Winter Garden topped SmartAsset’s 2018 list of 10 best places to raise a family, one of two Orlando suburbs to make the grade. It’s a vibrant community with plenty to do for all ages most of the year. Downtown Winter Garden is a hub of fun, family-friendly events for each season. The main challenge for families in the area is housing prices, which will make the costs of rebuilding even higher in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
Hurricane Helene, the storm that hit two weeks ahead of Milton, left Winter Garden in a state of disarray. Debris was piled on roadsides and many were starting to figure out how to move forward. Some had yet to get into the area to inspect their property. Then came Hurricane Milton. Much of the progress made after Helene was destroyed. The debris became projectiles. Already damaged areas became even moreso.
Hurricane expert attorney Hal Weitzenfeld says, “To make matters worse, insurance companies are cracking down on hurricane claims even harder. Customers submitting valid claims are being denied their rightful policy payouts as bad-faith tactics come into play. If this is your experience with insurance providers, have hope. Florin|Roebig’s legal team has an excellent track record when it comes to disputing denials and forcing insurance companies to pay claims as promised in their policy terms.”
What Are Your Options If Your Home Is Affected by Hurricane Milton?
While some are choosing to self-pay for storm recovery rather than deal with the hassle of filing with their insurance company, many lack that as a viable option. If you don’t have a choice but to file against your hurricane damage coverage, follow the steps below for the best results on your claim.
Document Your Losses
Pictures, videos, and written accounts of any property damage from Hurricane Milton help validate your insurance claims for storm damage. Try for shots with good light and as many angles as possible. What you don’t see or remember will be preserved in the photos.
Review Your Homeowner’s Policy
Ideally, this step happens before a storm. Reviewing your homeowner’s policy gives you a chance to deep dive into what parts of your property and structures will be covered in a storm. If you don’t get to it until after, it’s okay. It will still help you understand what to include in your claim and what to leave out.
Contact Your Insurer
You need to work through the previous steps as quickly as possible and get your claim paperwork submitted. The longer you wait, the less time you have to handle any denials or delays by the insurance company.
Patch What You Can
Damage may need to be covered in some way to keep further weather from making it worse. Some repairs will have to be done to live in your house. The challenge is to make adjustments without hiding or correcting hurricane damage unless it’s necessary. Even if you have pictures, videos, and a document listing the problems, adjusters may want to see the damage in person.
Photograph any repairs as you make them, and keep all of the receipts for those in with your insurance papers to show records of it.
Get Damage Assessed
The state of Florida is cautioning against unlicensed contractors who surface in storm recovery. For anyone who comes to assess your damage, ask for their badge or other ID and licensing papers. Don’t pay anyone upfront because you may never see them or your money again. Find contractors who meet licensing requirements for Florida and be available for any appointments to stay in the know about repair estimates.
When the insurance company’s adjuster comes to inspect your damage, use the third-party estimates for comparison. If the numbers are strongly mismatched, ask why.
Get Government Assistance
Government programs assist before and after storms like Hurricane Milton. Orange County offered supplies to help residents prepare for the Category 3, including sand and sandbags. Following the devastating experience, city and county crews are helping to clean up the additional debris from winds that maintained Category 2 speeds while cutting through Winter Garden and surrounding areas.
What Damages Can A Hurricane Like Milton Cause?
Strong hurricanes like Milton bring devastation in their wake, and this was no exception. People’s homes, livelihoods, and favorite hangouts were wiped out as Milton made its way across the center of the Sunshine State.
Hurricane Milton has left Winter Garden with these types of storm damage:
- Wind damage
- Water damage and flooding
- Structural damage
- Personal property damage
- Landscaping and exterior property damage
Additional Issues
Building damage will multiply, developing rot and mold as gaps expose electrical and plumbing fixtures to additional weather. Covering these areas should help prevent secondary issues, but you may have challenges removing standing water and fully covering while not permanently fixing issues.
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How Did Hurricane Milton Affect Winter Garden?
Flying debris and falling tree limbs damaged Winter Garden homes. Roads were flooded (and some left flooded to keep the water from entering homes). Orange County offered residents shelters and post-storm, has crews collecting debris and yard waste. The county has also opened and extended waste services drop-off for vegetation and non-vegetation items to facilitate cleanup efforts.
Winter Garden is one of a handful of cities in West Orange, a community within Orange County that includes:
- Gotha
- Horizon West
- Lake Avalon
- MetroWest
- Oakland
- Ocoee
- Orlando
- Orlo Vista
- Pine Hills
- Windermere
- Winter Garden
Residents of these areas are still recovering from Hurricane Milton, and some will be doing so for years. If your rebuilding process is being hindered by issues with your insurance company paying your hurricane damage claim, Florin|Roebig is happy to jump in and see if we can’t move things along.
What to Do if Your Insurance Claim Is Denied After a Hurricane
Go over the details of your rejection letter from the insurance company. If they fail to provide reasons for their decision, immediately request that information. They’re required to provide it. Compare those statements against your insurance policy terms. If it’s not making sense, call Florin|Roebig for a free case review.
Common reasons hurricane damage claims are denied can include:
- Not enough evidence to prove your claim.
- Filing for damages on property not covered under your policy.
- Failing to show that Hurricane Milton caused the damage.
“When your insurance adjuster starts using evasive maneuvers against you, it’s time to call in the professional hurricane attorneys at Florin|Roebig. They’ve sent a denial and now won’t talk to you? Major red flag. Let our legal team go over your claim and set your insurance provider straight,” says attorney Hal Weitzenfeld.
How Can a Hurricane Damage Lawyer Help?
Working with a hurricane damage lawyer means that you have a trained and qualified advocate in your fight to get the payout you deserve from slippery insurance representatives. From solidifying the evidence you have with additional visuals and expert witnesses to arguing the finer points of insurance jargon and Florida state laws, Florin|Roebig is here to support you. We’ll also connect you with resources to aid in your recovery from a hurricane you had no control over.
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How To Get Help From Florin|Roebig Attorneys
Reaching out to the experienced team at Florin|Roebig is the first step in claiming a free case evaluation and protecting your legal rights. We pride ourselves on being one of the top law firms in Florida for residents dealing with bad actors at insurance companies. Our client and peer reviews confirm this, and we’ve got over $1 billion in client winnings to back it up further.
We’ve got 30+ years of experience battling poor practices by insurance representatives, and we’ll put it to work for you when you contact Florin|Roebig through our website with these options:
- Fill out our online form anytime, and we’ll respond within 48 hours.
- Call the phone number for your area 24/7.
- Use our chat feature day or night.
You don’t deserve to be jerked around by the people who are supposed to do their part and pay valid storm damage claims from Hurricane Milton. Let Florin|Roebig review your case for free today.
