Stuck in a Tropical Storm: What Are Your Rights?

Hurricane season is a time of unpredictability and unrest. Even when you have everything together, there is a chance that a disaster is right around the corner. When you find yourself in a bad position, it is important to work with a skilled maritime accident attorney to set things right. Being at sea comes with its own set of risks, so insurance coverage means everything in a contract. 

Picking the Right Company

When you pick a maritime insurance company, natural disasters should be a priority with the policy. The amount of coverage you get from tropical storms and hurricanes is different, and not always included. There is also a chance that the coverage is limited, and won’t cover necessary damages. 

Real world changes can also dictate what is covered by a policy. A pandemic may alter what funds are available for the contract, or an eventual payout. Prices that are set may rise, so it is up to the contract holder to keep up with these changes. Always choose a company that has multiple contact options or an up to date website. That may be the difference between your insurance rights being respected, or completely ignored. 

Hurricane Damage

An insurance company should always be aware of your boats condition, as well as its cargo. All of this information is required to assess monetary damages, risk and other important details. When a claim is made, any irregularities with this information will work against you.

Perhaps, for this reason you should try contacting a public adjuster for your claim. You can learn more about how a public adjuster can help you recover the losses.

If the hurricane is named, then any damage during the disaster may qualify for named storm insurance. 

This can be for something minor like hauling, or something major like a blown engine. Named storm insurance can be combined with other parts of your insurance policy. This creates a better financial safety net for insurance policies that are geared towards hurricane damage relief. 

Tropical Storm Damage

Tropical storm insurance should protect from lightning, windstorms, hail and flooding. The normal property damage protection in your base insurance can also be helpful when combined with tropical storm damage coverage. 

The most important part of tropical storm damage is equipment coverage. A lot of claimants have managed to get money for boat damage, but were left with the responsibility of replacing their equipment. This can easily lead to thousands of dollars’ worth of replacement tools, which is more than enough to wipe out a property settlement. Unless it is in writing, insurance policies are not obligated to cover unlisted tools or hardware.

Filing A Claim

How strong is your insurance policy? Does the plan cover the boat, its supplies and your tools? How active have you been with record keeping? All of this information is directly tied to how solid your claim or settlement amount will be. Thousands of claims are filed during hurricane season, and some even form into lawsuits. To make sure there are no holes in your filing, a maritime accident attorney is a valuable resource.  

Wrap Up

Pay close attention to your maritime insurance policy. When natural disasters happen, it is important to know that you’ll be taken care of. An attorney is one of the many steps needed to protect your rights during insurance disputes.