The property insurance market is going up in flames.  State Farm is the largest property insurance company in the nation. The climate crisis is becoming a financial crisis, especially for Californians and Floridians.  Numerous studies show climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including widespread wildfires and storms that reach major hurricane status of Category 3 or above.  Over the past five years, wildfires have destroyed 25,000 homes in the state; in 2018, the most devastating year on record, Californians filed $11.7 billion in wildfire-related claims. 

State Farm’s decision in California is the latest development in what has been a growing trend in the property insurance industry nationwide, namely, insurance companies dropping homeowners.  Major insurers are backing out of new home policies in California.  Citing rising costs from raging wildfires and skyrocketing repairs, both State Farm and Allstate insurance companies say they are no longer offering home or business property insurance for new customers in California.   

You’re in good hands with Allstate?  Maybe not.  Allstate quietly stopped issuing new policies in California months ago, but didn’t announce the move until last week.  Allstate joined State Farm in deciding to halt sales of property and casualty coverage to new customers in California, saying it’s too pricey to underwrite policies in the state because of natural disasters.  Allstate was the fourth-largest insurer in California, according to the most recent 2021 state data. It earned $4.3 billion in premiums that year and incurred $2.6 billion in losses. 

In Florida, the state continues to investigate insurance companies underpaying policyholders and doctoring reports.  Dozens of property insurance companies in Florida have either entered receivership in the last few years, meaning they don’t have enough funding to pay out claims, or pulled out of Florida altogether and stopped insuring Florida homes. 

What happened in Florida was a harbinger for the rest of the U.S. Florida was a trailblazer, waiting too long to regulate an insurance industry in which companies cut back on homeowner policies and engaged in fraudulent, bad faith practices.  From coast-to-coast, insurance companies plundered profits and shortchanged policyholders.  The homeowner’s insurance crisis in Florida is a regulatory failure.  Had the market been properly regulated by the government and lawmakers, bad faith practices would have been halted.

As the hurricane season starts, the shaky property insurance market continues to plague Florida homeowners.  This is why anytime you experience property damage to your home or business, you should speak with an experienced and knowledgeable property damage trial lawyer.  At Corless Law Group, we make sure the insurance company does not take advantage of your predicament and offer a low settlement or delay and then deny the claim.  

These climate change crises can be curbed and the collapsing home insurance markets can be saved.  The insurance industry must be regulated, and government oversight will contribute to more fairness for all. 

Global warming is increasing the intensity and frequency of storms, and it’s capable of shifting wind patterns, which will further increase hurricane risk, steering hurricanes closer to the Gulf Coast and East Coast.  Climate change is creating stronger hurricanes that contain more moisture and rapidly intensify.  It only takes one storm for any region to have a record-breaking hurricane season. 

For example, Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction, from Naples and Fort Myers to Orlando and Daytona, leaving tens of thousands of residents with homes that are uninhabitable.  According to a NOAA report, the storm ranked as the costliest disaster in the U.S. for 2022 and racked up a total cost of $112.9 billion in damages.  Many insureds who were affected called Corless Law Group to receive adequate compensation.  We still have property owners reach out about Hurricane Ian claims and will continue to fight for their rights to coverage.

We work with numerous stakeholders, including engineers and claims adjusters, on Hurricane Ian cases.  We guide our clients through every step of the claims process.  You should be aware of your rights under your insurance policy because many policyholders who file claims may find that the compensation the insurance company proposes is less than adequate to cover replacement or repair costs.  

Victims of storms should consider seeking assistance from an experienced and knowledgeable property damage attorney.  Corless Law Group has successfully handled thousands of property damage cases involving hurricanes and severe storms.

Preparing for a hurricane or tropical storm before the season begins will ensure you have plenty of time to gather supplies and stock up on other resources while reviewing the details of your insurance policy.  If your home or business suffers damage, you will want to hire a seasoned Florida hurricane insurance claims attorney for assistance in recovering all of the money you are owed under your policy.

If you are a homeowner, business owner, Community Managed Association, or serve on the Board of your Homeowner’s Association, a property damage attorney can help you receive full and fair compensation in an insurance dispute.  We are your top storm damage attorneys serving insureds throughout the Sunshine State. 

Property owners may face resistance from insurance companies who are determined to deny or delay valid claims as well as minimize payments.  We have secured record-setting verdicts and settlements for Florida insureds who experienced property damage due to a hurricane or severe storm. 

Corless Law Group has a well-deserved reputation as dedicated advocates for policyholders. We offer free consultations and the sooner you contact our office, the sooner we can get started on your property damage claim.  Call us today at 813-258-4998. 

Our Florida wind damage law firm has successfully litigated and resolved property damage claims related to wind caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, and heavy rain events.  We are passionate about protecting property owners’ rights as wind may cause significant damage or total destruction, including blown-off roofs, damage from falling trees, water intrusion, broken doors/windows/screens, and other losses.  We work with a team of experts, including professional engineers, roofers, and contractors to ensure properties are repaired correctly and completely.  

An attorney from Corless Law Group can meet with you to discuss your legal options and the details of your wind damage claim, at no cost.  Put our 25+ years of experience to work for you.  To arrange a free consultation regarding your property damage case, call 813-258-4998.

Conveniently located in Tampa, Florida our wind damage law firm represents and counsels policyholder clients throughout the Sunshine State.  If you have suffered damage to your property and are not sure what your policy includes, our wind damage attorney can review your insurance policy and advise you of your next best steps for receiving full and fair compensation. 

Additionally, in cases where an insurance company does not act ethically when investigating and resolving your wind damage claim, we can file a bad faith action and successfully seek punitive damages on your behalf.  

Our Florida wind damage claims law firm knows how to analyze policy language and handle any disputes regarding coverage or exclusions.  When it comes to wind damage claims, acting quickly is vital in order to document the damages and help you get the full amount you need to repair or rebuild your property after a storm. 

Corless Law Group is the most powerful name in Large Loss property damage claims.  We provide legal solutions to large, complex losses which usually involve either multi-unit dwellings or massive, interconnected commercial spaces with several floors and buildings. These Large Losses tend to have compensation in the multi-million dollar range. 

For example, we secured a historic $12.7 million verdict against Citizens Property Insurance for sinkhole damage in Pinellas County on behalf of a condo association.  Built in the 1980s, Cloverplace is a duplex community in which 120 buildings (240 units) are home to about 500 people, including young families and retirees.  The figure of $12.7 million was the estimated amount it would take to stabilize 83 of the damaged units in Cloverplace.

Recognized as leaders in the field of property damage claims and high-stakes insurance disputes, Corless Law Group is a trial law firm committed to helping policyholders throughout Florida.  We are the go-to law firm representing large properties and Large Losses.  We utilize an aggressive, tenacious approach to help clients receive the compensation they deserve for various types of real estate damage and property loss. 

We represent owners of commercial and residential property, and we have a unique depth of resources and experience filing and litigating Large Loss claims.  Our legal services help insured’s address issues associated with Large Losses, including hurricane and storm claims, wind and tornado damage, fire damage, roof damage, water and mold damage, and sinkholes. 

If your commercial or residential property damage claim has been delayed, denied or underpaid, contact us at 813-258-4998 for a free, no-obligation consultation .  Our Large Loss law firm has helped individual homeowners, HOAs, Boards of Directors, and business owners secure more than $500 million in insurance coverage after property damage. Find out how our firsthand knowledge of Large Loss claims can significantly benefit you. 

Lloyd’s of London is at the center of the insurance world when it comes to coverage for property damage disputes, and Corless Law Group offers unparalleled, goal-oriented legal strategies and solutions for Lloyd’s of London arbitration.  Many Lloyd’s insurance policies today require the arbitration of disputes with the application of New York law in New York, and Corless Law Group has extensive experience with this arbitration paradigm.  The result is an ability for our firm to transform insurance-related disputes into fair and efficient resolutions.

Corless Law Group is a high-stakes insurance dispute and property damage law firm dedicated to providing the highest quality representation for our policyholder clients.  The firm is uniquely qualified to handle complex insurance disputes and arbitration matters, especially since this form of alternative dispute resolution has become increasingly cost-effective, private, flexible, and expeditious.  

Other law firms routinely retain us for our success and sophistication in addressing the nuances surrounding Lloyd’s arbitration claims.  In the area of property damage disputes, these cases often involve a coastal issue and Lloyd’s syndicates the risk as they put together a group of insurers.  Therefore, Florida policyholders must be prepared for the rarefied world of applying New York law in these arbitration proceedings. 

Corless Law Group serves as effective co-counsel every step of the way to evaluate these types of claims on their merits and then provide a roadmap to achieving full compensation. It is important to partner with a law firm that has experience resolving these claims through arbitration.  Lloyd’s arbitration requires personal attention, strong and specialized advocacy, skilled negotiation, and collaboration.  As a team, we work tirelessly towards a singular goal – maximizing compensation that clients rightfully and justly deserve.  

“On a daily basis we focus on ensuring that our clients receive individualized legal services of the highest caliber.  As a 25+ year veteran litigator, I am proud to offer our turnkey services in the successful resolution of Lloyd’s arbitration hearings.  We work with various stakeholders including other lawyers, law firms, and individual policyholders to achieve the best possible result,” says Ted Corless.  

The breadth and depth of Corless Law Group’s knowledge, experience, and integrity is evidenced by building a team of experts, conducting major investigations, utilizing AR/VR technology, and achieving record-setting results.  We have handled dozens of Lloyd’s arbitration insurance matters and high-stakes insurance disputes of all sizes including:

• $500+ Million in Total Case Results 
• $10+ Million Recovered in Lloyd’s of London Arbitration Cases
• Arbitrated Historic Loss Involving 20+ Condo Units

If you think that you could benefit from speaking with a legal professional at Corless Law Group about your Lloyd’s of London arbitration or insurance dispute, contact us at 813-258-4998. We look forward to assisting you.

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With over 25 years of legal experience, Corless Law Group has assisted thousands of policyholders with their insurance claims and have maximized insured’s policy recoveries.  As a leading property damage claims law firm serving Florida policyholders, we have the knowledge and passion to get you results.  We know Florida property insurance laws, are well-versed in the interpretation of insurance policy language and offer extensive experience with property insurance litigation.  

Having a law firm with outstanding service, representation and results in all aspects of property claims is more important than ever due to the climate crisis.  Insurers are mitigating the risk of climate change by raising home insurance premiums, especially in areas highly susceptible to storms, such as Florida.  As climate change threatens the Sunshine State with more natural disasters, it’s becoming increasingly costly for Floridians to insure their homes and get compensation when a disaster strikes. 

In the event of a major storm, most people would expect their insurance company to be by their side, ready to assist when their home or business is damaged in a natural disaster.  When you buy property insurance, you hope that if you lose your home or deal with extensive damage, your insurance policy would be assessed and you recover your losses.  Unfortunately, the insurance companies usually have one thing in mind, which is profitability.  Far too often, insurers don’t compensate policyholders for valid claims, especially in the era of climate change.  

Due to global warming, insurance companies look more often to delay, deny or underpay legitimate claims since they need to cover more losses.  Our full-service property insurance litigation law firm is committed to helping policyholders receive fair and just coverage from their insurers.  Whether you have a complex claim or your insurer has engaged in bad faith insurance practices and you need to take legal action, we are here to help.  

In Florida, there are specific laws that govern how an insurance company needs to handle your damage claim.  An insurer cannot act in bad faith (e.g., unreasonably delay a claim, fail to respond to claims, underpay valid claims, perform inadequate investigations).  If they fail at this simple task, they will be hit with hefty punitive damages. 

Our property insurance law firm is based in Tampa, Florida and has won record-setting verdicts throughout the Sunshine State.  We have developed unique legal strategies for each of our clients (residential and commercial policyholders) when their insurance company has delayed, undervalued or denied their valid claim by producing solution-driven results.  Our law firm can assist you in a variety of insurance claim disputes, including:

• Hurricane or storm damage
• Smoke damage
• Hail damage
• Wind damage
• Fire damage
• Tornado damage
• Water damage
• Sinkhole damage

Corless Law Group was built on a foundation of providing clients with an outstanding representation for results in all aspects of property damage.  If you have questions about an insurance policy or insurance claim, we can answer them and provide you with the skilled counsel you need to protect your rights and receive full and fair compensation.  Call us 365 days a year at 813-258-4998 for a free consultation.  

As a property damage insurance lawyer, clients come to me asking about flood insurance and what their policy covers in order to protect themselves and their families.  A question that I get asked by policyholders is, Do I have flood insurance?  If I do, what does that cover?

Property insurance policies – for both homes and businesses – expressly exclude floods, such that if you want or need this coverage, you have to look elsewhere for help.  The primary source of flood coverage comes from the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”).  The reason insurers exclude flood coverage from traditional property insurance has to do with the scope of the loss caused by these events.  For example, unlike an individual home claim for a fire, floods cause damage to entire neighborhoods, which makes it more difficult for insurers to spread their risk across several properties at the same time.  Even if a tornado hits your neighborhood, it will most likely impact some, but not all, of the structures.  Floods, on the other hand, take out entire areas at the same time.

The reality is that while flood insurance can help people rebuild and recover financially after a catastrophic deluge, very few people in the U.S. have it, and it is limited in available coverage.  In fact, most people whose homes were damaged or destroyed in Kentucky probably won’t be covered, and even if they were, the amount available is limited versus the value of the real estate. 

Under the NFIP, you may purchase the maximum for the value of your home up to $250,000, for the structure, and $100,000 for the contents.  The average price of a home in Kentucky in 2021 was $197,413, which means many homes will only get to a certain threshold before the owners’ responsibility kicks in.  Also, the values are not adjusted by home value; in Florida, where the average is more around $390,000, the NFIP policy gets to the max coverage pretty fast.  While it’s a little better for business structures, which go to $500,000, it would be expected to leave a lot of business owners on their own.

There is litigation over whether water damage is a flood, or if it is caused by other man-made sources.  A broken pipe, for example, can cause the entire home to be flooded, but is not a flood.  Floods are caused by external water that rises with the nearby water.  Corless Law Group represented a homeowner where a water main broke under the foundation, and over the following three weeks, 95,000 gallons of water seeped into the home.  There is a strict legal definition of what constitutes a “flood” and insurers will always aim to interpret the damage to your home or business narrowly so that they can avoid liability.  This is where we can help.  

Corless Law Group is a Large Loss law firm that aggressively advocates on policyholders’ behalf to ensure our clients get the coverage they deserve.  Consulting with a flood damage lawyer may be your only way to recover damages.  Our attorneys have successfully handled many water and flood damage claims.  Call us 365 days a year at 813-258-4998 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.  

Our firm has a successful track record of handling hundreds of flood insurance lawsuits.  If you’re a policyholder and you find yourself in a dispute with your insurance company, contact Corless Law Group today to help with your claim.  We have secured more than $500 million in case results for residential and commercial property owners throughout Florida.  There are virtually no other law firms that have the experience, knowledge, and record-setting results like Corless Law Group.  We are your go-to Florida flood insurance law firm. 

Florida’s property insurance catastrophe has led to companies leaving the state, others filing for bankruptcy, some choosing to nonrenew large swaths of insurance policies, and others drastically tightening their policy eligibility requirements. Insureds are stunned by the massive price hikes on premiums, policy cancellation notices, and companies shedding policies.

Insureds’ options in Florida have become limited, and consumers are facing dire consequences. The insurance industry in the Sunshine State is not sustainable. Insurers must pay legitimate property damage claims as doing so will save insurers money and help consumers.

Lawsuits are not the root cause of the insurance industry’s present problems. In fact, litigation is only incentivized when insurers fail to pay legitimate claims. Denying or delaying payment of valid claims cost insurers because that means property damage insurance lawyers like myself must litigate for what the insurance company legitimately owes my client. Then, when we look under the hood, we uncover bad faith insurance practices, which often leads to punitive damages that the insurer owes on top of the principal or cost of repairs. (Insurance bad faith exists when an insurer fails to honor the fair claim of the insured or unlawfully mishandles a claim.)

Governor Ron DeSantis says Florida fights around 100,000 insurance claims in court each year. Florida homeowners don’t want to be unjustly enriched; rather, they want roofs over their heads, sinkholes repaired, and water/mold removed after a storm strikes, to name just a few types of property damage claims we see here at Corless Law Group.

The governor agreed to a special legislative session – from May 23 through May 27 – to address the property insurance crisis of dropped coverage and higher costs. The special session should consider reforms, which will include insurance executives being questioned under oath in order to pave the way for consumer protections and relief that everyday Floridians so desperately need. We must protect Florida consumers. (The session, however, will not include condominium reforms, which is surprising given the deadly Surfside condo collapse.)

Corless Law Group counsels and advises residential and commercial policyholders whose valid claims have been delayed, denied or underpaid by their insurance companies. With over $500 million recovered for policyholders, allow us to show you how we successfully resolve property damage disputes. Call 813-258-4998 today.

No one expects to become a victim of a residential or commercial business fire.  Investigators in Colorado continue to weigh the cause of the fires that, with the help of ferocious winds, swept east into Superior and Louisville.  If you have experienced property damage or property loss due to a fire, it is essential to consult a law firm that has experience litigating these types of disputes. 

Corless Law Group guides residential and commercial property owners through each step of the process to secure full compensation for their property damage insurance claims.  Call us today at 813-258-4998 for a free consultation.

Scientists say climate change is making weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.  The fires charred numerous neighborhoods in a suburban area northwest of Denver and high winds pushed flames that fed on bone-dry grasses and vegetation on open spaces to suburban subdivisions.  Global warming increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that fuels wildfires.  About 90 percent of Boulder County was in severe or extreme drought last Dec.  Denver set a record for consecutive days without snow before it got a small storm on Dec. 10.  The fires, fueled by dry conditions and winds that gusted more than 100 mph, were blamed for destroying more than a thousand structures. 

Most homes affected by the raging wildfires in Colorado were completely destroyed.  The fires caused severe property damage to both structures and personal belongings.  A fire damage insurance claim could also include potential lost wages and business interruption losses.  Even partial property damage caused by a fire can make a house unlivable or require costly repairs.  Additionally, fires can damage heating and cooling systems as well as plumbing.

Unfortunately, rarely do insurance providers act swiftly and fairly to pay your fire, smoke, water, electrical or soot damage claim.  Many policyholders experience unfair delays, low-ball settlement offers or claim denials, which is why you need an experienced lawyer fighting for your rights.  

Our fire damage lawyers go to court and will fight for our clients’ rights.  We know how important it is for you to recover the full value of your claim and especially Large Loss insurance claims involving multi-unit buildings.  

Corless Law Group is an elite, boutique law firm focused on securing maximum compensation for clients involved in property damage disputes.  With more than $500 million achieved in case results, turn to a trial law firm that has the experience investigating and litigating property damage claims.  For a free consultation, get in touch with us today by calling 813-258-4998.