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Make certain your insurance company follows through with their promises.

Insurance policies are meant to protect you in the case of disaster and property damage - but all too often insurance companies force their policyholders to fight for the rightful compensation that they need and deserve. Located in Houston, Texas, and serving the surrounding area, Durrett Law Firm represents those whose insurance claims have been wrongfully denied, delayed, or reduced.

Survival in the wake of an unforeseen disaster can be overwhelming - your home may be unlivable, leaving you without a place to stay. Your business may have to indefinitely close its doors, cutting off your income. Your entire future may be uncertain. But during this unthinkable stressful and difficult time, your insurance company may try to take advantage of your vulnerable state by acting in bad faith.

What are some examples of insurance company bad faith tactics? 

• Your insurance company fails to provide you with a reasonable explanation for the denial of your claim.
• Your insurance company fails to conduct a reasonable investigation into your claim or does not investigate your claim at all before denying it.
• Your insurance company fails to confirm, deny, or delay your claim in a reasonable amount of time.
• Your insurance company fails to communicate important information about your claim to you.
• Your insurance company offers you substantially less money than the value of your claim.  

At Durrett Law Firm, we work tirelessly to defend the rights of policyholders. We understand that after your property has been damaged by a wind, water, or fire, you do not have the time, energy, or information to fight the bureaucracy and red tape of your insurance company - and we know the tricks and tactics that they employ in order to keep your money.

Houston, Texas, is especially susceptible to natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms. In 2008, Hurricane Ike, the third most costly hurricane in United States history, devastated thousands of homes and lives throughout Galveston and Houston.  Other disasters can also lead to property damage and wrongfully denied or delayed insurance claims:

• A pipe bursts in your office building, ruining millions of dollars of hardware and closing your business for weeks.
• A kitchen fire in your home is controlled by fire fighters, but leaves your house and possessions severely damaged by smoke.
• A tropical storm causes a nearby river to flood, leaving the first floor of your house water damaged and moldy.
• Your house suffers significant foundation damage, rendering it useless - but your insurance company claims that you are not covered.
• Your insurance company pays your wind damage claim after a powerful hurricane, but only gives you a fraction of what you are owed. 

Contact Durrett Law Firm today for personal attention and professional service
For the last 20 years, Durrett Law Firm has worked to make insurance claims law personal, easy to understand, and accessible. Mr. Durrett will personally handle your insurance claims case and will personally answer any questions you may have about your situation. Candid and straightforward, Mr. Durrett is committed to investigating, building, and resolving your case in a open, thorough, and prompt manner.

If live in Texas and feel that your insurance claim has been wrongfully denied, delayed, or reduced, talk to us today about your case. In a free, confidential consultation, we can discuss your options, speak to your concerns, and offer you insight into the strategies your insurance company may be using. To learn more about our firm or to schedule your appointment, please call us at (713) 623-6881 or fill out the electronic form located on the right side of your screen.

Durrett Law Firm is located in Houston, Texas, and serves clients in the following surrounding TX areas: 
Counties: Harris County, Ft. Bend County, Brazoria County, Galveston County, and Jefferson County.
Cities:  Houston, Pasadena, Beaumont, Galveston, Bellaire, West University, Friendswood, Humble, Katy, Pearland, Tomball, Spring, South Houston, Webster, Waller, Missouri City, Bryan, Willis, Conroe, Baytown, and Stafford.

Blog for Insurance Law

• TWIA SLAB SETTLEMENT
• How long does it take to settle an insurance claim lawsuit?
• State Farm Lloyds Appeals $310 Million Refund Order

Library for Insurance Law:

• Replacement Cost Value v. Actual Cash Value   
  Description: This article describes the different measures of value for adjusting property damage insurance claims.
• Bad Faith Insurance Claims | Houston Bad Faith Insurance Claims Attorney   
  Description: What is a bad faith insurance claim? Houston attorney J. Brantley Durrett, III is committed to fighting bad faith insurance practices engaged in by insurance claims who act to wrongfully delay, deny and underpay valid insurance claims.
• Property/Casualty Insurance 2008: Overpriced Insurance And Underpaid Claims Result In Unjustified Profits, Padded Reserves, And Excess Capitalization [PDF]   
  Description: This report concludes property casualty insurance in America is overpriced based upon evidence of loss ratios and profits returned to the industry. It also suggests proposals for public policy changes to reduce the excesses of the industry and better protect consumers.
• Claim Denied - Tricks of the Trade - How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse & Refuse [PDF]   
  Description: This article is published by the American Association for Justice and discusses common insurance company tactics used to harm and mistreat polichyholders. Each of these tactics should be considered bad faith insurance practices.
• Twelve Secrets To Getting A Fair Settlement On Your Insurance Claim   
  Description: This article presents twelve secrets to getting a fair settlement on your insurance claim.
• Texas Prompt Payment of Claims Act [PDF]   
  Description: Advantages Of The Texas Prompt Payment Of Claims Act For The Insured
• Hire A Lawyer And Kick It Up A Notch [PDF]   
  Description: When a Lawyer is Helpful During the Insurance Claim Process
• Business Interruption Insurance [PDF]   
  Description: Types of Business Interruption Insurance and How to Get Your Claim Paid With a Minimum Of Time and Expense
• Appraisal Is Risky Business [PDF]   
  Description: How To Protect Yourself In The Appraisal Process
• Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters   
  Description: With bone-shaking winds and torrential rains, hurricanes can devastate billions of dollars of property in mere hours. Durrett Law Firm is committed to helping those seeking compensation for hurricane property damage to stand up to their insurance companies.

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Frequent Questions for Insurance Law:

• What are the most common problems insureds have after a loss with their insurance companies?

• If my property has been only partially damaged, does my insurance company owe additional money so that my siding, paint, carpet, shingles and bricks match?

• I suffered a loss to my home. My insurance carrier issued a check jointly payable to me and my mortgage company. I gave the check to the mortgage company. I completed the repairs, but the mortgage company has not released the insurance company's payment. How do I force the mortgage company to pay?
  
• I have a replacement cost policy, but my insurance carrier only paid me the actual cash value of my loss. Do I have to actually make the repairs before I can receive the full replacement cost?
• I am having problems getting a fair settlement on my insurance claim, what are my options?
• On what basis do you accept insurance cases?
• How long will my insurance case take to be resolved?
• How long do I have to file my insurance case?
• What remedies are available under Texas law for an insurance case?

Web Resources for Insurance Law:

• Internal Risk Management Institute

  Description: International Risk Management Institute, Inc., now known as IRMI, was founded in 1978, primarily to educate risk managers, agents/brokers, and other insurance professionals through the use of seminars. In conjunction, risk and insurance publications were developed to provide what we felt was much needed information in an evolving industry. So popular were these publications that by the mid-1980s, publishing had become their primary focus. The website contains good commentary on insurance related issues.

• United Policyholders

  Description: This is a great resource for claims assistance and insurance information that benefits policyholders.

• Claims Magazine

  Description: Interesting magazine and website resource for insurance claims studies and reports. Articles are generally written from a pro-insurance company perspective.

• Texas Watch

  Description: Texas Watch is a non-partisan, advocacy organization working to improve consumer and insurance protections for Texas families. Texas Watch's thousands of activists across the state make their voices heard to preserve their rights and protections. Texas Watch strives to provide a counter to wealthy special interest lobby efforts and ensure Texas laws reflect the true needs of Texas families and consumers.
  

  Founded by Dan Lambe in 1998, Texas Watch has helped provide a platform for Texas consumers on insurance, nursing home resident protection, patient protection and consumer law issues in legislative and regulatory activities. Texas Watch members have provided testimony to legislative committees, participated in consumer legislative lobby days, testified in regulatory rule-making activities and spoken with media about consumer protection issues.

• Texas Department of Insurance

  Description:

  The Texas Department of Insurance regulates the insurance companies, insurance adjusters and public insurance adjusters in the state of Texas. It is one of Texas' oldest administrative agencies.

• Americans For Insurance Reform

  Description: Americans for Insurance Reform (AIR) is a national coalition of public interest organizations that support effective insurance industry reforms to control skyrocketing insurance rates, reduced insurance coverage, arbitrary policy cancellations, mismanagement and other insurance industry abuses.

• Fight Bad Faith Insurance Companies

  Description:

  FBIC (Fight Bad-faith Insurance Companies) is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization which specializes in uncovering today's fraudulent multi-billion dollar bad-faith non-payment of claims rip-offs by the powerful Insurance Industry. FBIC serves policyholders, victims of these rip-offs, seeking help in being compensated for being denied benefits as a result of their Insurance Company's Bad-faith Practices.

• Allstate Insurance Sucks

  Description:

  Aside from the irreverent name, this site has some helpful information for policyholders. Forbes picks AllstateInsuranceSucks.com as #1 corporate complaint site.

• Policyholders of America

  Description: In Texas, one of the most famous policyholders suits was styled Ballard v. Farmers. Policyholders of America was started by the plaintiff in that lawsuit, Melinda Ballard. The website is full of useful information for policyholders.

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