Insurance Claim Lawyer Lighthouse Point, FL
Lighthouse Point sits on the Intracoastal Waterway in northern Broward County, bordered by canal-lined neighborhoods and the Atlantic Ocean less than two miles to the east. Its coastal geography, aging housing stock, and position within South Florida’s hurricane corridor mean that insurance claims here are common, contested, and frequently underpaid. Carriers deploy adjusters who know how to minimize payouts on the types of losses that happen in ZIP Code 33064 every hurricane season.
Our Lighthouse Point, FL insurance claim lawyer has been litigating these disputes in South Florida for over 25 years. We know exactly how carriers build their arguments on coastal property claims. We know where those arguments break down. We represent Lighthouse Point homeowners, commercial property owners, and landlords on a full contingency basis. No fees unless we win. No out-of-pocket costs. Ever. We offer free legal consultations, so you can learn your options. Call us today to book yours.
Why Choose The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers for Insurance Claims in Lighthouse Point?
Built on 25 Years of Insurance Industry Knowledge
Maria O’Donnell founded The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers in 2014, following a long career defending the very insurers she now fights. She ran one of the largest female-owned insurance defense firms in Florida, representing Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, State Farm, Allstate/Castle Key, Universal Property, Mercury, Travelers, and Esurance through complex property damage and coverage litigation throughout Broward County and South Florida. She also managed sensitive Special Investigation Unit cases for those same carriers.
She knows the specific denial arguments carriers use on coastal Broward County claims. She knows how adjusters attribute tile roof losses in Lighthouse Point to salt-air corrosion rather than storm damage. She knows how carriers reclassify wind-driven rain as flood to shift the loss off their books. And she knows how those positions fall apart when challenged with the right evidence and statutory arguments. As an insurance claim attorney in Lighthouse Point, FL, she brings that knowledge to every file we open.
Ms. O’Donnell earned her J.D. 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 a career reputation built on professional, aggressive, fast results.
Attorney David Edwards was recognized in the Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association for the civil plaintiff attorney division. The firm is also listed with Martindale-Hubbell, one of the most established legal peer-review services in the country.
A 99% Success Rate Across Broward County Property Disputes
Our firm has maintained a 99% success rate across residential and commercial property damage and insurance claim cases throughout Florida, including Broward County. We have helped policyholders recover millions of dollars in proceeds that carriers initially refused to pay. We move fast from day one because we know the claim deadlines and we know the leverage points.
No Fee Unless We Win
Every insurance claim dispute and Lighthouse Point property damage case we handle is taken on full contingency. You pay nothing until we win. No retainers, no hourly billing, no invoices at any stage of the process.
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“Maria, Mike and the people’s law team have been a great help with my case. I’m glad I was referred to them by a friend because the lawyer the Public Adjuster recommended never did anything. I wish I would have gone with them from the start as everything was delayed over a year because of the Public Adjuster and lawyer. I’d recommend people’s law team 100% and don’t use any public adjuster.” — Daniel G.
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Types of Insurance Claim Cases We Handle in Lighthouse Point
Lighthouse Point homeowners and commercial property owners face a concentrated set of insurance claim challenges driven by this community’s coastal location, aging construction, and the overlap of wind and water perils that follows every Atlantic storm season. Our attorneys handle all of the following in Lighthouse Point and throughout Broward County.
- Property damage. Claims for hurricane damage, roof losses, wind-driven rain, water intrusion, fire, and structural failure that have been denied, underpaid, or left unresolved past Florida’s statutory payment deadlines. We handle both residential and commercial property claims throughout Lighthouse Point.
- Residential property damage. Homeowners whose claims for damage to canal-front homes, older masonry construction, or waterfront structures have been challenged by carriers citing pre-existing deterioration, flood exclusions, or inadequate documentation. We build claims correctly from the first day and challenge every unsupported carrier position.
- Hurricane and storm damage claims. Post-storm insurance claims are the most contested in coastal Broward County. After each hurricane season, carriers deploy adjusters whose estimates undervalue Lighthouse Point repair costs, misclassify wind-driven water intrusion as flood, and apply depreciation calculations that reduce replacement cost payments below what the policy requires. We challenge all of it.
- Insurance disputes. A denial is a carrier’s opening legal position, not the final word. When it rests on a misapplied exclusion, a contested engineering report, or a late-notice argument that cannot be supported with actual evidence of prejudice, it can be overturned. We have done it hundreds of times.
- Bad faith insurance. When a carrier’s handling of a Lighthouse Point insurance claim crosses the line from aggressive into deliberately dishonest, or reflects a pattern of willful delay, Florida law provides a remedy that goes beyond the policy limits. We evaluate every file for bad faith potential and pursue it when the facts are there.
- Dock, seawall, and waterfront structure claims. Canal-front properties in Lighthouse Point sustain damage to docks, seawalls, and boat lifts during storm events that standard adjusters routinely undervalue or omit from the claim entirely. We include every covered component and challenge adjusters who leave waterfront losses on the table.
Florida Legal Requirements for Lighthouse Point Insurance Claims
These are the statutory requirements that govern every insurance claim filed by a Lighthouse Point property owner. Florida’s insurance reform legislation from 2021 through 2023 changed several of these requirements in ways that favor carriers if policyholders are not aware of them.
The one-year notice deadline. Under Florida Statute 627.70132, a new or reopened property insurance claim must be reported to your insurer within one year of the date of loss. For hurricane and windstorm claims, the date of loss is the storm’s landfall date as verified by NOAA. Supplemental claims must be filed within 18 months. Lighthouse Point homeowners who discover interior mold or structural damage weeks after a storm need to know this clock started from the landfall date, not from the day they found the damage.
The 60-day pay-or-deny rule. Under Florida Statute 627.70131, your insurer has 60 days from receiving notice of your claim to pay it, pay the undisputed portion, or issue a written denial citing specific policy language and applicable Florida law. Payments made after that deadline bear interest from the date the claim was filed. When carriers use repeated reinspection requests or documentation demands to push past this deadline without paying, that statutory violation is leverage we use in every applicable case.
The pre-suit notice requirement. Under Florida Statute 627.70152, before a Lighthouse Point policyholder can file a lawsuit against their insurer, a written notice of intent to initiate litigation must be filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services at least 10 business days before commencing the lawsuit. The notice must identify the specific acts or omissions of the insurer, include an estimate of damages if the claim was denied, and itemize the presuit settlement demand if the dispute involves underpayment rather than an outright denial. A suit filed without completing this pre-suit process will be dismissed. Getting this notice right requires legal knowledge, and errors can harm your case. This is one of the most important reasons to retain counsel before filing.
The Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights. Under Florida Statute 627.7142, your insurer must provide you with a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights within 14 days of receiving your initial claim communication. This document summarizes your right to claim acknowledgment within seven days, a pay-or-deny decision within 60 days, and access to free mediation through the Florida Department of Financial Services. Many Lighthouse Point homeowners never receive it. That failure carries regulatory consequences and shifts leverage to the policyholder.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Lighthouse Point Insurance Claim Case?
Contractual damages. The full amount your policy was required to pay: the cost to repair or replace your damaged home or commercial property, contents coverage, additional living expenses during displacement, and any other covered benefit the carrier withheld. For Lighthouse Point waterfront properties, this routinely includes dock and seawall repair costs and code upgrade costs under ordinance and law endorsements.
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. In a contested Lighthouse Point insurance claim that stretches over months, that interest is a recoverable component of your total recovery and one we track in every case.
Bad faith and extracontractual damages. When a carrier’s handling of your Lighthouse Point insurance claim rises to the level of bad faith under Florida Statute 624.155, the available damages exceed the policy limits. Under Florida Statute 624.1551, a court judgment establishing breach of contract must come first, but once obtained, the full range of extracontractual remedies becomes available.
Punitive damages. Under Florida Statute 624.155, punitive damages may be awarded when the insurer’s conduct was willful, wanton, or in reckless disregard for the policyholder’s rights with sufficient frequency to indicate a general business practice. We pursue them when the record supports that threshold.
Contact The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers
If your Lighthouse Point insurance claim has been denied, delayed, or underpaid, do not wait. The one-year notice deadline runs from the date of loss. The supplemental claim window closes at 18 months. The pre-suit notice process under Florida Statute 627.70152 must be completed correctly before any lawsuit can be filed. Trust the legal team at The People’s Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers Property Damage Lawyers to handle all aspects of your claim. As your legal representative, we ensure that all filings, supplemental documentation, and responses are fully prepared and on time.
Our Lighthouse Point insurance claim lawyer offers free consultations for Lighthouse Point property damage and insurance claim disputes throughout Broward County and South Florida. No upfront costs, no out-of-pocket fees, no payment of any kind unless we win. Contact us today to put over 25 years of South Florida insurance industry knowledge to work for your claim.