Citrus County
Being right off the Gulf of Mexico, Citrus County is known for its sunny beautiful environment as well as it’s springs in the Homosassa Springs Wildfire State Park. The county is also reputable for being a target to natural disasters. Citrus County is located right above central Florida, and since it borders the gulf the residents are very familiar with hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. The frequency of these storms/natural disasters mean residents heavily rely on their insurance.
Insurance companies, unfortunately, are not always looking out for their policyholders. Many Citrus County residents face hardship when filing a claim. Their insurance may dispute or deny the claim completely despite the fact it’s covered under policy guidelines. When this happens, it can be easy to become hopeless and give up on the claim altogether—but you shouldn’t toss the towel in yet. If you’ve been having issues with your insurance, we urge you to get in contact with an experienced insurance claims attorney.
Homosassa Attorney for Insurance Claims in FL
It might be tempting to try and resolve your insurance issues on your side, but we highly advise you hire an experienced claims attorney instead such as Germain Law Group, P.A.. A Citrus County insurance claims attorney like Michael B. Germain can assess your claim to determine if there exists an argument for coverage. He can then utilize his skills he’s gathered over the last decade in insurance law to either negotiate with your insurer or file a lawsuit against them.
You can set up your first consultation with Germain Law Group, P.A. by calling his office at (813) 835-8888. Germain Law Group, P.A. accepts clients throughout the greater Citrus County area including Inverness, Crystal River, Homosassa, Lecanto, Beverly Hills, Hernando, Citrus Springs, Floral City, Pine Ridge and Homosassa Springs.
Information Center:
- What is Considered Bad Faith in Florida?
- How Do I File a Lawsuit Against My Insurance Company?
- Civil Litigation Matters We Handle
- Citrus County Cities We Serve
- Court and Insurance Resources in Citrus County
What is Considered Bad Faith in Florida?
Due to the amount of power insurance companies have, they are legally bound to act in good faith when investigating, processing, and settling a claim. An insurance acts in bad faith if they fail to fulfill their legal or contractual obligations by being intentionally dishonest or unfair. In Florida, policyholders can seek damages from their insurers if they fail to settle a claim in good faith when the insurance company could and should have done so.
Under the Florida Unfair Insurance Trade Practices act, the following are a list of actions that would constitute as bad faith in a court of law.
- Misrepresenting a fact to the policyholder with the intent of offering a less favorable settlement
- Failure to communicate with the policyholders in an efficient manner
- Not offering a reasonable explanation, in writing, of why the claim was denied or partially paid
- Failure to notify the policyholder of additional information needed to investigate the claim or explain the purpose of that information
- Attempting to settle or pay a claim based on an application that was altered without the knowledge or consent of the policyholder
- Not investigating claims in a timely manner or denying them without an investigation
Insurance companies who do any of the above bad faith practices can be held accountable in court for damages. That means, as a policyholder, you can receive the full amount of your claim as well as additional compensation for the losses you’ve incurred because of your insurance company’s action. In addition, most settlements will include your attorney’s fees as part of your damages.
How Do I File a Lawsuit Against My Insurance Company?
You can pursue a lawsuit against your insurance company if they violate or fail to fulfill the terms of your policy. In this case, you would be filing a lawsuit against your insurance company for acting in bad faith. The first step is to hire an attorney who has extensive experience representing policyholders who have experienced bad faith from their insurance companies. Although you can attempt to file the lawsuit on your own, insurance law is incredibly complicated. It’s important you have a professional with an encompassing knowledge of insurance laws in Florida on your side before you write a demand letter or file any lawsuit.
If negotiating with your insurer is completely out the window, then your attorney will send a demand letter to them first. In the demand letter, your attorney will list how much you’re asking for and the reasons why your claim is covered under the policy. If your insurance rejects or ignores the letter, then you can begin to initiate a lawsuit against them. Your attorney can file the lawsuit in the appropriate jurisdiction and represent your interests in court.
Civil Litigation Matters We Handle
The following are additional civil matters our firm takes on:
- Levying Property
- Small Business Litigation
- UCC – Sales of Goods
- Personal Injury
- Deceptive Trade Practices
- General Business Disputes
- Fraudulent Inducement
- Debt Collection
- Real Property Disputes
- Unfair Business Practices
- Contractual Disputes
- Wage Garnishment
- Construction Defect Litigation
- Invasion of Property
- Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Citrus County Cities We Serve
- Crystal River
- Inverness
- Citrus Springs
- Homosassa
- Homosassa Springs
- Lecanto
- Pine Ridge
- Sugarmill Woods
- Beverly Hills
- Black Diamond
- Floral City
- Hernando
- Inverness Highlands North
- Inverness Highlands South
- Citrus Hills
Insurance and Court Resources in Citrus County, FL
Citrus County Courthouse | Fifth Judicial Circuit Court – Visit the official website for the Fifth Judicial Court in Florida, which has jurisdiction over Lake County, Hernando County, and Citrus County. Access the site to find out the location of the Citrus County court, learn about the current judges, learn about their various civil court programs, and self-help resources.
Citrus County Clerk | Angela Vick – Visit the official website for Angela Vick, who is the current Citrus County clerk. Access the site to gain access to various court forms and packets you may need, read court announcements, search the court docket or records, new COVID-19 restrictions, pay a court fine online, and various other answers to your common questions.
Florida’s Insurance Code – Visit the official website for Online Sunshine, a collection of Florida’s laws and legislation. Access the site to learn about civil remedies under the code, how bad faith practices look like, and which state departments have jurisdiction over which case.
Insurance Claims Lawyer in Citrus County, FL
As a policyholder, you never anticipated losing money because you purchased insurance. You expect your insurance company to uphold their end of the contract by providing full and equitable coverage. However, some insurance companies will do whatever they can to minimize payout and make a profit off your policy. If you’re having issues with your insurance claim, we urge you to contact Michael B. Germain of Germain Law Group, P.A..
Michael Germain has been practicing insurance law for over 10 years. He can utilize his negotiation and litigation skills to pursue the compensation you were promised when signing your contract. Set up your first consultation with Germain Law Group, P.A. by calling our office at (813) 835-8888. Germain Law Group, P.A. accepts clients in Citrus County and nearby counties including Hernando County, Sumter County, Pasco County, Hillsborough County and Polk County.