If you pay for homeowner’s insurance, you might think that any repair costs should be covered in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, it isn’t always so simple. There are many different factors that can reduce the amount of coverage we’re rightfully owed under our insurance policy, and a storm damage deductible is one of those factors.
Keep reading to learn more about how homeowner’s insurance deductibles work and what storm damage deductibles are, and remember to reach out to a storm damage attorney with any questions you may have.
What Are Homeowners Insurance Deductibles?
An insurance deductible is the amount that you will need to pay before your insurance company will start to cover the cost. In the case of homeowners’ insurance, this is a specific amount of money that you will need to spend on your own repairs before your insurance company will begin to offer payment. Homeowners’ insurance deductibles are usually given either as a set dollar amount, generally between $500 and $2,000 or higher, or as a percentage of the home’s insured value.
In most cases, you will need to cover your deductible each time you file a storm damage insurance claim. Insurance companies will often subtract your deductible from your settlement amount.
What Are Common Storm Damage Insurance Deductibles?
Depending on the type of damage your home sustains, you may actually end up needing to pay a higher deductible than usual. There are three main types of deductibles that can sometimes come into play following a storm:
Named Storm Deductibles — A named storm deductible is the amount that you will have to pay in repairs following a storm that has received an official hurricane designation by the U.S. National Weather Service. This does not include storms that have only been named by other popular sources, such as The Weather Channel.
Wind Deductibles — A wind deductible may apply to claims for damage caused by any kind of wind. Wind deductibles are common after tornadoes.
Hurricane Deductibles — Hurricane deductibles come into play after any hurricane, which are usually found along the East and Gulf Coasts and Hawaii.
Some insurance policies will have protections in place stating that, in cases where more than one deductible applies, the policyholder will only have to pay the higher of the two deductibles, not the combined amount. To learn what you owe, you should talk to a storm damage insurance attorney.
Get Help Seeking Storm Damage Insurance Coverage With a Bad Faith Insurance Attorney
When your insurance company wrongfully delays, denies, or underpays your claim, they may be acting in bad faith. If you think your insurance company is treating you unfairly, you need help from a bad faith insurance attorney to get the coverage you’re owed.
Don’t face the big insurance companies alone. Get help from an experienced bad faith insurance attorney to improve the potential outcome of your claim.
If your storm damage claim was denied, reach out to a bad faith insurance attorney to learn about what you may be owed.
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