Property and Home Insurance Claim Lawyer | Wettermark Keith Lawyers
Wettermark Keith can help with property insurance claim recovery on fire and smoke damage, flooding, and mold claims.
Our Insurance Claims Attorneys Fight to Restore Your Home
It can be devastating if your home sustains damage or is completely destroyed. To make matters worse, your insurance company may leave you high and dry by denying or underpaying your claim.
At Wettermark Keith, we hold insurance companies accountable to their policyholders and help people receive their entitled coverage benefits.
Get legal representation and let our experienced property insurance claim attorneys defend your rights. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
was your homeowners insurance claim wrongfully denied?
we can help tell your story.
Your Homeowners Insurance Company Could Be Acting in Bad Faith
Having to navigate through home damages and destruction is already an unexpected and overwhelming event in itself. The last thing you expect is for your insurance company to treat you unfairly when processing your damage insurance claim. However, it happens more often than you would think, even if you have coverage.
When valid property insurance claims are disputed, underpaid, or flat-out denied, you may be dealing with a "bad faith claim." A bad faith insurance claim is a term that describes unfair conduct on behalf of an insurance company. Bad faith occurs when an insurance company unreasonably delays your claim, denies or underpays your claim without a valid reason or conducts an incomplete or biased investigation of your claim.
If you are a victim of home damage and are experiencing unfair treatment during your claims process, give our home insurance claim attorneys a call today.
Fire Damage Insurance Claims
Has your home been burned in a house fire? We understand the devastation one can feel watching their home and personal property contents go up in flames.
There is nothing worse than that hopeless feeling from trying to pick up the pieces, especially when your insurance company reinforces those feelings through their inaction. In some cases, your insurance company may try to accuse you of arson and committing insurance fraud. Other reasons why your fire damage claim may be denied include differences in property valuation or a violation of the insurance policy terms.
The expert fire damage lawyers at Wettermark Keith can help you get the money you need to begin rebuilding your life and recover from your fire damage. Contact our offices to learn more about how we can assist with your fire damage claim.
Smoke Damage Insurance Claims
People may not often realize that smoke damage is another damage type associated with fire. While smoke damage is typically included in most general homeowners insurance policies, it can tricky when trying to argue how severe the damage is and how much of your property it has affected. Smoke damage mostly affects porous surfaces and materials like carpets, rugs, and curtains. It can also cause discoloration and staining in tile, marble, and other structural materials.
Smoke damage is concerning because it leads to further health issues for you and your family. Smoke particles can make their way into your eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Those with pre-existing medical conditions are particularly at risk for medical problems. This is why it needs to be cleaned fast and effectively.
With smoke damage, the biggest argument is typical whether an item simply needs to be cleaned or requires total replacement. You need to hire an outside specialist cleaning company to thoroughly clean your damaged property and rid it of harmful smoke particles. Insurers may often try to avoid paying for this as part of the claim, which is why you may need competent smoke damage lawyer representation to help. Our experienced attorneys can help you prove your case for smoke damage and get the compensation you need to ensure it is cleaned properly.
Partial Loss vs. Total Loss
A partial loss is when your property is not completely destroyed. These situations are tricky because there can be hidden damages that aren't properly addressed. They may not even be noticed until it is too late. For example, these can include:
- Inadequate smoke damage cleaning
- Smoke or ash particle remnants
- Diminished air quality
- Structural damages
- And more...
A total loss involves your property being completely burned down from a fire. Your insurance company will make the final determination on whether your home is a total loss after their inspection. Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes try to claim that a total loss can be repaired in order to save money for the insurance company. A strong indicator that your home may be a total loss situation is when you have considerable structural damage. Foundational damages, in particular, are a good sign the property is unsalvageable.
Sewage and Plumbing System Backup
We know the type of mess you have on your hands when dealing with a sewage or plumbing backup. Not only is there damage to your home and possessions, but you're also having to deal with health risks that could potentially force you to vacate your household. Once you've taken measures to protect your family and assets, it's time to protect your rights.
These type of claims can require extensive repairs due to the presence of bacteria and toxins, often requiring sanitization of your home, and removal and replacement of sheetrock, flooring, subflooring, cabinetry, and other affected items. Special restoration contractors perform this type of work and are governed by professional standards. Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes try to underpay these types of claims in an effort to save themselves money.
Sewage backups are a complex issue, and it's in your best interest to hire a home insurance claim attorney to help you recover everything you deserve.
Mold Damage Insurance Claims
Another specific property insurance claim Wettermark Keith handles is mold damage. Mold is a nasty substance that can lead to structural damage and health issues for any inhabitants of your home.
We strongly recommend having any mold-infested areas cleaned as quickly as possible. You can hire specialist cleaning companies to come in and conduct a thorough cleaning. This guarantees all traces of mold will be removed the firs time.
If your insurance company tries to argue that the mold damage is either nonexistent or refuses the extent of the damage, we can help. Our experts can help build a case proving your mold damage and helping you get the compensation you need to ensure adequate cleaning.
Steps to Take with Helping Your Home Insurance Claim
While legal counsel is the best way to guarantee you receive your entitled coverage benefits for fire or mold damage insurance claims, there are some things policyholders can do to help build a case.
1. Review Your Insurance Policy
Policyholders should take the time to review their policies from time to time. You should be checking that your coverage limits and deductible accurately reflect the value of your home and personal property. You can speak with your insurance agent to go over the terms of your policy and change or add any coverage types. It is best to do this often before you face a fire, smoke, or mold damage instance and get caught with inadequate insurance protection.
2. Take Before and After Photos
If you haven't done so already, we recommend walking the perimeter of your home and taking photos of the structure. You should also photograph the interior of your home and your personal property. These photos will come in handy when you go back through and take "after" photos of the fire, smoke, or mold damage. You can include these photos as part of your Proof of Loss and use them to corroborate your claim should your insurance agent try to deny or underpay the claim.
3. File Your Insurance Claim as Soon as Possible
Your insurance policy will contain information on filing deadlines for any insurance claims. You can also find information on special conditions you need to meet with filing your claim. We recommend reviewing these before attempting to file, so you do not waste valuable time trying to re-file if your claim is denied. It is important to file your claim as soon as you can to jumpstart the claims process. This will help you get the money you need faster.
4. Keep Receipts for Any Temporary Repairs
The insurance claim process can be lengthy, and we understand you may not be able to wait before conducting repairs. You need a home to live in and cannot afford to wait to receive coverage benefits. If you hire a cleaning company or contractor to assist with repairs, or if you purchase construction materials to conduct your own repairs, we recommend keeping all receipts. You may be able to be reimbursed for these costs per the conditions of your policy.
5. Keep Receipts for Living Expenses, including Food and Housing
Insurance policies usually provide for emergency living expenses when you are displaced from your home. Make sure to retain receipts for items like hotel rooms, rental homes, food, increased utility costs, and other additional living expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
When your insurance company refuses to provide the compensation you deserve, you have every right to fight back. Insurance companies can put up a tough fight, but the insurance claims attorneys at Wettermark Keith are here to help you every step of the way.
Why Work with Wettermark Keith?
We Build Strong Relationships with Our Clients
Wettermark Keith is a large firm that has built a solid reputation for helping clients throughout Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. Despite our growing size, know that we will never be too big to care.
We take every case personally, and our goal is to treat you like family, because to us, you are. We advocate on our client's behalf by standing up to insurance companies attempting to balk at their responsibility.
We pride ourselves on the trust our clients instill in us, and that is a direct result of our winning track record of helping clients get back to some sense of normal after a disaster.
Constant Communication
One of our core principles is constant communication. We understand that clients want to be kept updated with their cases. If you source most negative Google reviews about law firms, lack of communication is often one of the most mentioned complaints.
We make sure to make ourselves available for our clients with whatever questions or status updates they have or request. Our attorneys will keep you in the loop, even if your case is stalled from insurer delay.
Our philosophy is simple: Ask questions, get answers. You can reach out to your attorney at any point, and they will get you an answer as soon as possible. We want you to feel heard.
Our Clients Matter
Know that you have someone in your corner when you work with Wettermark Keith. We help you tell your story by demonstrating how your insurance company's actions have affected your quality of life.
It can be incredibly defeating when the insurance company denies your claim. We understand this frustration and want you to know that the system is trying to prove you wrong when you are, in fact, justified.
You Don't Pay Unless We Win
Our firm operates on a contingency fee basis. This means that you won't pay a dime unless we win your case. We know that your claim has already been financially stressful, which is why we do not want to make things worse by charging you for legal services. We want to earn your business by winning your case.
About Wettermark Keith
Wettermark Keith, with offices located throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and now Florida, has an excellent reputation as one of the most accomplished personal injury firms in the country. Our reach is not only regional, but it also includes a diverse range of practice areas. Our firm's practice areas include:
- Personal injury cases
- Auto wrecks
- Trucking wrecks
- Insurance dispute claims (including storm damage claims)
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice
- On-the-job injuries (including workers' compensation)
- Social security disability
- Veterans’ disability claims
At Wettermark Keith, we believe in taking cases personally. Our purpose is to practice with care and compassion and tell our client's stories, and make their voices heard. We do this by building strong relationships based on constant communication and an unwavering dedication to truth and trust.
Winning cases isn’t our goal; caring for you is. Winning is just how we show it. As we say, “It’s more to us, it’s personal.”
How Our Fire, Flood, and Mold Damage Case Process Works
STEP ONE: SET UP A CONSULTATION
You can reach our offices via phone, email, or online form fill. Someone from our team will help you schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to go over the details of your case.
STEP TWO: GATHER EVIDENCE
We’ll gather related documentation about your insurance policy. From there, our team will begin investigating your claim by gathering evidence, including policy information, pictures of damages, expert testimony, and more.
STEP THREE: NEGOTIATE WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY
After gathering evidence and determining the amount of compensation that you are entitled to, we may attempt to negotiate with the insurance company to pay your claim fully and fairly.
STEP FOUR: FILE THE LAWSUIT
Filing a suit is the next step when the insurance company is refusing to treat you fairly. Oftentimes, the claim is that the insurance company has acted in bad faith by deliberately underpaying your claim to save themselves money.
STEP FIVE: CONDUCT DEPOSITIONS AND TESTIMONY
We will schedule depositions with your insurance company and any other related parties to gather evidence on record about your claim. We also have a network of expert witnesses we can use to help with cleaning and damage assessment to reinforce your claim.
STEP SIX: MOVE TO SETTLE OR TRIAL
More often than not, we build such a strong case that your insurance company just wants to settle to avoid going to trial. If your insurance company does not settle via mediation, our attorneys are fully prepared to go to trial on your behalf and prove your case.
Schedule Your Free Fire, Smoke, or Mold Damage Consultation With Our Attorneys Today
We have a team of lawyers for home insurance claims that are ready to talk to you! Schedule a free consultation about your fire, smoke, or mold damage claim today.
You can contact us via phone, email, or through our online form. We look forward to scheduling a consultation and showing you how we can help you get on the path to recovery.
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