Tag: commercial propert

hurricane damage

Can Your Commercial Insurance Policy Stand Up To The Rest of the Hurricane Season?

Posted by Jeff Raizner on

It might be mid-September, but the hurricane season is far from over, and if weather forecasters are right, the rest of the season could be pretty brutal for businesses around the Gulf Coast. If your business maintains a commercial insurance policy, you might think you are well protected to weather the rest of the hurricane season, but this might not be the case. Nuances in your policy might actually leave you unprotected, so before the next hurricane hits, make sure your commercial insurance policy is up to the task.

Flood Damage vs. Water Damage

Just because you don’t have flood insurance doesn’t mean some or all hurricane damage isn’t covered by your business insurance policy. Whether your business is far inland from the coast or was in the direct path of the storm, damage should be covered under your policy unless explicitly stated otherwise. How the water enters your home or office can also matter when determining if water damage is covered. If wind uplifting the roof or broken roof fasteners caused water to enter the building, this type of damage would usually be covered. On the other hand, if rising water from storm surge or overflowing waterways entered the building, that might not be covered under most policies. If you’re unsure whether or not your damage is covered under your policy, talk to an experienced wind and hurricane damage attorney to understand your options.

Look Out For Special Deductibles

Sometimes insurance companies treat hurricanes different than other types of natural disasters. Deductibles for hurricane damage can be much larger than deductibles for other types of property damage. It’s important to determine if your deductible changes for “named storms,” and if so, by how much. You don’t want to end up with a deductible you can’t afford.

Consider Business Interruption Insurance

Hurricanes and severe wind won’t just damage your property; they’ll damage your income. Having a business interruption insurance policy can help you obtain compensation for lost income while you work to get your business up and running again.

Know Your Rights

After a natural disaster, insurance companies might try to mitigate payouts through bad faith insurance tactics and lowball settlement offers. The type of loss experienced after a hurricane can be stressful, but obtaining compensation shouldn’t be. If you think your insurance carrier isn’t acting in good faith or is minimizing your claim, talk to a hurricane damage lawyer to protect your rights.

Raizner Slania: Hurricane Damage Claims

If your commercial insurance carrier has denied, delayed, or disputed your business hurricane damage claim, an experienced insurance dispute attorney at Raizner Slania LLP can help. Call us today for a free consultation. We handle all bad faith insurance litigation cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not pay us anything unless we help you recover compensation.

bexar county

Bexar County Commercial Property Damage Lawsuit

Posted by Jeff Raizner on

Our client, a local hotel owner, was forced to file a lawsuit against The Cincinnati Indemnity Company (Cincinnati) after its commercial property damage insurance claim was wrongfully denied under Texas law.

April 12, 2015 Wind and Rainstorm

A severe windstorm swept across Bexar County on April 12, 2015, causing damage to our client’s hotel, including the roof, exteriors, and interiors of the property. Upon realizing the damage, our client immediately filed a claim with Cincinnati to recover for the damages.

In response to the claim, Cincinnati assigned representatives, adjusters, consultants, and agents to the plaintiff’s file that were inadequately and/or improperly trained. Specifically, Cincinnati assigned an internal representative that failed to perform a thorough investigation of the property and the damage. The internal representative did not prepare any estimates or scopes of the damage, and instead retained a preferred vendor to visit the property who was not qualified to evaluate this type of claim. The plaintiff submitted its own estimate of the damage, but the internal representative refused to acknowledge it. Because of the haphazard inspection, misrepresentations, and inadequate investigation, the windstorm property damage insurance claim was denied.

The Insurance Carrier Violated the Texas Insurance Code

Our client cites numerous violations of the Texas Insurance Code, including failure to effectuate a prompt, fair, and equitable settlement of a claim, failure to promptly provide a reasonable explanation for the denial of a claim, and refusal to pay a claim without conducting a reasonable investigation, among others.

Texas Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers

If your commercial insurance carrier has denied, delayed, underpaid, or disputed a Texas commercial property damage claim, you need an experienced team of local commercial property insurance lawyers to help you get the compensation you deserve. The lawyers at Raizner Slania have extensive experience helping policyholders obtain their rightful payments from insurance companies. Contact us today for a free consultation.