Experienced Hurricane Business Insurance Dispute Attorneys in Lake Worth, FL Fight to Preserve Clients’ Rights in Hurricane Business Interruption Insurance Claims in Broward County and Palm Beach County, FL
When a hurricane comes through South Florida, it can easily disrupt business operations for numerous companies across the region. If your business has to shut down during a hurricane and in the aftermath due to damage or government order, you may be able to recover the losses that your business suffered as a result of the shutdown if you have a type of insurance coverage known as “business interruption insurance”. Contact our Florida hurricane business interruption claims lawyers today. Unfortunately, many business owners that think they have protection in the event of a disaster such as a hurricane find their claims quickly denied out of hand by the insurance company. Although difficulties in filing your claim may be as simple as assembling the right documentation, we can certainly help you if your business interruption insurance company may be wrongfully denying your claims.
Contact the Florida business interruption claims lawyers at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. today to schedule a consultation to go over the details of your claim and to discuss how our firm might be able to help your business recover the compensation it needs to get back up and running from your company’s business interruption insurance policy.
Protecting Your Business Interruption Claims When a Hurricane Threatens South Florida
If a hurricane watch or warning is issued for South Florida, you need to take steps to help protect your rights and interests and ensure that you are in a position to swiftly make a business interruption insurance claim in the event the aftermath of a hurricane keeps you shut down for a period of time. These steps include:
- Remove hard copies of all key business documents from locations where they are at risk for damage, destruction or loss; key business documents include leases/mortgages, supplier contracts, customer contracts, financial statements, inventory records, sales records, tax returns and payroll records
- Store your key business records in a watertight container
- If you have not already done so, scan and create electronic copies of your key business records. Store electronic copies in secure servers off-site, and keep additional copies in password-protected portable hard drives as well
Hopefully, taking these steps will allow you to quickly assemble the paperwork you need to file a business interruption claim if the aftermath of a hurricane keeps your operations shut down. You will need to thoroughly document your business interruption claim. If you don’t have records to back up a specific item of loss, you can expect that the insurance company will deny payment on that item. Although insurance companies don’t require you to account for losses down to the penny, you can expect them to demand proof for higher-value items or to demand more thorough documentation the greater the total size of your claim.
Most business owners run into trouble properly documenting losses when making a business interruption claim. It can help to know how insurance companies categorize losses. Generally speaking, most business interruption policies cover losses that fall into categories such as:
- Operating expenses, including rent, mortgage, utilities, and real estate taxes
- Payroll, although some policies will exclude owner or key officer compensation
- Profits — many business interruption insurance disputes arise over a claim for lost profits; you will need significant documentation to prove that your business was generating a profit and would have continued to generate profit during the period of shutdown but for the hurricane
- Lost business data — valuing the loss of business data is a highly technical endeavor, so having an experienced business interruption insurance attorney in your corner can make this process much smoother
Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. Hold Insurance Companies Responsible to Pay Out the Full Coverage You Are Owed on Your South Florida Business Interruption Insurance Claim
At Gonzalez & Cartwright, our business interruption insurance attorneys understand how difficult and complex these claims can be, especially when a business owner is trying to pick up the pieces and get operations restarted following a devastating hurricane. If you are having trouble getting your claim fully paid out by your insurer after a shutdown caused by a hurricane, let our experienced legal team handle the heavy lifting in proving your losses to the insurance company. We can hire and work with the expert witnesses you may need for your claim, including forensic accountants, economists, and experts with knowledge specific to your industry. You don’t have to accept no for an answer; you deserve to receive the benefit of the years of premiums you have paid for coverage and protection. Let our attorneys use their experience and knowledge to help ensure that you business interruption claim is fully paid out.
Contact Us Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with Our South Florida Business Interruption Insurance Lawyer
If you and your business are having difficulties getting the compensation you need and deserve from your business interruption insurance coverage, contact Gonzalez & Cartwright today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our knowledgeable Florida hurricane business interruption claims lawyers to go over your legal rights and options for pursuing a claim under your business interruption insurance coverage and to learn more about how we can help you with your case.
Frequently Asked Questions about Business Interruption Insurance in South Florida
Although different policies vary in their language, most business interruption insurance policies are intended to provide coverage for lost income for a business during the period that it is non-operational as a result of property damage, damage to customers’ facilities, damage to suppliers’ facilities, or government action. Each of these triggers may have specific exclusions, so it is important that you go over your policy’s language with an experienced business interruption insurance attorney.
Typically yes. Although most business interruption insurance policies require that your operations be shut down for a minimum consecutive period in order to trigger coverage (often as short as 72 hours), so long as you experienced a shutdown of the required length, you can still file a claim for coverage of your lost profits even if you’ve managed to open back up by the time you file your claim.