Hurricane Beryl left major destruction in its wake after hitting southeast Texas on July 8, 2024. Sugar Land was one of the areas most heavily impacted. But at a time when Sugar Land homeowners need coverage from their insurance most, many are struggling to get the payouts they were promised. Florin|Roebig’s experienced team of hurricane insurance claim lawyers are here to help you get the money you deserve.
What Are Your Options If Your Home Is Affected By Hurricane Beryl?
If your home suffered damage due to Hurricane Beryl’s high winds, flooding, or other complications, the first thing to do is look out for your and your family’s safety. Avoid potentially unsafe living arrangements and get a hotel if you need to. After that, assess your insurance policy to see what may be covered.
Common types of policies that may cover hurricane damage include:
- Homeowners’ insurance
- Windstorm insurance
- Flood insurance
- Comprehensive coverage
Homeowners’ policies for coastal areas like Sugar Land may not automatically cover wind damage and rarely cover flooding. Review your insurance policy or call an agent to find out more about your coverage.
Make sure you know how long you have to file a home damage claim. Your timeline can vary considerably depending on your insurance company and the type of damage you’re filing for. You generally have one year from the storm to file a windstorm insurance claim. Most policies in Texas give you 60 days to file a claim for flood damage but confirm with your insurer.
If your insurance company refuses to pay for damage that should be covered under your policy or is offering less than you think they should, you can contact a hurricane claim attorney for legal advice and to see if taking legal action may be helpful.
What Damages Can A Hurricane Or Tropical Storm Cause?
Hurricane and tropical storm damage can be severe and cause both short-term and long-term destruction.
Common types of hurricane damage include:
- Wind damage: Hurricane Beryl sustained winds of 80 mph at its strongest point in Sugar Land. These kinds of winds can rip shingles off roofs, uproot trees, and fling large objects around, damaging property and people.
- Water damage: Floods and heavy rain cause serious property damage. Beryl flooded many cars in Sugar Land, often causing extensive or irreparable damage. Water can also cause severe damage to household items and lead to long-term problems.
- Structural damage: No part of a house is safe from hurricane damage, including windows, roofs, walls, and foundations.
- Power outages: Hurricane Beryl has left millions without power in Sugar Land and the surrounding areas, potentially exposing them to spoiled food and dangerously high heat levels without A/C, and rendering homes uninhabitable.
Property damage from hurricanes can lead to damage long-term, such as mold from water exposure, unstable trees that fall later, and more serious roof damage if repairs aren’t made promptly.
Thanks to structural damage and power outages, many Sugar Land residents have had to evacuate their homes and pay for shelter elsewhere. Between potentially replacing vehicles, paying for a hotel, and paying for house repairs, homeowners can end up facing costs of tens of thousands of dollars or more.
That’s why hurricane insurance is so essential. Don’t let insurance companies get away with denying you coverage you’re owed. Reach out to Florin|Roebig today to explore your legal options.
How Did Hurricane Beryl Affect Sugar Land, Texas?
Hurricane Beryl ripped a path of destruction through Sugar Land on July 8, 2024, causing flooding and wind damage that led to the deaths of at least three people in the greater Houston area and left more than 2 million people without power.
In Sugar Land, more than 13 inches of rain were measured in some areas, engulfing cars and other property. Residents also had to deal with the destruction and danger of high winds toppling trees, which dropped onto houses and other property and downed powerlines. With so many people in the city without power for A/C in July, officials have issued deadly heat warnings.
Located on Texas’s Gulf Coast, where Beryl made landfall, Sugar Land was heavily impacted by the Texas hurricane.
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What To Do If Your Insurance Claim Is Denied After A Hurricane
In the aftermath of devastating storms like Hurricane Beryl, many people turn to the insurance they purchased for just this occasion but faced with so many claims at once, insurance companies may use invalid reasons to deny people.
Common reasons for hurricane insurance claim denials include:
- Missed Deadlines: Failure to file the claim on time
- Lack of coverage: A certain type of damage, such as flood damage, isn’t covered under the policy
- Pre-existing damage: The damage existed before the hurricane
- Failure to mitigate damage: The homeowner could have prevented the damage from getting worse after the storm, but didn’t
- Inadequate documentation: The policyholder didn’t document the damage well or at all
- Inadequate preparation: The homeowner didn’t prepare properly for the hurricane
If your claim is denied:
- Review the denial letter: Your insurance company should have provided a reason for the denied hurricane insurance claim.
- Read your insurance policy: Compare the insurer’s reason for denial to your policy to see if it holds weight.
- Ask your insurer questions: If there’s anything in the policy or denial letter you don’t understand, contact an insurance agent for more information.
- Gather evidence: If you believe your claim was wrongly denied, you’ll need to file an appeal, providing reasoning and evidence such as photographs backing up your claims.
- Reach out to a lawyer: A hurricane insurance attorney may greatly increase the success of your appeal. Contact an experienced lawyer in the Sugar Land, Texas area to discuss your claim and legal options.
To file a hurricane claim appeal, you must submit a letter explaining why you believe the denial was incorrect and provide evidence supporting your claim. Consult your insurance company’s website or call their number for the proper steps for filing.
How Can A Hurricane Damage Lawyer Help?
Hurricane damage lawyers can help people get their unfairly denied claims accepted and offer additional legal help for hurricane damage in the aftermath of a storm like Hurricane Beryl.
A hurricane claim attorney can:
- Provide legal expertise in hurricane and storm-related claims
- Assist with documentation and evidence collection
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Represent clients in court if necessary
These actions can be helpful for:
- Challenging denied claims: In some cases, hurricane insurance claims are illegitimately denied. Insurance policies can be difficult to navigate and it can be hard to challenge a claim successfully—or even confirm that the insurer’s denial is incorrect. A hurricane damage lawyer can challenge your claim denial to get you coverage.
- Preventing reduced payouts: After storms like Hurricane Beryl, insurance companies have an incentive to pay as little as possible. They may offer inappropriately low payouts or find reasons to lower payouts that policyholders aren’t aware they can challenge. Hurricane damage attorneys can review your claim and policy and challenge the lowball offer, holding the insurance company accountable for paying what they should.
- Avoiding delays: Hurricane Beryl affected millions of people in Texas, so it can be tempting for insurers to intentionally delay claims to keep up with the surge in claims. However, such delays can cause further damage to your home and lead to more expenses while you wait. A hurricane damage lawyer will hold your insurance company accountable for processing your claim on time.
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How to Get Help From A Qualified Insurance Claims Attorney
Finding a hurricane lawyer who can get results can be difficult, but there are steps you can take to give yourself the best chance of getting a successful claims outcome in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
Criteria for choosing a qualified hurricane lawyer include:
- Specialization: Make sure the attorney specializes in hurricane damage claims and is very familiar with Texas insurance laws.
- Past successes: Look for a law firm with a strong history of winning cases for their clients.
- Social proof: Look for good reviews or testimonials from previous clients.
- Trial experience: Going to trial may be necessary to get the settlement you deserve, so it’s important to have an insurance claims attorney with strong trial experience.
Even if everything checks out on paper, it’s important to ask an attorney questions before hiring them.
Some questions to ask during an initial consultation include:
- Will you personally be handling my claim or will another attorney?
- What experience do you have with hurricane insurance claims?
- When was the last time you handled a hurricane claims case?
- What are the potential outcomes of my case?
To find the best hurricane lawyers in Sugar Land, ask for referrals from people you trust who have had a similar legal problem. You can also find excellent local attorneys through ads, community referral services, or Google searches for your area plus the type of lawyer you need (“Sugar Land, TX Hurricane Lawyer”), but make sure you do thorough research before hiring an attorney.
Florin|Roebig’s experienced insurance claims attorneys are happy to answer all of your questions and help you get the legal assistance you need. If you’re interested in seeking legal advice from our legal team, you can contact our offices to schedule an appointment.
- Our website, florinroebig.com, has an option for requesting more information.
- You can call our phone number 24/7
- For more information regarding our services and free consultations, you can email us at [email protected]
- Or you can reach us at an office near you below.
Houston Office
440 Louisiana Street
Suite 900
Houston, Texas 77002
Homeowners in Sugar Land, Texas pay a premium to protect their property from storms like Hurricane Beryl. They deserve to have their contracts honored during their time of need. If your property was damaged by Hurricane Beryl and you’re having trouble getting the payout you’re owed, the attorneys at Florin|Roebig are here to help.
To determine if you may have a valid case against your insurance company and to learn more about your legal options, reach out for a free consultation today.
Additional Tips and Resources
Hurricane Preparedness Tips
Sugar Land is no stranger to hurricanes, so it’s worth the investment to prepare for the next storm.
- Create an evacuation plan that involves where you’ll go and how you’ll get there.
- Have a plan for living without basic necessities like running water, phone, and power.
- Gather emergency supplies early.
- Invest in battery-powered supplies like flashlights, cell phone chargers, and radios.
- Learn emergency skills like First Aid, CPR, and how to safely operate a generator.
- Have a list of local hurricane recovery resources on hand for after the storm.
- Be prepared to file your hurricane damage claim as soon as possible.
Hurricane Damage and Insurance Claims FAQ
How long does it take for homeowners’ insurance to pay a claim in Texas?
An insurance company must send your payout check within five business days after accepting your claim. The insurer has 15 business days to accept or reject your claim after receiving all necessary information from you.
How long do you have to file a hurricane insurance claim in Texas?
Your deadline to file an insurance claim in Texas may vary depending on your insurance company, the type of insurance you have, and the type of damage you’re filing for. You may have anywhere from 30 days to 1 year or more to file. Under federal flood policies, you have 60 days to document flood damage and file a claim.
Will my homeowners’ policy cover flood damage?
Flood damage usually isn’t covered in homeowners policies in Sugar Land, Texas. However, your insurance company may incorrectly state that flood damage isn’t covered under your policy. Check your policy carefully and call a lawyer if in doubt.
