Right to File a Claim
Right to Choose a Contractor
Right to Dispute Settlement Fees
Right to Legal Representation
Right to Appeal
As a commercial property owner, you have the right to file a claim for damages caused to your properties. In fact, most of the time, it usually doesn't matter what the cause of the damage is.
If your commercial property is damaged by natural disasters, accidents, fire, and pretty much anything you can think of, then you want to file a claim as fast as possible.
The second right you want to be aware of is the right to choose a contractor. This simply means that in cases of commercial property damage, you retain the right to choose the contractor you want to repair or replace the damaged property.
Naturally, you want to select a contractor that is licensed, insured, and experienced in handling such claims.
In the case of a claim where a settlement is offered by your insurance company, and you feel that this settlement amount is inadequate, you have the right to dispute that figure.
This is the part where you want to start considering hiring an attorney, or more specifically a commercial property damage attorney.
Some commercial property damage claims are pretty straightforward, with all parties involved coming to an agreement with little fuss. Some, however, can get really tricky, and this is the point where you want to consider exercising your right to legal representation.
In the above case, for instance, where there is a dispute regarding Settlement fees, an attorney is much better placed to navigate the issue on your behalf.
As any worthwhile legal representative will tell you, contesting an insurance claim happens more often than you'd think. At this point, you should be willing to exercise your right to appeal.
You can either choose to file an appeal against the insurance company or take legal action against the party responsible for the damage if there are any.