Understanding Coverage Determinations in Property Insurance
Determining whether a loss is covered under a property insurance policy often involves an analysis of the cause of damage which should be performed by an engineer, architect or other qualified forensic professional. Whether cracks in a building result from covered sinkhole activity or other excluded subsurface causes of settlement; whether a roof was simply poorly maintained or sustained covered wind damage; whether a home was destroyed by flood or hurricane force winds – all of these examples involve technical determinations that an adjuster alone is unqualified to perform. Even where an insurance company retains qualified experts to investigate the cause of loss, such consultants frequently receive the majority of their business from insurers and, therefore, may not always be inclined to be fair to the policyholder, resulting in wrongful denials of coverage. If you think your claim has been wrongfully denied, the attorneys at Chris Ligori & Associates can help you interpret your insurance policy and put together a team of consultants to fairly assess the cause and extent of your property loss.
Additionally, it is crucial to be as accurate as possible on your insurance application. Pursuant to Florida Statute § 627.409, even an innocent mistake can void coverage if the information was material to the insurance company’s acceptance of the risk and would have resulted in a higher premium or non-issuance of the policy. If you have been denied coverage for an alleged misrepresentation in your insurance application, contact Chris Ligori & Associates for a free case analysis today.