Insurance Lawyer in West Palm Beach, FL
It is in the best interest of anyone who buys a home to purchase homeowners’ insurance. Most homeowners purchase insurance in the case of fires, water damage, or damage to their homes, but not all insurance policies are created equal. Hence, when damages happen to your home and you call your insurance company, they may tell you that they will not cover certain things you thought were covered under your policy. Furthermore, you may submit a claim and hear back later that they will not cover damages caused to your home.
It can be troubling when hearing back from the insurance company that they will not cover damages to your home. After all, you pay your monthly premiums and expect your insurance to cover you when emergencies happen.
The good thing is that insurance lawyers are there to help. Insurance law manages how insurance contracts are enforced and formed between you and your insurance company. If you think your insurance company has made an unjustified decision in your homeowner insurance claim, Florida Home Claim can help you get in contact with an experienced and professional insurance lawyer as soon as possible. Many insurance companies will let you appeal the decision they made, but you may only have a certain amount of time to do so. Therefore, it is best to contact an insurance lawyer as soon as possible.
To help you stay knowledgeable about the different types of insurance and what is covered, we have provided a list to help you make the best decision for your home.
1. Basic Form Insurance Coverage
The basic form of insurance is the most limited type of insurance a homeowner can purchase and is widely nonexistent nowadays. This policy covers all the items in your home and many different perils. The perils are fire, lightning, explosion, smoke, windstorm or hail, riot or civil commotion, aircraft or vehicle damage to your home, vandalism, sinkhole collapse, and volcanic activity.
2. Broad Form Insurance Coverage
The broad form has much better coverage than the basic form and is more common among homeowners. The basic form covers your home at its replacement cost and protects your belongings at their cash value. With this policy, you will be covered under many different perils, including the perils from the basic form, as well. The perils include the weight of snow, ice, or sleet, water damage from leakage of appliances like a water heater, falling objects, plumbing freeze, burglary, and electrocution. Of course, there may be contingencies depending on what happens to certain items that determine if your insurance policy will cover them. For instance, if your water heater just gave out due to age, then your insurance policy may not cover that. Therefore, you must read your policy in full detail. An experienced insurance lawyer can help you with this.
3. Special Form Insurance Coverage
The special form insurance policy is most commonly used by single-family homeowners. The special form insurance policy covers all risks to your home and includes all of the damages mentioned in the basic and broad form insurance policies. There are exceptions that should be mentioned in the documents you receive when you purchase this policy. The exceptions may include ordinance of law, the water damage that seeps from the ground, earth movement, power failure, war, neglect, nuclear hazard, intentional loss, wear and tear, and mold. Again, it is important to go over your insurance policy before purchasing thoroughly.
4. Contents Broad Form
Contents broad form, better known as renters insurance, is for those who rent or lease homes. Contents broad form will cover your belongings at replacement cost and cover living expenses if you must temporarily live somewhere else due to damages. The contents broad form policy will cover all the perils mentioned in the broad and special form insurance policies.
5. Comprehensive Form
The comprehensive form insurance policy is the best insurance policy that a homeowner can get. The comprehensive form covers the home and belongings at replacement costs, provides all-risk coverage for the home and belongings, and gives higher insurance coverage for expensive items in the home. The comprehensive form insurance policy is the second most used policy for homeowners and is usually used for high-net-worth homes.
6. Unit Owners Form
The unit owners form condo insurance, and the coverage needed will depend on what the condominium’s HOA insurance covers. The HOA insurance will most likely cover the building but not any upgrades made to the home. The unit owners form policy will include personal property, personal liability, loss assessment coverage, and loss of use.
7. Modified Coverage Form
The modified coverage form policy is for homeowners who live in older homes that may have damages caused by the age of the home. The modified coverage form only covers the home at its cash value. The modified coverage form is ideal for people who buy older homes and do not want to renovate or upgrade them. The modified coverage form policy may have things it does not cover, though. Again, if you are experiencing an unjustified decision on your homeowner claim, contact an experienced insurance lawyer to help fight for what you deserve.
8. Mobile Home Form
This form is for homeowners who own a mobile home. A mobile home form policy can cover trailers, single-wide mobile homes, double-wide mobile homes, sectional homes, park mobile homes, RV’s, and modular homes. The mobile home policy will cover the dwelling or structure, additional structures like sheds, personal belongings, liability, loss of use coverage, and medical payments for other people if injuries are caused while in the home.
Again, choosing the right insurance cover for your home is essential in obtaining coverage for damages caused to your home. You do not have to go through it alone. An experienced insurance lawyer can help you choose the perfect insurance policy for you and your family. If you are not getting fair coverage for damages caused to your home, be sure to call an experienced and professional insurance lawyer in West Palm Beach today.
