Seated in the middle of the state, Polk County did not have mandatory evacuation orders. However, residents living in mobile homes and RVs were encouraged to move into one of many local shelters to wait out the winds and rains that Hurricane Milton brought. Some businesses were barely reopened following Hurricane Helene before they had to close again for the next major hurricane.
As home and property owners return to take stock of what’s lost, many are already filing claims with their insurance providers. Unfortunately, this also means that storm damage claim denials will follow soon. Even more concerning is the number of Hurricane Milton claims that will be denied for invalid reasons.
Florin|Roebig attorney Luca G. Esposito says, “We’ll take up the fight against bad actors at these insurance companies, and we’ll make sure you get the compensation you’re owed. Too many of them resort to underhanded tactics to avoid paying valid Hurricane Milton claims, all to keep as much profit as possible.”
What Are Your Options If Your Home Is Affected by Hurricane Milton?
If you or your loved ones are among the many displaced by repeat storm damage, you already know that cleaning up and recovering from this disaster will take a long time. As you move forward, follow these steps to preserve your damage claims.
Document All Damage
For insurance companies to approve storm claim payouts, you must submit proof. This can be pictures and videos of the damage caused by Milton. You may also want a written account. Keep a record of even the smallest amounts of damage, and have pictures from multiple viewpoints with good lighting.
Contact Your Provider
Once everything is together and the damage has been assessed, go ahead with filing your damage claim. Have all policy information available to reference as you answer each question, and know what damage falls under each one.
Patch What You Can
You may need to repair parts of your property, but you also need the damage to be visible. Tarps are provided through the Operation Blue Roof program to help keep belongings protected while you wait on inspections and contractors.
Read Your Homeowner’s Policy
Your homeowner’s policy and any other insurance coverage for your property determine your compensation eligibility. You should read through these anytime a disaster approaches, and if you haven’t before the storm hits, take care of it ASAP. It can prevent filing for claims that aren’t covered, one of many factors that slow the process.
Get Damage Assessed
You can hire third-party inspectors to look at your property and know that insurance adjusters will do so as well. Your insurance provider may recommend a repair company, and you should use your best judgment about them. Some will do a good job. Others will take advantage of a terrible situation. Compare all estimates with each other, and let your insurance agent know if theirs is falling short.
Get Government Assistance
FEMA representatives in Polk County are providing other forms of government assistance in the wake of Hurricane Milton. Visit the websites for Haines and Polk County for updates on what’s available to you.
Although the City of Haines did not catch the full force of Hurricane Milton, the damage sustained was compounded by that of Hurricane Helene two weeks prior. With high winds and forceful rains, Haines residents may need experienced hurricane attorneys like those at Florin|Roebig to get the compensation they deserve from insurance companies.
What Damages Can A Hurricane Like Milton Cause?
A Category 3 Hurricane, Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast. The winds were over 120 mph, and over a foot of rain fell in its path. Insurance companies will insist that storm damage claims prove that this October 9, 2024, major hurricane was the cause rather than Hurricane Helene’s fury on September 26, 2024. Restrictions will also be enforced for each type of insurance policy coverage.
Wind Damage
Milton’s winds took down trees and power lines in Polk County. It threw debris from Helene and new debris everywhere. It blew roofs off of buildings and buildings off of foundations.
Water Damage And Flooding
Authorities estimate that Polk County had somewhere between 12 and 16 inches of rain from Hurricane Milton. Floodwaters exceeded nine feet, and anyone in a flood zone was encouraged to evacuate.
Structural Damage
With the level of damage wrought by Hurricane Milton, property owners in Haines are discouraged from trusting structures that haven’t been inspected. The damage can be buried deep with the amount of flooding, creating hazardous structures.
Personal Property Damage
Many have found that Milton destroyed most of their items. Piles along the roadways represent the past lives of Haines citizens. The hope is that insurance claim payouts for storm damage will help recoup these significant losses.
Landscaping And Exterior Property Damage
With winds still almost 100 mph, Haines and surrounding areas weren’t spared from Milton’s destruction. Mature trees and new ones alike were ripped from the soil, as were shrubs. Plants lovingly nurtured were wiped out in a few hours. Outbuildings were decimated.
Secondary Issues
The above issues may be fairly obvious to your eyes but consider these additional factors. Secondary to the immediate damage are mold development, pest invasions, and rotting structures — all of which develop with prolonged exposure to outdoor elements and standing water.
To understand the extent of Hurricane Milton’s damage to your property and how to mitigate issues, reach out to Florin|Roebig. Insurance companies can shortchange your claim amount for numerous reasons, and many make poor decisions in stressful times. Don’t become a victim of someone’s “good enough” approach to their job. They owe you a responsibility to pay what your coverage states, not a penny less.
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How Did Hurricane Milton Affect Spring Hill?
Polk County officials set up shelters ahead of Hurricane Milton, which was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 3 before making landfall in Siesta Key, Florida. When it struck Haines, it had been further downgraded to a Category 2. It rained over a foot on the heart of Florida, with some estimates up to 16 inches. Winds were sustained at just shy of 100 mph.
The city, which was beginning to reopen following Hurricane Helene, abruptly shut down again as Hurricane Milton approached. Residents and business owners could be seen filling sandbags, stocking up on water and fuel, and moving into local shelters. Floodwaters rose through Sunday from the Wednesday night rains, and the standing water will take a while to eliminate.
As shelters close down and combine, residents of Haines are considering their next steps and taking inventory of what they have left. This is a hard time for all. Bad-faith denials from insurance companies only create more problems. Let Florin|Roebig help with a free case evaluation of your insurance claims, and we’ll handle your insurance company if we see that your case is more complex. You shouldn’t have to put up with this hassle.
What to Do if Your Insurance Claim Is Denied After a Hurricane
You should know that an initial denial from your insurance company is not a closed door. There are many ways to fight nonsensical storm damage claim denials, especially once you realize that those denials are invalid. Below are some of the reasons an insurance company might offer for why they’ve turned down your paperwork.
Insurance companies may deny storm damage claims because:
- Insufficient evidence. Pictures of the damage help prove its existence to your provider. If you don’t include enough of these (and documentation to back it up), the dreaded denial letter may appear in your mailbox or inbox.
- Ineligible property or damage. Filing for damage that doesn’t fall under a policy’s terms or including structures that aren’t included in the coverage can lead to denied claims.
- Unclear cause of damage. It can be easy to confuse which storm components caused what damage. Insurance representatives will reject your claims in these mix-ups, leaving you to figure out what to correct.
Requesting an explanation of the denial letter from your insurance company should be your first move on receipt of any refusal to pay. In this, your provider has to explain exactly why they turned down your application. You can use this to appeal the decision and correct any errors on your part.
“If this is simply too much on your plate, bringing in the professionals at Florin|Roebig might be your best bet. We’ve got a team of board-certified attorneys, and our firm has been handling hurricane claims for Floridians for decades. We know how the insurance companies operate, and we know what they owe our clients,” states Florin|Roebig hurricane lawyer Luca G. Esposito.
How Can a Hurricane Damage Lawyer Help?
A hurricane damage lawyer in Haines can support your claims and give you peace of mind about your legal issues while you focus on salvaging what you can and rebuilding where you must.
Our team of legal representatives are experts at storm damage insurance claims and can:
- Gather evidence, including visual evidence and written accounts of your damage, experts to provide validity, and any other documentation needed.
- Level with your insurance company because we understand their language and use it against bad actors when they try to keep you from the Hurricane Milton compensation that’s rightly yours.
- Fight it out in court because we don’t put up with insurance company delay tactics and misuse of claim denials.
Florin|Roebig is a leading law office for Florida residents for a reason. We’ve supported the Sunshine State’s population through numerous storms and storm damage claims for more than three decades. Our firm has secured over $1 billion in compensation for our clients, many of which have been record-breaking verdicts. Work with us to get your claims paid.
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How to Get Help from Florin|Roebig Attorneys
Insurance companies try to avoid dealing with the legal experts at Florin|Roebig because we’ve been so successful against their tricks for so many years. We use the law to hold them accountable when our clients suffer from their poor business decisions. We’ll do the same for you.
We stand out for our honest approach — if our free case review tells us that your chances of winning are low, we’ll share that with you rather than leading you along with lies. If you decide to work with us, we’ll be with you every step of the way and make sure you understand each stage of the process.
Contact Florin|Roebig for help with your Hurricane Milton hurricane damage claim. Our legal team works on a contingency-fee basis, meaning we get paid when you do, and our attorneys are dedicated to winning.
You can reach us through these methods, using our website contact page:
- Fill out our online form anytime, and we’ll get back to you.
- Call the phone number for your area 24/7.
- Use our chat feature day or night.
