Homeowners Insurance Claims

Florida homeowners file more property claims, under more scrutiny, than almost anywhere in the country. Hurricanes, hail, wind-driven rain, plumbing failures and roof damage all produce claims — and all produce denials, underpayments and delays.

Geiger Law represents homeowners against their own carriers: claims that were denied outright, claims paid at a fraction of the loss, and claims that have simply sat unresolved while the damage gets worse.

Why claims get denied

• “Wear and tear.” The most common denial in Florida. Almost every policy excludes ordinary deterioration — and almost every roof has some. The question is whether the loss was caused by a covered event, and that is an argument, not a foregone conclusion.
• Late notice. Florida law now sets strict deadlines for reporting a claim and for filing a supplemental or reopened claim. Missing one is fatal to the claim.
• Pre-existing damage. The carrier's engineer concludes the damage predates the storm. Independent engineers frequently reach a different conclusion on the same roof.
• Exclusions applied too broadly. Flood, earth movement, mold and faulty workmanship exclusions are real, but carriers regularly stretch them past what the policy language supports.

Your obligations after a loss

Report the loss promptly and in writing. Take reasonable steps to prevent further damage — tarp the roof, stop the water — and keep the receipts, because that mitigation is itself usually covered. Photograph everything before you clean up. Do not throw away damaged property until it has been documented and inspected.

What we do

We read the policy first — the actual language, including the endorsements, not the summary in the declarations page. We get an independent inspection and estimate, put the claim in properly, invoke appraisal where the policy provides it and it favors you, and file suit where the carrier will not deal in good faith.