I was completely satisfied with the settlement I received regarding the damage to home due to hurricane Ida.
Drew Rhodes, Google review (excerpt)
Testimonials describe individual experiences and do not guarantee similar results.
Hurricanes and tropical storms can cause serious property damage in Louisiana. If a storm damages your Ruston home or business, the available insurance benefits depend on your policy and the cause of the loss.
Insurance may cover wind damage and other covered storm losses, subject to the policy’s exclusions, deductibles and limits. Standard homeowners insurance generally does not cover flooding; flood coverage requires a separate policy. Document the property damage and review the applicable policies before assuming a loss is covered.
Sadly, the insurance companies that administer these plans don’t always pay out on claims like they should. Instead, they allege that a customer didn’t buy a premium, didn’t properly file a claim, or that the damage isn’t covered under the policy. If you have been getting these denials from insurance companies, you can pursue damages with the help of a skilled attorney.
A Ruston hurricane damage claims lawyer can help you collect what you deserve from insurance companies. This can include seeking enforcement of an insurance policy, demanding compensation through settlements, or bringing lawsuits to local courthouses that seek relief.
Contact us now for a free case review, call (318) 301-6535 or fill out the online form.
Cases Alleging Bad Faith Denials of Claims
Louisiana insurance law imposes duties on insurers when handling claims. Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:1892 addresses payment, adjustment and good-faith duties. Former R.S. 22:1973 was repealed effective July 1, 2024. Claims involving earlier events require review of the law applicable to those events.
Under R.S. 22:1892(I), an insurer owes its insured a duty of good faith and fair dealing, including fair and prompt adjustment and reasonable settlement efforts. The statute identifies certain knowing acts as breaches, including misrepresenting pertinent facts or coverage provisions and failing to pay a written settlement within the required time. A denial, delay or disagreement over value does not by itself establish bad faith. The policy, proof of loss, applicable deadlines and insurer’s conduct must be examined.
Property claims also have specific payment and penalty rules. R.S. 22:1892.2 addresses catastrophic property losses, including qualifying losses from declared storms. A Ruston hurricane-damage attorney can review which contract remedies and statutory penalties, if any, are available for your claim.
Pursuing Compensation Through Breach of Contract Cases
Even if it doesn’t appear that an insurance company has acted in bad faith, it may still be possible for you to demand the enforcement of a policy and receive compensation through a claim. The most common way to achieve this is to prove that an insurance company breached your contract.
Insurance policies are contracts. This means that any individual who believes that an insurance company has improperly failed to provide benefits under a policy can ask a court to enforce that contract. In most situations, this means demanding payments under the terms of the policy.
A lawyer can help you pursue these hurricane damage claim lawsuits in Ruston civil courts. This could result in the receipt of compensation through a settlement or a jury verdict that helps you cover your losses after the storm.
Contact a Ruston Hurricane Damage Claim Attorney Now
Hurricanes are among the most devastating natural disasters that can impact Ruston residents. If you’ve got an insurance policy that you believe covers your losses after these events, but an insurance company is failing to provide compensation, you may have the right to seek legal remedies.
These remedies may be the result of an act of bad faith or situations where the insurance company is refusing to pay out a valid claim and has breached the contract. A Ruston hurricane damage claim lawyer can help you collect the insurance payouts you need in either situation. Contact an attorney now to get started, call (318) 301-6535 or fill out the online form.