San Francisco Storm Damage Lawyer

San Francisco Storm Damage Attorney

While safe inside your home, you may forget how dangerous storms can be until you’re confronted by the damage they’re capable of causing. In some cases, it can be torrential rains, while in others, it could be high winds. In extreme cases, lightning may even cause significant damage. While property owners and others rely on insurance to address storm damage, they may need the assistance of a San Francisco storm damage lawyer to seek what they’re owed.

The insurance companies that should pay out claims according to policy agreements don’t always follow through with the compensation that is owed. In many cases, they may be considered to be acting in “bad faith.” This could be a violation of the law, and a lawyer can be crucial to holding them accountable.

At Sawyer & Labar LLP, we help people faced with storm damage when their insurance provider appears to be failing to fulfill their responsibility. We work to get fair compensation for our clients and won’t accept a settlement that’s lower than what you deserve. Our attorney, Ivo Labar, is a talented litigator, and we can make your strongest case during litigation.

What Does a San Francisco Storm Damage Lawyer Do?

A San Francisco storm damage lawyer represents their clients in an effort to obtain fair compensation from their insurance provider. However, in the process of doing so, they will need to perform several critical functions.

One of the critical aspects of what we do is interpret your insurance policy. To understand whether you are not receiving the compensation that you are owed, we will first need to understand what should be covered under your policy. Although these contracts are often complicated and confusing, we know how to identify the key elements, compare them with the damage you’ve sustained, and calculate what you should be expecting to receive in compensation.

When it comes to seeking compensation from an insurance company, the process will often be resolved through either negotiation or litigation. In either case, it’s important to have an experienced lawyer representing you through the process.

Negotiating a Settlement

We begin preparing for trial from the moment we begin representing you. However, most cases are resolved with a settlement before litigation is necessary. This is often due to our strong negotiation tactics and the threat of litigation, as the other side knows of our attorney’s reputation as a skilled litigator.

While a settlement may not result in as large a potential payout as if litigation were to go perfectly in your favor, there may be advantages to a settlement in certain cases. One of these advantages is that the process is often much quicker than litigation. For those looking to reach a resolution more quickly, a settlement can often be more efficient.

One advantage of a settlement is that it avoids the risk that’s inherent any time a case goes to litigation. There is always a chance that the process may end in a ruling that’s not in your favor. However, with a skilled attorney like Ivo Labar on your side, you’re much more likely to succeed during litigation.

It’s important to have a lawyer negotiating on your behalf throughout the legal process. The experience we have is often vital to strong negotiations, as we can identify when an offer is appropriate and when we need to take the claim to trial. We can also help you weigh the factors you will need to consider when deciding whether to accept that offer or move on to litigation.

When we negotiate on your behalf, it’s also likely that the insurance company will treat the situation more seriously. They often recognize that our experienced lawyer is not going to encourage their clients to agree to a lowball offer. Our presence also reveals how legitimate the possibility of going to litigation is, and insurance providers wanting to avoid that prospect will be more likely to offer a fair settlement.

The Litigation Process

Even if negotiating a settlement may be more common, there are many times when accepting a settlement may not be the right choice. It’s important to get the compensation that you deserve, and when an offer fails to meet that requirement, litigation may be necessary to address the situation. If so, we are prepared to represent you and advocate on your behalf through that process.

We help with the necessary paperwork that’s involved, ensuring that it is filled out correctly and submitted on time. Having investigated your case, we are also prepared to make your strongest case in any of the necessary hearings before the court. Ivo Labar is an accomplished litigation attorney, meaning you’ll have a fierce advocate by your side.

What Types of Insurance Issues Can a Lawyer Help With?

A lawyer is primarily involved when there is a dispute between you and your insurance provider regarding the compensation that you should be receiving after storm damage. In particular, when an insurance company is failing to properly compensate you, has rejected a legitimate claim, is delaying the process, or is otherwise not fulfilling their responsibility, they may be acting in “bad faith” and in violation of the law.

Some of the more common forms of bad faith issues include:

• Unjustified Denial of Claim. The insurance policy should elaborate on the types of claims it covers and those that would be considered outside of the coverage. A denial of your claim when it should be covered is an issue that could warrant legal intervention.
• Not Offering Enough Compensation. Sometimes, an insurance provider may attempt to lowball their compensation offer, particularly through something like underestimating the costs of the damage. This can sometimes require litigation and third-party estimators to resolve.
• A Lack of Communication. You should be kept well-informed regarding the status of your claim. Failure to respond to inquiries and provide information could be considered a bad faith action.
• Delays in Processing. When you need insurance compensation, it’s important that you receive that compensation quickly. Insurance providers have a responsibility to pay this compensation in a reasonable amount of time, and failure to do so can lead to legal action against them.
• Failing to Investigate. Insurance providers have a responsibility to investigate and verify the claim that you’ve made, particularly if they are going to deny it. Failing to conduct a proper investigation may be another example of bad faith behavior on their part.
• Misrepresentation. It may also be that a provider has not correctly represented the coverage you are meant to receive. Although rare, in a case like this, the provider could be held to account for how they presented the agreement, regardless of what was in the final contract.

What Kinds of Storm Damage Warrant Compensation From an Insurance Policy?

Storms are often underestimated in the amount of damage they can produce. High winds, significant rain, hail, lightning, and other elements can all lead to different types of property damage, often compounding upon each other. The exact extent of what will be covered depends on your insurance policy.

For instance, while many policies will cover storm damage, flood damage will often be a separate policy. If a storm causes a flood, and the flood is the source of the damage, you may need to collect on the flood policy.

Some of the more common forms of damage that may need addressing after a storm include:

• Water Damage. If heavy rain from a storm makes its way into a property, it could lead to structural damage, damage to property inside the building, and other issues.
• Wind Damage. Wind can cause direct damage to a building, particularly roofs and siding. However, the more significant wind damage comes from debris and objects being blown by the wind. This could lead to more extensive damage, such as broken windows or even structural damage if the wind were to blow something like a tree onto the property.
• Lightning Damage. Lightning can create issues like power surges, fires, and fallen trees. Any of these issues could leave property owners with extensive damage on their hands.
• Debris Removal. The more violent the storm, the more debris a property owner could be left with needing to clean and remove. In particular, the debris could be scattered across a property and on the rooftops of any structures.

Get Help Holding Your Insurance Provider Accountable

After a storm, particularly one involving strong winds or significant rainfall, it’s not uncommon for a property to take significant damage from the weather. While property insurance is meant to address this kind of damage, there are times when insurance providers may fail to meet their obligations. It’s critical that those faced with these obstacles have the right representation on their side.

At Sawyer & Labar LLP, we recognize how important it is for our clients to receive the compensation that they need when faced with storm damage. Ivo Labar knows what it takes to help clients hold insurance providers accountable for the agreements they made. Whether through a settlement or litigation, we are prepared to make the strongest case possible for our clients. For help seeking the insurance funds you’re owed, contact us today.