For cities along the Texas coast, like Corpus Christi, tourism is a huge industry – or rather it was before Hurricane Harvey. It’s been over five months since Hurricane Harvey came ashore, but many businesses, particularly hotels and motels, are struggling to get back on their feet.
Hotels and motels face unique challenges after a natural disaster. In the case of Hurricane Harvey, many hotels and motels in Corpus Christi suffered massive amounts of flood and wind damage. Unfortunately for hotel and motel owners, commercial insurance claims can take a long time to resolve, and even longer in the event of a large-scale natural disaster.
To add insult to injury, many Corpus Christi hotel owners are discovering their insurance companies aren’t as honest as they thought. Hurricane Harvey caused billions of dollars in property damage throughout Texas, and insurance companies are doing everything in their power to mitigate their own financial losses by avoiding paying out.
Hotel owners who have filed insurance claims are facing unnecessary delays, bad faith tactics, and outright denials. While hotel owners are not the only ones facing these challenges, the nature of their businesses means the effects of this insurance company bad behavior are hitting their economic viability particularly hard.
When an insurance company unnecessarily delays a claim, hotel owners lose money when they need it the most. Just a small amount of wind or water damage can shut an entire hotel down, causing them to lose business. Many hotel owners are being forced to pay for repairs themselves or risk losing business. If damages go unrepaired, a hotel owner can even face challenges with the franchisor, and potentially even lose their flag.
To make matters worse, tourism to hurricane affected locales like Corpus Christi has seen a dramatic decrease since Hurricane Harvey, making it even more difficult for hotel and motel owners to return to normal. The difficulty of rebuilding is causing some hotel and motel owners to sell their damaged properties at a huge loss.
Rebuilding after a natural disaster can be a difficult process, but business owners aren’t alone and they have legal rights. If a hotel owner pays their insurance premiums, they deserve full coverage under their policy. After a natural disaster, many insurance companies take advantage of policyholders who are desperate or unaware of their rights by offering lowball settlements. This is wrong, and by partnering with an experienced Texas insurance lawyer, hotel and motel owners can get full compensation for their property damage.
Corpus Christi Hotel Property Damage Lawyers
At Raizner Slania LLP, we understand that your hotel isn’t just your business; it’s your livelihood. We know how insurance companies try to avoid paying out on claims and fight aggressively for our clients to get them the most under their policies. If your insurance company is delaying your claim, or if they have underpaid or denied your claim, don’t wait to call us. We can help you get your hotel up and running again. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.