The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the deadline to file an insurance claim for damage caused by Hurricane Wilma is Oct. 24.
That’s the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Wilma and will also trigger Florida’s five-year statute of limitations to file a lawsuit for property insurance claims. Our Miami insurance claims lawyers offer free consultations to anyone who is struggling to be justly compensated for hurricane or other storm-related damage in South Florida.
Michael Barry, vice president of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute, said “some insurers, depending on their policy language, may be willing to review a claim filed beyond the five-year deadline.”
We say, “don’t count on it.” Your window is just about closed when it comes to seeking the compensation you deserve for South Florida’s last major hurricane. If you have not done so by now, you should consult an attorney immediately, any claims filed or resubmitted at this point will likely miss the deadline if and when the claim is denied. Many claims have been delayed because insurance companies have told homeowners that damages didn’t meet deductibles or were otherwise ineligible. In other cases, homeowners may have accepted inadequate payment, not realizing the extent of the damage.
Insurers paid out about $9.2 billion on more than 1 million Wilma claims made by homeowners, business owners and automobile owners, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
Never ones to rest when a better deal might be had by greasing the political machine in Tallahassee, representatives of the insurance industry backed legislation this year that shortened the time allowed to file windstorm claims to three years. Lawmakers obliged by passing the measure but it was vetoed by Gov. Crist.
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If you are facing a dispute over an insurance claim in Florida, contact Alvarez & Barbara, LLP toll free at 866-518-2913 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.