannotInsurance policies are drafted in legal terms with many policyholders not fully understanding what they are and are not covered for. Although vandalism is a common peril included in policies, there are those policies that will not cover vandalism.
Understanding your coverage and filing a claim correctly are imperative when you need to file a claim for a vandalism event. Not filing correctly can leave you at risk of overpaying deductibles or even having your claim denied. This is when it pays to have the advice of a vandalism attorney in Pembroke Pines to evaluate whether your policy has vandalism coverage and how to recover such compensation in Florida.
Anything that has been vandalized or damaged on your property should be covered if your policy covers a vandalism event whether it is a structure, a car, your landscaping, or even damage inside your home. But a claim will require supporting evidence of ownership and damage as well as a police report. And this is often where an insurer finds reason to deny a claim.
To support an act of vandalism, it is important to have a police report. The responding officer should make reference to specific damage in the report. The insurance company will want a copy of this. It is also important to document the damage yourself, taking photos of any particular areas of destruction. You must have supporting evidence showing ownership and the value of the object or property that has been damaged. Your insurance company will also need you to take action to mitigate any further damage.
Sometimes an expert is needed to help value property, particularly real property or personal property that is rare, unique, or otherwise valuable. Other times valuations may revolve around depreciation or appreciation of a certain possession, which is usually only proven with expert support. Having an experienced vandalism insurance claim attorney like ours at Schlacter Law can help determine what your rights may be under Florida law.
The more information you can offer the insurer, the better. Insurers are notorious for denying claims that could be explained by other things, such as wear and tear to a property. They also tend to question ownership and the value of the damaged property. Consequently, proving a claim can be complicated. The more you are able to support your claim, the better position you will be in.
When you are having trouble with a vandalism insurance claim or your insurer has denied it, having the advice of a skilled vandalism attorney in Pembroke Pines is key. At Schlacter Law, we can help you understand your coverage, compile evidence, and create a valid claim under the terms of your policy and negotiate with your insurer.
If you have been denied or have been offered a settlement that is lower than the amount of your original claim, we will hold the insurance company accountable. Call our vandalism attorneys at Schlacter Law for a FREE consultation by dialing (305) 999-1111.
References
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0095/Sections/0095.11.html ↩
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