How Can a Property Claims Lawyer Help You After a Natural Disaster

Every year, natural disasters cause billions of dollars in structural damage. Even if you’re not in an area frequently hit by floods, tornadoes or wildfires, you could be hit hard when something unexpected happens in your town. When your home sustains damage in a fire or a storm, rebuilding is difficult. You have to put your life on hold and maybe even find someplace else to live while waiting for repairs. Some things you lose in a natural disaster are irreplaceable.

Rebuilding your life is hard, even when everything goes smoothly. It gets even harder when, on top of everything else, your insurance company refuses to give you the compensation you need to move forward. That’s why you’ll want a lawyer that specializes in property claims to help you defend your claim, and get paid back properly for what you’ve lost.

Maximize Your Claim

Before you start working with your insurance company, it’s important to remember that they are not necessarily on your side. “An insurance company is a business, same as any other,” says Glen B. Levine, an experienced property claims lawyer. “Any money they pay out to you is less profit for them.” That means being very cautious about your interactions with them, and with the information you give them. They may take advantage of any opportunity they see to pay you less than you truly deserve.

A lawyer will help you handle the insurance company effectively without losing any compensation. If the insurance company underestimates the value of items you’ve lost or doesn’t do a thorough investigation when they come to see the damage, your lawyer will know how to push back. Most cases are resolved outside of court once pressure has been applied, but an attorney will also represent you at trial if needed.

Fight Back

A lot of insurance companies may count on you not having the time, energy, or knowledge to resist when they deny or undervalue your claim. It takes persistence to get paid what you deserve. Using an attorney means having someone on your side to do the fighting for you. That way, you can rest easy and worry about rebuilding your life while the attorney represents you and pushes for the compensation you deserve.

A company may deny your claim at first or may try to delay paying for as long as possible, as this gives them more time to invest and make a profit off of the money they owe you. With a lawyer on your case, they can take charge of your appeal and keep up the pressure until the payout happens.

Inside Expertise

Even if you have the time and you’re committed to advocating for yourself and fighting back against the insurance company, they’ll be counting on your lack of knowledge to help them reduce your reward. An experienced lawyer working in personal injury and property damage claims will know all the details and loopholes in the law to be able to fight back.

If you want to seek out a property claims lawyer to help you on your case, make sure you find one who works with contingency fees. That means they will work for no charge until you earn compensation through your case. Then they’ll take some portion of the final reward based on your agreement with them. Whether you lose property in a hurricane, an earthquake, or a small wind storm, make sure you get the right representation to help you cover your losses and get back on your feet.