What is the timeline for a homeowner’s claim after a hurricane?

Residents in Louisiana can face some very frightening extreme weather, such as hurricanes. A hurricane could pull the roof off your house, crack the windows or even change how the building connects with the foundation.

Strong winds, punishing rains and floodwaters can all contribute to hurricane-related damage to properties in Louisiana. With extensive damage to your house, you may not be able to pay out-of-pocket for all of the repair costs. How long does it take to handle hurricane-related insurance claims in Louisiana?

You typically have to file a claim within 120 days

As the person with the policy making a claim for coverage, you will usually need to alert your insurance provider to the issue within 120 days of the storm. Some damage is not obvious right away.

Other times, people aren’t even home when the storm hits and may not realize the issues for a month or more. The sooner you report the issue after the storm, the easier it will be for you to prove that the hurricane caused the issue with your property.

Your insurance provider needs to pay claims in a timely manner

Federal and state insurance regulations require that insurance companies pay valid claims quickly. Unnecessary delays could cause financial hardship for homeowners already dealing with damage to their house and other expensive issues.

Unreasonable delays in approving a claim or unfairly low settlement offers that fall far short of the amount of coverage you pay for and the cost of repairing the damage to your home could be examples of bad faith insurance practices. However, the company may need to wait until you finish repairs, a process that can easily take more than a year.

Homeowners struggling to get an insurance company to fulfill its obligations to them may need to take legal action against the company to get the coverage they paid for and deserve.