Residents in Riverside have to deal with many high-cost disasters like tropical storms, fires, and floods. Homeowners’ insurance, commercial property insurance, earthquake insurance, and flood insurance are often used by residents to provide peace of mind for these situations. It is easier to navigate these claims and address underhanded and predatory insurance company tactics with a Riverside natural disaster insurance claim lawyer by your side.
The financial losses from a natural disaster can be overwhelming, causing structural damage or even the full loss of your home or business. Filing a claim to cover these losses should be straightforward, but insurance companies often make it more complex and stressful than it should be. When you work with Shaver Legal, APC, we deal with insurance companies and fight for the property damage costs you are owed.
Our firm understands natural disaster insurance claim laws and holds insurers to state legal standards. These companies have to hold up their side of the contract you signed when you purchased and continued to pay for insurance coverage. If they fail to do this, you can challenge their actions and potentially even take them to court.
We know the tactics that insurers use to delay, underpay, and deny claims for natural disasters. If you are dealing with these issues, our attorneys provide reliable and exceptional legal advice every step of the way. We want to help you move forward after a significant loss.
Homeowners, renters, businesses, and other residents in Riverside see many different types of natural disasters each year. Homeowners in Riverside County had nearly 490,000 fire damage policies in 2023, and more than 47,000 policies for earthquake damage.
Wildfires are some of the most widespread and severe natural disasters affecting homeowners and businesses in Riverside. Some of the most recent wildfires include:
Fire and smoke damage can also be caused by internal sources in a home or business. Fire can damage or destroy property or even entire structures. While many insurance policies for property include fire damage in the coverage, there are still issues. When claims for fire damage are high-value, insurance companies are especially likely to try to find reasons to underpay or deny claims.
Hurricanes and other serious storms are another common cause of damage. Tropical Storm Hilary in 2023 caused more than $16.6 million in individual and personal property damage. Other storms, from thunderstorms to winter storms, can also cause damage from wind, lightning, rain, ice, and more. There are numerous ways that these storms can damage your property.
Floods from rainstorms can cause serious damage and also lead to other dangers like sinkholes, landslides, and even earthquakes. Many policies do not cover these damages unless you specifically add the policy. It’s important to understand what damage is covered and how to effectively protect your property.
Earthquakes also cause damage. The San Jacinto Fault and the Lake Elsinore Fault are two faults near Riverside that are able to create earthquakes and severe damage to people, homes, businesses, and public infrastructure. Earthquake damage coverage is often a separate policy, so policyholders need to know what compensation they can and can’t recover.
Insurance companies are supposed to give as much consideration to the interests of the policyholder as they give to their own interests. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen in practice. There are numerous ways that insurance companies avoid paying full claims to protect their own financial interests, such as:
A: You may be able to file an insurance claim for a natural disaster, but it depends on the cause of the damage and what is covered by your policy or policies. Many base insurance policies for homeowners or business owners may not cover flood, earth movement, or earthquake damage, and separate coverage may be required. You should always assess the policy that protects your property and other damaged items to assess if you have the basis for an insurance claim.
Yes, it is important to hire a natural disaster insurance claim lawyer in California, especially if you have a legitimate claim that is being delayed or denied. A lawyer can help you file a claim from the start, but it may not always be necessary. Your lawyer can provide you robust and strategic support if an insurance company is being unreasonable, however, and is often the last line of defense you have against an insurer.
If you filed a legitimate natural disaster insurance claim that was denied but should be covered, you can appeal or dispute the denial and get the claim reviewed by the company or the California Department of Insurance Consumer Communications Bureau. An attorney can also support you in this process, protecting your rights and dealing directly with the insurance company for you. An attorney can also help with a civil claim if the insurer is acting in bad faith.
The natural disasters that are not covered by insurance depend on the specifics of your claim. Homeowners’ and commercial property insurance generally do not cover flood damage and disasters caused by floods, like landslides and sinkholes. You must purchase separate flood insurance to have this damage covered. These policies often also don’t cover earth movement from floods. Earthquake coverage is also often separate from a basic insurance policy.
Shaver Legal, APC, can help you from the beginning of your insurance claim and deal with any disputes that arise. Contact our firm today for a free consultation.