Houston Trial Lawyer Blog : Houston Business Litigation Lawyer & Attorney : Arnold & Itkin Law Firm : Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Accident Claims

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The amount of Hurricane Ike insurance lawsuits continues to snowball as insurance companies deny and delay claims to storm victims. The deadline for filing has been set for June 8th.

Last week alone, 14 insurance lawsuits were filed in Jefferson County against insurance companies who, victims say, are forcing people to struggle for relief. The week before that, six lawsuits were filed. According to one report, an Orange County couple was shocked when their insurance company denied their Ike claims. Their home was severely damaged, including a cracked foundation and holes in the roof, making it unsafe to live in. That is only one of the many cases. Across southeast Texas, victims whose homes were damaged when Ike hit were forced to hire insurance attorneys to recover the claims they are rightfully entitled to. The Federal Emergency Management Agency set the deadline for insurance lawsuits to be filed for June 8th.

Meanwhile, it appears houses of God have not been spared claims denials either. Seven churches filed insurance lawsuits in Galveston accusing Texas Windstorm Insurance Association of not paying the full amount of their individual claims. The churches include Jerusalem Baptist Church, Live Oak Missionary, Macedonia Missionary, Mt. Calvary, Progressive Missionary, St. John Missionary, and St. Luke Missionary. The churches, who all filed separate lawsuits, are included in more than 50 such lawsuits that were filed in State District Court in Galveston. Since Ike struck in September, there have been 160 hurricane lawsuits filed in Texas.

Insurance attorneys often see the numbers of frustrated policyholders rise a few months after a hurricane hits, and people begin to get anxious about their payouts. Unfortunately, for many insurers, delaying or denying claims is business as usual, and concerned policyholders pay the price in physical discomfort, mental anguish, and financial burden.