Hurricane Attorney in Pittsburgh

When you believe you have grounds for a hurricane claim, it's important that you consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Looking for how to find the best hurricane damages lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA may lead you to a Google search landing on the website of a law firm that practices in hurricane damages.

Unfortunately, far too many hurricane damage victims do not realize the benefits to which they are entitled and states like Pennsylvania that do not regularly receive the wrath of hurricanes may not have as many lawyers who practice in this area. It is important for you to do your research and to identify a law firm with attorneys who have managed cases like this before.

What Does a Hurricane Damages Lawyer Do?

After you have suffered hurricane damages to your house, it is likely that you have extensive property damage. It isn't as often as simple as filing a case with your insurance company and waiting for them to pay the claim. The insurance company may delay or deny the claim, for example, which means that you need to retain legal counsel. This is when you might hit up Google to search for how to find the best hurricane damages lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA. A lawyer will serve in many different aspects of your case, from gathering the initial evidence and filing paperwork all the way through to representing you in settlement conversations and in court. No two lawyers are exactly alike and what you are looking for in an attorney may be different than what someone else would hope to find. For example, perhaps you want to resolve this situation as quickly as possible and prefer an attorney who has an approach that is biased towards settlement. You want to know that as soon as your attorney reaches a fair or reasonable settlement offer that allows you to close out this claim and move on with your life that he or she would accept it. Someone else might be determined to hold the insurance company accountable by taking the entire case to trial. These may be two different approaches offered by different law firms so it's important to know what is important for you first.

How Can I Find a Hurricane Damages Lawyer in Pittsburgh, PA?

A hurricane damages lawyer in Pittsburgh, PA will often be found by searching online and identifying which personal injury law firms or insurance law firms have experience in representing victims who have suffered property damage due to hurricanes. You might have already attempted to work things out with the insurance company in question and have been unsuccessful in doing so. If this applies to your case, you'll want to be prepared to speak with a lawyer who has appropriate experience in handling hurricane insurance claims. Reading through the fine print of your insurance policy and reviewing all of the communication you've already had with the insurance carrier will be early and important steps that your hurricane damages lawyer in Pittsburgh, PA should take. 

Your lawyer might also discover evidence that the insurance company has acted in bad faith. These involve claims in which an insurance company has acted illegally or unethically to deny you the benefits of your insurance coverage. When you purchased your insurance coverage, you did so based on the knowledge that it would help safeguard you against risks and that if a damage event did occur that you would be covered.

Unfortunately, as many hurricane damage victims have found out in recent years, this does not always mean that the claims process is quick or easy. You might have to be prepared to fight with the insurance company about what you expect to get and the coverage that you believe is provided by your insurance policy. In these circumstances, it can greatly increase your chances of success to have a knowledgeable attorney at your side, which is probably why you are searching for how to find the best hurricane damages lawyer in Pittsburgh, PA to begin with. If the insurance company is shown to have acted in bad faith, this information will become instrumental in helping you to recover the compensation that you are entitled to and even to hold the insurance company accountable.

Most people in Pennsylvania do not expect to find themselves dealing with hurricane damage. Those who may assume that it is covered under their insurance policy might be in for an unpleasant surprise. However, if you did purchase coverage that would protect you in the event of a hurricane, it can be devastating to learn that your insurance company is attempting to deny the claim. Thankfully, educating yourself about some of the most common reasons for an insurance company to deny your claim can give you gray wants to move forward and challenge their bases for denial. 

There are a few main reasons why your claim might get denied. The first of these is when the insurance company argues that you have pre-existing damage. Insurance adjusters usually turn to this tactic to argue that your business or property already had damage before the hurricane hit. This means that they may not be held liable for the damage that occurred as a result of a hurricane. Of course, every home has wear and tear over the course of time, but the source of the damage might be relatively obvious to you. This means that you need to be prepared with appropriate evidence to argue with the insurance adjuster. Unfortunately, some adjusters will try to argue that an aging property had such severe pre-existing damage that the property was not directly harmed by the hurricane.
 
Another common claim from adjusters is that you did not take the right steps to secure your property. An adjuster might claim that the damage did come from the hurricane, but that it was much worse than it should have been because you didn't do the right steps to protect yourself. Since most people in Pennsylvania never expect to find themselves in the midst of hurricane damage, it could be argued that you should not have taken any additional steps to protect yourself. If you can show that once you learn that a hurricane was coming that you did take steps for additional precautions, you can argue this as a reason why the insurance company should pay out your claim. 

Finally, the last common reason that your claim might be denied is that the damage is allegedly excluded under your policy. Hurricane damage is frequently caused by a combination of heavy rain and high winds. A major problem for property owners is that they do not realize until it is too late that they should have obtained flood insurance separately. People who live in flood zones might be required to have flood insurance, but in many cases where hurricanes hit, flood insurance is not required for residents and so Property Owners skip out on getting it. This means that your claim could be legitimately denied. You'll need to read through the specifics of your individual insurance policy and consult with a lawyer to learn more. 
 
The adjuster might argue that your damages were caused only by flooding and not by wind. While an insurance adjuster might sometimes find accurate reasons for denying your claim, others have acted in bad faith and this has left property owners frustrated and upset. Make sure that you reach out to an experienced attorney if you believe that the insurance adjuster is not acting in good faith. 
 
Some of the most common signs that this is happening include unnecessary delays and claim processing, low-ball settlement offers, making misleading statements about what your policy does cover, denying that your policy covers storm damage, or pressuring you to sign a supplemental claims release.

What Kinds of Information Should I Look for When Hiring a Hurricane Damages Lawyer?

Hurricane damages in insurance claims processing are unique aspects of the law that are not necessarily familiar to most personal injury lawyers. The first thing you should look for when seeking to find a hurricane damages lawyer in Pittsburgh, PA is an attorney who has experience going up against hurricane damages or wind damage insurance policies. Their familiarity with insurance companies and the common tactics used by these carriers to minimize or delay their claim liability will be very helpful as you pursue your suit. A lawyer who has appropriate experience in this area might even be able to resolve your claim in court much more quickly than you anticipated. If your hurricane damage has displaced you from your home, it is imperative that you are able to resolve this legal issue as soon as possible and you may not be interested in arguing with the insurance company for months and months. In these circumstances, you'll want to be prepared to have an attorney who recognizes your perspective and who gathers all of the evidence and paperwork from you to file things in a timely manner. There are so many different things to think about as you proceed with a hurricane damage claim but learning that your insurance company is not paying out your claim promptly and easily can be very frustrating. 
When seeking a hurricane damages lawyer in Pittsburgh, PA, look for things such as: 

•       Positive reviews from other clients who have worked with them on hurricane damages cases.
•       Case results and testimonials indicating their ability to navigate these complex cases.
•       Superior ratings from peer-reviewed organizations.
•       Website content and social media content geared towards victims of hurricane damage claims.
•       A friendly and personable approach will make it easy to work with these attorneys on your legal claim.

You can also take advantage of a hurricane damages lawyer's offer to meet in an initial consultation. This is strongly recommended before you retain a lawyer because it gives you the best opportunity to understand whether or not this is the right law firm for you.       

If you are ready to take your next steps, you can contact Morgan & Morgan for a free case evaluation to get started.