Mobile, Alabama, Sept. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the wake of devastation wrought by hurricanes Harvey and Irma on states in the Gulf Coast, the law firm of Long & Long announced on Tuesday that attorneys at the firm are ready to review and provide guidance to clients pursuing property insurance claims. The lawyers at Long & Long can review hurricane insurance claims before they are filed or in the event that the insurance company underpays or denies claims.
The firm accepts insurance disputes involving property damage from Irma and Harvey throughout Alabama, as well as Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
“Families come together after a disaster, and our family is doing the same after these hurricanes,” said C. Bennett Long, partner attorney at Long & Long with his brother, Earle. W. Long IV. “We want to help those who have suffered serious losses from these storms. Our firm’s expertise is available to help clients attempting to navigate the insurance process.”
When devastating tornadoes struck Alabama in 2011 and 2012, Bennett shared his knowledge of property insurance claims in an article for the Alabama Association for Justice Journal. Titled “Property Insurance Claims & Insurance Companies: The Battle of Competing Objectives – Insurer vs. Insured,” he wrote about the “inherent conflict of interest between the policyholder and the insurance company” that makes the process so frustrating for consumers.
After Irma and Harvey, this article continues to be an informative resource for policyholders.
“The insurance claims process is essentially an adversarial matter,” Bennett wrote. “An insured [party] cannot rely on any insurance company representatives to guide [them] in effectively presenting the claim or … providing information that is helpful.”
With this in mind, Bennett offers the following 3 pieces of advice for policyholders pursuing an insurance claim after a catastrophic event like a tornado or hurricane:
- “Documentation, documentation, documentation”: Policyholders should take video and photos – or meticulous notes, at least – to prove the type and extent of damage to their property.
- Don’t rely on contractor estimates to boost a claim: Contractors serve a critical role in putting an insured back to their pre-loss condition. However, they often lack the ability to create an estimate in the insurance industry’s acceptable format (for example, Exactimate software), submit claims properly and adequately account for “hidden damage.” In the event of a dispute, the burden of proof can even move from the insurance company to the insured if the contractor estimate proves inadequate or inaccurate.
- You have rights: Even if an insurance claim is considered “settled,” attorneys who represent policyholders can “assist in preparing, filing and negotiating additional insurance proceeds on behalf of insureds.”
Bennett wrote that attorneys representing policyholders attempt to “level the playing field” in insurance company disputes. His brother and partner in the law firm, Earle Long, said that Long & Long is striving to do just that for clients trying to rebuild their property and their lives after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey.
“When you faithfully pay insurance premiums for your home, property or business, you expect to be fairly compensated when disaster strikes,” Earle said. “Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t always play fair. At Long & Long, we fight to make sure our clients are paid the full recovery they deserve.”
With property damage in the Gulf Coast estimated in the billions, insurance companies are overwhelmed with claims. Bennett writes that catastrophe makes adjusters’ work “chaotic and unmanageable,” causing them to “often make mistakes and fail to include all damage in their determination of loss.”
Both Bennett Long and Earle Long agree that these circumstances are ripe for victims of the latest hurricanes to receive far less than the maximum value of their claims. The attorneys at Long & Long are ready to help clients in these insurance disputes.
About Long & Long, PC
Based in Mobile, Alabama, and serving the nearby Gulf Coast states of Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, Long & Long has extensive experience in personal injury and property insurance cases. Attorneys at the firm represent injury victims in claims involving car, truck and motorcycle accidents; medical malpractice; defective products; maritime law; and more. Long & Long maintains a rapid response policy that connects clients with an attorney who begins investigating their claim within 24 hours of an accident.
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Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c83f1ecd-dcdb-4590-8f91-bf3fe7a08f80
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a7eb20d1-2489-465c-aea6-16bc46d3197b