Riverside Commercial Property Insurance Claims Lawyer

Commercial Property Insurance Claims Attorney in Riverside, CA

Commercial insurance is essential for a business owner to protect their interests. When an insurance company deals with you in bad faith, a Riverside commercial property insurance claims lawyer is essential to continue to protect those interests. When these companies fail to provide for your company, it can cause serious harm to your business, but there are options to protect your future.

Shaver Legal, APC: Your Commercial Property Insurance Attorney in Riverside

It is essential that you protect your business and ensure that a contract for property insurance is upheld. At Shaver Legal, APC, we offer dedicated and experienced legal representation in the face of unfair and unreasonable insurance company practices.

There are nearly 21,000 businesses in Riverside County. We help you hold your insurer accountable for the damages they owe you and your business. When you have an issue with a commercial insurer, our firm can help you. We understand these insurers and know the many underhanded tactics used to undermine claims. Our firm has experience with these cases and is persistent in our goals to secure the compensation you are owed.

What Is Covered by Commercial Property Insurance?

While different policies may have different specifics, commercial property insurance tends to cover any physical property. This includes:

• Buildings you own and lease, including fixtures, machinery, and equipment that are permanently installed
• Business personal property, such as furniture and equipment not permanently installed
• Personal property of others

These policies tend to address damage by:

• Natural disasters. This might include fire, storm, winter, wind, hurricane, and similar damages. The 2024 Airport Fire in Riverside and Orange Counties destroyed 160 structures, residential and commercial. Earthquakes and floods are two common issues in Riverside, which are often not covered under typical policies and instead require a separate policy.

• Theft. This could include burglary, shoplifting, or employee theft, depending on the policy. There were nearly 8,200 offenses of shoplifting in 2024 in Riverside County.

• Vandalism. Property can be intentionally damaged through defacing and destruction, which is often covered in commercial property insurance.

Commercial property causes of loss can either list specific perils to be covered or be unspecified perils coverage.

Insurer Responsibilities to Commercial Policyholders

There are many responsibilities that insurers have to follow in California. This includes the requirement to act in good faith. California jury instructions state that there is an implied requirement that the insurance company and the insured party must act in good faith and with fair dealing.

Under this requirement, insurance companies are meant to give equal consideration to the interests of the policyholder as to the interests of the company. It breaches this obligation when it deprives a policyholder of the insurance policy benefits by acting unreasonably or failing to act.

Insurers also have a responsibility to respond in a timely manner to insurance claims. These responses must be made immediately, but not after more than 15 days. Failing to respond within this timeframe could be grounds for a bad-faith claim.

Types of Bad Faith Actions an Attorney Can Help With

Some of the key ways that insurance companies can act in bad faith in commercial property insurance claims include:

1. Delaying a claim. If an insurer does not respond to a claim within the right timeframe or delays later communications for weeks, it may be held liable for acting in bad faith. An attorney can help you determine if the time you have had to wait for a response is unreasonable.
2. Underpaying a claim. An insurance company is required to pay you a reasonable settlement for damages that are covered. If you received a settlement for damages that is not sufficient to cover your losses, which you clearly documented, and the settlement isn’t restricted by coverage limits, this could be the basis of a bad-faith claim.
3. Denying a claim. You could hold an insurer accountable for denying a claim you made that should have been covered by your commercial policy. This bad-faith act often occurs when claims are of a high value.

FAQs About Commercial Property Insurance Claims Law

What Types of Losses Are Typically Covered Under Commercial Property Insurance in Riverside?

The losses that are covered under commercial property insurance in Riverside can vary based on the type and scope of the insurance policy. It can include the physical property owned or rented by your business, as well as the items within it. Commercial property coverage tends to cover damages done by fire and certain other natural disasters outside of earthquakes and floods. It can also cover damage from vandalism and theft.

How Can a Lawyer Help if My Commercial Property Insurance Claim Is Denied or Underpaid?

A lawyer can help if your commercial property insurance claim is denied or underpaid if the denial or underpayment is a bad-faith operation by your insurer. If the damages should have been covered under your policy but were unreasonably denied, a lawyer can help you deal with the insurance company through negotiation or in court. An attorney gathers evidence to support your case and knows how to address the bad-faith tactics insurers use.

What Steps Should Business Owners Take Immediately After Property Damage Occurs?

After property damage occurs, here are the immediate steps business owners should take. First, find your insurance policy or call your insurer for a copy of the policy to assess whether those damages are covered. Second, contact your agency or company immediately to file a claim and provide the necessary information. Third, document the damage to the property, gather important information, and make a list of each item damaged, its value, and other information.

How Long Do I Have to File a Commercial Property Insurance Claim in California?

How long you have to file a commercial property insurance claim in California depends on the policies of your specific property insurance company. Each company has its own unique deadlines. Typically, you should file a claim as soon as you are able to. When you hire a commercial property insurance claims lawyer, they can help you review the deadlines required by your policy and help gather the evidence needed to file a claim.

Hire a Commercial Property Insurance Claims Lawyer

When your commercial insurance company fails to give the coverage your business needs, contact Shaver Legal, APC. We offer free consultations.