Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law helps people through the insurance claims process in Oklahoma City. Accidents don’t just cause injuries–they can also damage your home, which is why you would need homeowners. Homeowners insurance policies can be confusing, but our experienced team is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Do You Need a Lawyer for Homeowners Insurance Claims?
Dealing with property damage to your home is stressful, especially when you expect your homeowners insurance to cover the costs–only to run into delays, lowball offers, or outright denials. While you can file a claim on your own, having a lawyer can help make sure that your rights are protected and that the insurance company treats you fairly. Here’s how our team can help:
- Clarifying your policy – Insurance companies may interpret your policy in a way that reduces your payout. We make sure you understand your coverage and fight for what you’re owed.
- Managing your claim – Filing a claim means dealing with paperwork, inspections, and negotiations. We handle the details so you can focus on getting your home back to normal.
- Negotiating for a fair settlement – Even your own insurance company is likely going to try to minimize payouts or simply act in bad faith. When this happens, we push for a settlement that truly covers repairs, temporary housing, and any other covered losses.
- Fighting unfair denials – If your claim is denied or you receive an unfairly low offer, we help you dispute the decision and take legal action if necessary.
If you’re facing homeowners insurance challenges in Oklahoma City, we’re here to help you get the financial support you need to rebuild and move forward.
When Will You Need Your Homeowners Insurance Policy in Oklahoma City?
Living in Oklahoma City has a lot of positives, but the reality is that you’re going to need homeowners insurance at some point. At the same time, you don’t have to buy a homeowners policy in Oklahoma by law. Rather, you most likely have to get homeowners insurance as a prerequisite for your mortgage lender.
Once you have it, though, there’s certain situations where you might need to use it:
- Severe weather – Oklahoma City gets tornadoes, hail, and strong storms. If your home is damaged, homeowners insurance can help pay for repairs or rebuilding. Check your policy to make sure tornado and hail damage are covered.
- Injuries on your property – If someone slips, falls, or gets hurt at your home (including from your pet), your insurance can help cover medical bills, legal fees, or settlements.
- Theft and vandalism – Some areas of Oklahoma City experience property crime. If your home is broken into or vandalized, insurance can help pay for repairs and replace stolen belongings.
- Personal property damage – If a storm, fire, or other covered event damages your furniture, electronics, or other belongings, your insurance can help replace them.
- Temporary housing – If your home is too damaged to live in after a disaster, your policy might cover hotel stays or other temporary housing while repairs are made.
It’s easy to see why homeowners insurance is important in Oklahoma City, given the risks of tornadoes, hail, and other hazards. But just having a policy–required by your lender or chosen for protection–doesn’t always mean you’ll get the full coverage you expect when filing a claim.
How Might Your Homeowners Insurance Not Provide Full Coverage After a Claim?
One of the most frustrating things about any insurance process–but especially homeowners insurance–is that it won’t cover what you need it to cover when you need it. After all, the whole point of having insurance is to act as a safety net in certain situations. But specifically, here’s how your homeowners insurance might get around covering you:
- Bad faith tactics – At minimum, you’ll usually run into bad faith tactics from your insurance company. Most of the time, this involves them doing things like undervaluing damage, delaying payments, misinterpreting policy terms, or pressuring you into low settlements.
- Delayed or denied claims – Insurance companies sometimes slow down claims by asking for excessive paperwork or arguing that certain damages aren’t covered, leading to frustrating delays or outright denials.
- Coverage limits – Every policy has a cap on how much it will pay. If repair or rebuilding costs go over that limit, you’ll have to cover the rest out of pocket.
- Depreciation – If your policy pays based on actual cash value (ACV) instead of replacement cost, you might get less than expected since insurance companies factor in depreciation.
Again, it’s frustrating when your homeowners insurance company won’t come through when you need them. Fortunately, you do have some options if you find yourself in that situation.
What is Your Homeowners Insurance Claims Process?
Even if you’re new to homeowners insurance, the claims process is going to come into play when something happens. At that point, you’re going to need to actually file your claim, which means you’ll go through the claims process. Typically, this involves the following steps:
- Filing your claim – The starting point is contacting your insurance company as soon as the damage occurs. You can do this over the phone, online, or through their app. Provide as much detail as you can about the damage, when it happened, and how it happened.
- Investigation – After you file the claim, your insurance company will assign an adjuster to investigate the damage. Usually, they’ll come to your property to assess the situation, take photos, and gather information about the extent of the damage. They’ll use this to determine how much the company should pay out.
- Evaluation – The company will evaluate the claim based on the adjuster’s report, the policy details, and any other information you provided. They’ll calculate how much the repairs or replacements will cost, factoring in things like your coverage limits, deductible, and exclusions.
- Decision – Once the evaluation is complete, the insurance company will make a decision on your claim. They will either approve the claim and provide a settlement offer or deny it based on the details provided. If approved, they’ll send you a check or deposit for the agreed-upon amount.
- Appeals – If your claim is denied or if you feel the settlement offer is too low, you can appeal the decision. You can provide additional information or documentation, request a second opinion, or ask for further investigation.
- Resolving disputes – If there’s still disagreement after an appeal, you can resolve disputes by negotiating with the company or seeking help from our legal team. In some cases, legal action may be necessary if the company is acting in bad faith or refusing to provide fair payment.
This is a general overview of how the insurance claims process usually works. Depending on your carrier and policy, there might be other steps you’ll need to take. However, you have the right to challenge your insurance company’s decision if they don’t provide you with fair payment.
What Can You Get in a Homeowners Insurance Claim?
When you file your homeowners insurance claim, the goal is to get certain financial support from your carrier. Every insurance policy has coverage limits for a given claim, but it’s ultimately based on what happened and the company’s evaluation. Generally, though, you can recover the following when you file a homeowners insurance claim:
- Property repair or replacement – This covers the cost to fix damage from things like fires, storms, or vandalism.
- Personal property damage – This provides costs to help replace lost or damaged items like furniture, electronics, and clothes.
- Additional Living Expenses (ALE) – If your home is unlivable, insurance can cover things like hotel stays and meals.
- Code upgrade costs – If rebuilding your home requires meeting new building codes, insurance might cover the extra costs.
- Bad faith damages – If your insurance company wrongly denies or underpays your claim, legal help can get you extra financial support, including penalties for the insurance company’s bad actions.
What you get in your homeowners insurance claim is going to depend on how you respond, as well as the information and evidence you provide to the company. Start by gathering detailed information and evidence of the damage, including photos, videos, and repair estimates. Once you’ve collected everything, reach out to our team for legal guidance and support to help strengthen your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my claim was undervalued?
If the insurance offer seems too low compared to your repair costs or damaged property, it may be undervalued. Our lawyers can help you review and challenge the offer.
Can I appeal a denied or undervalued claim?
Yes, you can appeal. Ask the insurance company to review the decision, and if that doesn’t work, our lawyers can help you take further action.
How long do I have to file a homeowners insurance claim?
In Oklahoma, you generally have two years from the date of the loss or damage to file a homeowners insurance claim. However, this can vary based on the terms of your insurance policy, so it’s important to check your specific policy for any deadlines.
Contact Ylla Gosney For Help With Homeowners Insurance Claims in Oklahoma City
When your own insurance company isn’t treating you fairly, it can be a tough situation. You pay for coverage, but the final claim decision is often in the insurer’s hands. If your claim is undervalued or denied unfairly, Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law can help you make your way through the process. Contact us today for a free consultation to talk about your options and get the treatment you deserve.
Additional Resources:
What Tornado Victims Seeking Help from Homeowners Insurance Should Know
What Earthquake Victims Seeking Help from Homeowners Insurance Should Know
What Fire Victims Should Know Before Seeking Help from Homeowners Insurance
What Hail Damage Victims Should Know Before Seeking Help from Homeowners Insurance
Bad Faith Homeowners Insurance Claims in Oklahoma City
Denied or Undervalued Roofing Damage Claims in Oklahoma City
What Type of Documentation Do I Need to File an OKC Homeowners Insurance Claim?
