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Attorney Peter Diiorio has represented policyholders for two decades, recovering more than $40 million for homeowners and business owners whose insurers denied, delayed, or underpaid what they were owed. Whether the damage came from a hurricane, wildfire, tornado, or burst pipe, our attorneys understand how carriers evaluate — and undervalue — property claims, and we push back until our clients receive what their policy promised.
Property Insurance Claims: What the Process Involves
A property insurance claim starts the moment you report a loss, but what happens next often determines whether you’re made whole. After you file, your insurer assigns an adjuster to inspect the damage and estimate the cost of repair or replacement. If that estimate is fair and timely, many claims resolve without dispute. But estimates are frequently low, delayed, or built around a disputed cause of loss — wind versus water, pre-existing damage versus new damage, covered peril versus excluded peril. When that happens, policyholders need an independent valuation and, often, legal pressure to move the claim forward.
How Long Does a Property Insurance Claim Take?
Timelines vary by state, insurer, and the scope of damage. Many states require insurers to acknowledge a claim within a set number of days and to pay or deny it within 30 to 60 days of receiving a complete proof of loss. In practice, contested claims — especially after large-scale disasters — can stretch for months as carriers work through backlogs or look for reasons to minimize payment. Claims involving litigation or bad faith damages take longer still, though our attorneys work to move each case as efficiently as the facts and the court allow.
