Homeowner Property Damage Lawyer Florida
If your Florida home has been damaged and your insurance company is dragging its feet, disputing the amount owed, or has denied your claim outright, you are not alone. All too often, homeowners like you experience frustration with denied and delayed claims from an insurance carrier they paid in good faith. Insurance adjusters delay, request endless documentation, send lowball estimates, and hope policyholders give up before ever hiring a lawyer.
Our Florida homeowner property damage lawyer has spent over 25 years on both sides of these disputes. We know how carriers think and how to overcome their arguments. We represent Florida homeowners on a pure contingency basis, meaning no fees unless we win and no out-of-pocket costs at any point in the process. We invite you to contact The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers today for a free consultation.
Why Choose The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers for Homeowner Property Damage in Florida?
Built on 25 Years of Insurance Industry Knowledge
Maria O’Donnell founded The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers in 2014. Before doing so, she spent years owning and operating one of the largest female-owned insurance defense firms in the entire state of Florida. She personally represented Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, State Farm, Allstate/Castle Key, Universal Property, Esurance, Mercury, and Travelers, among others. She handled sensitive Special Investigation Unit matters for those same carriers. She knows precisely how they build their cases against homeowners because she helped build those cases herself.
She earned her law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 2001 and has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2002. Her litigation record includes establishing substantive published case law, and her reputation within the insurance industry is well established. When she switched sides in 2014, she brought all of that institutional knowledge with her. As a homeowner property damage attorney in Florida, she is uniquely positioned to challenge the same tactics she once used on behalf of carriers.
Fellow attorney David Edwards was recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Association in the Top 40 Under 40 for the civil plaintiff attorney division. Together, the firm brings a depth of experience that is hard to find in a purely plaintiff-side practice.
The firm is listed with Martindale-Hubbell, one of the most widely recognized peer-review legal directories in the country.
Results That Speak for Themselves
We maintain a 99% success rate across our residential and commercial property damage cases in Florida. Our track record reflects not just wins, but fast wins with high settlements. We have helped Florida homeowners recover millions of dollars in proceeds that insurance companies initially refused to pay.
You Never Pay Unless We Win
Our entire residential property damage practice operates on contingency. That means you’re not responsible for retainers or hourly fees up front. We get paid only when your claim is resolved in your favor. Every Florida property damage claim we accept is handled under that same structure. It is the only arrangement we offer because we believe you should never have to pay out of pocket to recover what your policy already entitles you to.
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“I had a great experience with The People’s Law Team. Even though the Citizens law team was dragging their feet with never ending unreasonable depositions, Maria and her team stayed persistent and made sure I got the compensation I deserved. They explained every detail clearly, answered my questions promptly, and were genuinely supportive throughout the process. I appreciated how down-to-earth and approachable they were, which made a tough situation much easier to handle. I truly felt they were on my side every step of the way. I’m really grateful for their help and highly recommend them!” — Jonathan Troche
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Homeowner Property Damage Cases We Handle in Florida
Florida homeowners face property damage disputes in many forms. We handle each of the following across the state.
- Hurricane and storm damage. Florida hurricane damage claims are among the most contested in the country. After a major storm, carriers deploy adjusters quickly and often produce low estimates that do not reflect actual repair costs. Wind-driven rain damage and roof claims are particularly prone to underpayment. We challenge those estimates and push for the full amount your policy covers.
- Water and plumbing damage. Sudden pipe bursts, appliance failures, and water intrusion are among the most common residential claims filed in Florida. Carriers frequently argue that damage is the result of slow leaks or maintenance failures rather than a covered sudden loss. We know how to address those arguments and document claims correctly from the start.
- Fire and smoke damage. Fire damage claims often involve disputes over replacement costs versus actual cash value, coverage for smoke and soot damage, and coverage for temporary housing during repairs. These disputes can be prolonged and contentious. We handle them from initial claim filing through resolution.
- Denied and delayed claims. When a carrier denies a residential claim or stalls payment past the 60-day statutory deadline, a lawyer’s involvement changes the dynamic immediately. We have resolved hundreds of denied and delayed claims for Florida homeowners, often recovering amounts far exceeding the carrier’s original offer.
- Coverage disputes. Insurers frequently argue that specific types of damage fall outside policy coverage due to exclusions or endorsements. Challenging those arguments requires a careful reading of the policy and knowledge of how Florida courts have interpreted similar language. We have litigated coverage disputes across a wide range of residential policy types.
- Bad faith insurance claims. Under Florida law, a carrier that handles your claim dishonestly or in deliberate disregard for your rights may be exposed to liability beyond the policy limits. We evaluate every case for bad faith potential and pursue those claims when the facts support them.
Florida Legal Requirements for Homeowner Property Damage Cases
The Florida Legislature made sweeping changes to property insurance law between 2022 and 2023. These changes affect every homeowner in the state who files a property damage claim, and several of them work heavily in the insurer’s favor if you are not aware of them.
The one-year notice deadline. Under Florida Statute 627.70132, you must report a new or reopened property insurance claim to your carrier within one year of the date of loss. Supplemental claims seeking additional amounts from a previously reported loss must be filed within 18 months. Miss either of these deadlines and your claim is barred, regardless of how solid the underlying evidence is. For homeowners dealing with hurricane damage that was not immediately visible, this deadline can arrive sooner than expected.
The Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights. Under Florida Statute 627.7142, your insurer is required to provide you with a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights within 14 days of receiving your initial claim communication. This document summarizes your rights, including your right to claim acknowledgment within seven days, a full pay-or-deny decision within 60 days, and access to free mediation through the Florida Department of Financial Services. Many homeowners never receive this document. Many who do receive it never read it carefully. Both are problems.
The 60-day pay-or-deny rule. Under Florida Statute 627.70131, your insurer has 60 days after receiving notice of your claim to pay it, pay the undisputed portion, or issue a written denial. Payments made after that 60-day window bear interest from the date the claim was filed. Carriers that ignore this deadline are in violation of Florida law, and that violation carries consequences we know how to enforce.
The one-way attorney fee repeal. The 2022 and 2023 reforms repealed Florida’s one-way attorney fee provisions for property insurance claims, which previously allowed prevailing policyholders to recover attorney’s fees from their insurer. That protection is gone for policies issued after January 1, 2023. It is one of several reasons why choosing an attorney who works on contingency has become more important, not less, for Florida homeowners. The Florida Department of Financial Services publishes a full summary of recent legislative changes that every Florida homeowner should review.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Florida Homeowner Property Damage Case?
Economic damages. Your core economic recovery is the cost to repair or replace your damaged home, the contents inside it, and any additional living expenses you incurred while your home was uninhabitable. Most residential policies include dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, and loss-of-use coverage. When carriers underpay on any of those components, we pursue the full amount owed under the policy. In bad faith cases, economic damages can extend beyond the policy limits entirely.
Non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are uncommon in straightforward residential insurance contract disputes. But when a carrier has acted in deliberate bad faith, Florida law recognizes that the harm extends beyond the financial. The disruption to your household, the time you spent fighting a claim your carrier should have paid promptly, the stress of living through a prolonged dispute while your home sits unrepaired, these carry real legal value in the right circumstances.
Punitive damages. Available in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence by the insurer. Florida courts have awarded punitive damages when carriers were found to have deliberately misrepresented policy terms or systematically delayed legitimate residential claims. These cases require a specific factual foundation, but when that foundation exists, the exposure for the carrier is significant.
Interest on late payments. Under Florida Statute 627.70131, payments made after the 60-day deadline bear interest from the date the claim was filed. If your carrier sat on your claim past the statutory window, that interest is a recoverable component of your claim. It is often overlooked, but we account for it in every case we handle.
Contact The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers
If your Florida homeowner property damage claim has been denied, delayed, or underpaid, the clock is already running. Florida’s one-year notice deadline is strict, and waiting costs you leverage as evidence deteriorates and deadlines close in. The faster you contact The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers Property Damage Lawyers, the more options you usually have, as we get to work immediately to assert your property rights.
We offer free consultations for Florida homeowner insurance disputes and residential property damage claims throughout the state. There are no upfront costs, no out-of-pocket expenses, and no fees of any kind unless we win. Contact us to schedule your consultation and put over 25 years of insurance industry knowledge to work for your home.