My name is George and I am an attorney practicing law here in Houston, Texas. I have been practicing law now for over 25 years. For 10 years I have been a member of the Houston Lawyer Referral Service. I am currently licenced to practice in Texas, as well as the states of New York and Michigan.
Today I am here to talk to you about first-party insurance and in particular, business interruption insurance. Business interruption insurance is a type of coverage that can be purchased as part of a property insurance policy. It can protect individuals, businesses and properties from losses that are accrued based on the interruption of business.
Now business interruption insurances typically trigger if there is a loss, a property loss, or if there is an order of shutdown from a civil authority.
Now what to do if you have a claim for business interruption insurance? First it’s important to document everything. Document the losses that you suffer or that your business suffers; document how the losses were accrued, whether it was by virtue of a property loss or by virtue of a civil authority order. And then document any kind of communications you have with your insurance company and any insurance adjuster.
Second, it’s important to make your claim. This is done through the insurance carrier itself.
Once you have made your claim, then your insurance carrier is required to investigate under the Texas Insurance Code, and then either decline or accept the claim.
Now, if the insurance claim is not honored and not covered, or if it’s insufficiently covered, that is when it’s time to talk to a lawyer. And that’s where we come in. W,e handle first party insurance claims of all types, including property insurance claims and business interruption claims.
So, once you have documented all of your losses and made your claim then it’s time to talk to a lawyer to make sure you received the type of compensation to which you are entitled. At that time, it’s time to talk to the Houston Lawyer Referral Service, and the staff there to be put in touch with a lawyer.
I want to encourage you to look after your rights at all times and to make sure you receive the compensation to which you are entitled.
Thank you.