Friday, March 29, 2024

Hurricane Harvey: Texans Urged to File Insurance Claims by Friday

*As the New York Times reports, The National Weather Service said Tuesday that Hurricane Harve “has now set a record for total rainfall from a single tropical cyclone in the continental United States, with two weather stations in Texas reporting total rainfall over 48 inches.”

Lawyers and a consumer watchdog groups are reportedly urging victims of Harvey to file insurance claims before a new law takes effect on Friday.

via Essence:

House Bill 1774, which goes into effect Sept. 1, advocates for insurance companies to limit lawsuit abuses, Chron reports. Opponents of the law say it will limit homeowner’s ability to hold insurance companies accountable when they take an unreasonable amount of time to pay for claims or underpay and wrongfully deny authentic claims. The law also reduces the amount of interest insurance companies will have to pay homeowners if the claim takes too long to settle.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Exhausted Harvey Survivor Cusses at CNN Reporter: ‘My Kids Are Wet … (You’re) Trying to Ask What the f**k is Wrong with Us?!’’ (WATCH)

Photo Credit: Twitter.com

Will Adams, vice president of legislative affairs for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association said, “There is nothing about this bill that helps policy holders. Everything about this bill makes it harder for policyholders to hold insurance companies accountable.”

However, Republican Senator Kelly Hancock who sponsored the legislation, claims lawyers are misleading homeowners. “There is no need to rush to file a claim. Put your safety first. Do not return to seriously damaged property unless you are informed that it is safe,” Hancock said.

“There is no need to rush to file a claim. Put your safety first. Do not return to seriously damaged property unless you are informed that it is safe,” Hancock said.

Meanwhile, Executive director of Texas Watch Ware Wendell said it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“If it is safe to return to your property and inspect damage, file written notice of your claim with your insurance company before September 1st to try to preserve at least some of your legal rights.”

Meanwhile, “local officials said there were 13 deaths in Texas so far that were storm-related or suspected to be storm-related.”

The Houston Police Department has rescued more than 3,500 people from flooding since the storm began.

 

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