On August 28, 2012, Hurricane Isaac slammed into Louisiana with winds well in excess of 80 mph and a storm surge in some areas in excess of ten feet, causing extensive property damage to homes and businesses across Louisiana’s coastal parishes. In terms of widespread property loss, Hurricane Isaac overtopped the levees in Plaquemines Parish, resulting in massive flood damage to thousands of Louisiana citizens’ residences and indefinite business interruption to hundreds of Louisiana business owners.
The wind and flood damage stemming from Hurricane Isaac cannot be overstated. The slow-moving nature of the storm caused massive amounts of rainfall and protracted wind sheer, further contributing to the massive property damage losses. Even though technically classified as a Category 1 storm, Hurricane Isaac was responsible for irreparably damaging thousands of homes and businesses throughout Louisiana’s gulf coast.
Moreover, because of the massive size of the storm, Hurricane Isaac caused an extensive flood and wind damage to property in areas throughout Louisiana including, but not limited to New Orleans, Mandeville, Slidell, Laplace, Jefferson, Gretna, Houma, Metairie and throughout many low-lying areas, including cities in St. Bernard, St. John, St. Tammany, Plaquemines, St. Charles and Terrebonne Parish, just to name a few. The constant rain, wind and flood damage in these areas resulted in significant property losses both to Louisiana citizens and business owners.
As a result of Hurricane Isaac’s force, more than eight hundred thousand Louisiana citizens were left without power and many were temporarily displaced. What is more, Isaac’s destructive force left many Louisiana business owners without recourse and with uncertainty as to whether they would be able to return their business to pre-storm condition.
Unfortunately, all too often insurance companies fail to provide their insured with timely and adequate compensation for their insurance claims stemming from a catastrophe like Hurricane Isaac, leaving homeowners and business owners lurking in the lurch. The good news, however, is that post-Katrina Louisiana law provides for significant statutory penalties and attorney’s fees against those insurers who refuse to deal with their insured in good faith.
Regardless of whether you have accepted partial payment from your insurance company for your property damage caused by Hurricane Isaac, you are entitled to timely and proper compensation. The same is true of business losses suffered as a result of Hurricane Isaac. That is, if you have purchased business interruption coverage from your insurer, you are entitled to timely and proper compensation for the profits and losses that your business sustained as a result of hurricane damage.
In most instances, your hurricane claim must be filed within 24 months from the date of the loss. However, you should always contact a lawyer to find out the specific time deadline as to your particular property damage claim. Importantly, each aggrieved person’s hurricane claim will vary depending on the specific terms of the policy at issue and, therefore, a professional consultation regarding the merits of your case is always recommended.
Contact The Voorhies Law Firm today for a free consultation regarding your potential for additional recovery for your wind and flood damage claim stemming from Hurricane Isaac. Of course, it is important that you contact an attorney/lawyer who is experienced in handling hurricane dispute claims. The Voorhies Law Firm has handled property damage claims stemming from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike and is well-versed in this specialized area of law. Unlike many legal practice areas, hurricane and flood damage claim disputes can often be resolved without the necessity of filing suit. But in order to increase your chance of reaching an amicable resolution with regard to your hurricane damage claim, your attorney must be familiar with the insurance dispute process. The attorneys at the Voorhies Law Firm have the experience and resources necessary to take swift action regarding your hurricane claim. Bear in mind, however, that often regardless of the attorney handling your hurricane claim, litigation may be a necessary and indispensable part of the process.
