As a homeowner, you may face some challenges, including severe damage to your home and property due to natural disasters. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy should cover damage to your home’s structure and personal property from significant damage, such as from storms or fires. You may have additional insurance policies to safeguard against floods and earthquakes.
However, you might have trouble filing a property claim with your homeowner’s insurance company. The insurance company could argue that there are insurance coverage issues with the damage your property sustained. If you encounter these issues, hire a lawyer with Nessler & Associates who has experience dealing with insurance companies and property damage cases.
What Does Residential Property Insurance Cover?
Residential property insurance, such as homeowner’s insurance, offers financial protection for your home and personal property. Your homeowner’s insurance policy covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home if a fire, hurricane, hail, or lightning damages it.
It also covers other buildings on your property, such as a tool shed or garage. Other coverages are available in your homeowner’s insurance policy:
- Personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothes, and electronics, has coverage in cases of theft or destruction from fire, hurricanes, or other disasters covered by your property insurance.
- Expensive items such as jewelry and watches also have coverage under your homeowner’s insurance policy. If you have a valuable, irreplaceable item, such as a piece of artwork, check your homeowner’s insurance limits to see if you must buy a personal protection floater that covers the item’s entire appraisal value.
- Liability coverage protects you from litigation for bodily injuries or property damage caused by you, a family member, or a pet.
- Additional living expenses if you are forced to relocate during a disaster. Such expenses include lodging, meals, and anything else necessary beyond your usual living expenses. It also covers the rental income you would have received from your tenant had your home not been damaged.
Does My Homeowner’s Policy Cover Damage to a Vehicle on My Property?
Homeowner’s insurance does not cover any vehicle damage, regardless of where it is parked. You must rely on coverage through your auto insurance carrier if your vehicle is damaged or was broken into on your property.
Your homeowner’s insurance policy may cover any personal items stolen from your vehicle. However, if the items were for your vehicle, such as stereo systems, the homeowner’s insurance policy may limit its coverage for them. Your lawyer may need to redirect you to file an auto insurance claim for any damage or theft to your vehicle.
Do I Need Other Types of Property Insurance Coverage?
Standard homeowner’s insurance usually does not cover property damage from floods and earthquakes. You may need other types of insurance coverage to protect your property against floods or earthquakes. To file a property damage claim, the damage must be caused by a covered hazard.
Flood Insurance
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that flood water that reaches an inch deep causes about $25,000 in damages. If your home is one of the 250,000 buildings in the floodplains of Illinois, you should obtain flood insurance.
A standard flood insurance policy covers the appliances and structure of your home, including furnaces and detached garages. This policy also includes personal belongings and valuables up to $25,000.
Earthquake Insurance
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency estimates a 25% to 40% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake occurring in Illinois within the next 50 years. Illinois has had at least 13 earthquakes since September 2017, when a 3.8 magnitude earthquake shook the southeastern part of the state.
As a result of an earthquake, earthquake insurance covers repairs to a house and attached structures, as well as possessions such as clothing and furniture. The policy also includes additional living expenses if your home becomes unlivable due to the earthquake.
You can work with the property insurance lawyers with Nessler & Associates to understand the coverage available in your homeowner’s insurance policy. We can help you file the proper claim under your homeowner’s insurance policy and ensure you file your claim on time.
When Should You Hire a Resident Property Insurance Lawyer?
Hiring an insurance lawyer with Nessler & Associates can help your property insurance claims process run more smoothly. We can represent your interests during insurance claim disputes and file successful property damage claims.
The Insurance Company Denies Your Claim
Your homeowner’s insurance company may deny your claim for several reasons. They may claim that you lack the documentation to show the actual value of your damaged personal items. They may also argue that your neglect to care for and maintain your home led to its damage.
A residential property insurance attorney at our law firm can tell you what documentation you need and negotiate with the insurer on your behalf. We can review your paperwork and documents related to the claim to determine the reasons for their denial of your claim.
The Insurance Company Offers a Lowball Payment
As part of settling your claim, an insurance adjuster will contact you with an offer of compensation for the damages caused by the accident or natural disaster. However, the initial settlement offer may be much less than what your claim is worth, so they don’t have to pay the full amount of your claim.
An experienced insurance claim attorney understands how the insurers work and can keep you from taking less than you deserve. They can review any settlement offer before you sign it. They will ensure that it is fair compensation for your losses and does not exclude any damages that your homeowner’s insurance policy should cover.
The Insurance Company Delays in Responding to Your Claim
Some insurance companies may attempt to delay your claim so that you will accept a reduced settlement. The insurance company may take a long time to respond to your claim and any questions you may have.
If your insurer has stopped communicating about your claim, you need the assistance of an insurance bad faith lawyer from Nessler & Associates, who knows insurance law. We can negotiate with the insurance provider and fight for your right to a fair settlement and open communication with them.
Your Claim is Expensive
If your claim involves large-scale damage such as a house fire or extensive damage from a hurricane, you should consider hiring an attorney at our law firm. We can gather the documentation you need to show the total value of your personal property.
If your damages are significant, we can interpret your homeowner’s policy terms and ensure you file your claim on time, so you can get the compensation you need to help you repair or replace your home.
The Residential Property Insurance Attorneys at Nessler & Associates Can Help You
At Nessler & Associates, we have decades of combined legal experience handling homeowner’s property insurance claims in Illinois. Our award-winning legal team has in-depth insurance law and litigation knowledge and can successfully defend our clients.
We understand the financial pressure you’re under, which is why we work on contingency. You pay nothing upfront; we only collect fees if we win your property damage claim.
Call our law group at (800) 727-8010 for a personalized, free consultation.