Our goal at Corless Law Group is to help property owners recover as quickly and as fully as possible after a storm strikes. If you have residential or commercial property damage after Hurricane Ian, allow us to get you the compensation you deserve from your insurance company.  Hurricane Ian has left catastrophic property damage across the Sunshine State, from Punta Gorda and Sarasota to Tampa, Orlando, and Daytona.  Homeowners and business owners who have sustained property damage should not have to struggle to get the money they deserve from their insurance policy. Corless Law Group insurance claims attorneys are fierce advocates for policyholders who have experienced storm damage to their property.  We have successfully represented thousands of homeowners and business owners in the State of Florida for the past 25 years. 

Remember to take photos or videos of the damage to your property.  Make a list of all the damaged items, including their make, model, and serial number.  Additionally, get your property inspected by a licensed professional because the effects of a hurricane may be subtle and sometimes they can only be uncovered by a professional. 

All homes and businesses should be carefully inspected for damage to roofs, siding, fences, and other structural elements.  Common types of property damage associated with hurricanes include:

• Flood/water damage
• Toxic mold
• Tornadoes/wind damage
• Flying debris-related damage
• Smoke/fire damage
• Temporary relocation expenses 
• Broken windows and doors
• Cleanup expenses 

If Hurricane Ian damages your property, let our experienced team of lawyers and engineers get you the legal protection you deserve and the maximum compensation possible.  We will carefully review your insurance policy and inspection reports as well as assess your property damage claims.  With over $500 million in jury verdicts and negotiated settlements, we have experience dealing with Large Loss, complex insurance claims.  

Contact us as soon as you can at 813-258-4998.  Our Tampa-based law firm counsels and represents insureds throughout Florida.  We will not allow insurance companies to undervalue, delay or deny valid property damage claims.  We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you in a crisis.    

As a nationally recognized insurance dispute and property damage trial law firm, we are known for securing record-breaking results for our clients.  Nevertheless,  the coronavirus crisis continues to impact Florida courts.  Most courts have not been allowed to move forward in their plans to reopen for in-person trials due to a rise in COVID-19 cases and more contagious strains of the virus.

Recently, some criminal trials have begun to take place but criminal cases take priority over civil lawsuits.  In fact, the Florida court system has asked civil trial judges to step in to assist with the backlog of criminal trials.  As a result, many civil cases must wait until courts have cleared the logjam of criminal cases.

Corless Barfield Trial Group is proud to participate in Florida’s first federal civil jury trial to take place entirely via Zoom in a case styled Cheryl Staple v. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.  However, trials in the era of COVID are the exception rather than the rule. 

Judges state they do not expect civil trials to start back up in earnest until June 2021 at the earliest.  Courts are adapting their operations to establish a new normal, which includes very limited in-person hearings and remote jury trials.  As such, patience and perseverance must be practiced. 

If you have an insurance dispute or property damage claim, you should speak with a lawyer.  Any delay in seeking representation can lead to a loss of evidence and fewer opportunities to successfully resolve your claim.  If you are engaged in a dispute over the following, call 813-258-4998:

• Sinkhole Damage
• Flood Damage
• Fire Damage
• Wind Damage
• Hurricane/Storm Damage
• Life Insurance
• Construction Defects
• Mold Damage

Our goal is for your case to move forward in a timely manner.  Please be assured that we have a plan in place and that our firm will always work hard to ensure success.  We will make every effort to exceed client expectations during the coronavirus crisis. 

Above all, be safe and take care of yourselves and your families.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. This designation signifies that we are in the midst of a global disease outbreak, which occurs when a new virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population.  Coronavirus can cause serious illness, and spreads easily person-to-person worldwide.

Corless Barfield Trial Group is your Tampa-based law firm that is open and available to address legal matters with our clients nationwide. Our attorneys continue to guide clients through the complex process of property damage, insurance disputes, and personal injury law. If you have questions about court closures, pending legal matters, or new cases, please call us at 813-258-4998.  We have moved to a remote platform and will return your calls in an expeditious manner. 

Our law firm wants to do our part to contain COVID-19’s spread and to implement the federal and state government’s health and safety recommendations. We do this out of concern for the safety and health of our clients and hard-working staff.  

You may also have questions about different areas of law that may be impacted by the coronavirus, including contracts, force majeure clauses, employment law, or workers’ compensation. We invite you to call Corless Barfield at 813-258-4998.  We are here to help clients better understand and prepare for impending legal complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have lawyers and support staff ready, willing, and able to answer your questions. 

For the latest health information, visit cdc.gov and who.int. You may also find the following link helpful regarding Florida State Courts: informz.net/FB/data/images/AOSC20-13.pdf. 

Check back on our website and social media platforms for continual updates as part of Corless Barfield Trial Group’s ongoing coverage about important COVID-19 coronavirus topics and resources.  Our attorneys continue to monitor developments to provide up-to-date advice to our clients.

We deliver outstanding results, and we will continue to do so. Together, we will get through this.

DON’T take an insurance company’s first offer. Insurance claim litigation often arises when an insurance provider is not ready to honor the agreement in an insurance policy. Your insurance provider may pay far below what you’re entitled to as compensation.  That is why you need a Florida property damage trial attorney to represent you in your hurricane damage, storm damage, sinkhole, catastrophic ground cover collapse, fire loss, and water damage disputes.

DO judge the experience of past clients when you are hiring a property damage insurance attorney. Our skill and expertise at the negotiation table and in the courtroom are unmatched. We accept cases from property owners whose homes, buildings, businesses, and other belongings have sustained significant damage due to a natural disaster or any unforeseen circumstances. Our clients include HOAs, Community Management Associations, and Licensed Community Association Managers. 

DON’T trust insurers. Insurance company adjusters work on behalf of insurance companies to deny, delay or minimize the value of your claim. They will use biased or unseasoned claims adjusters and biased engineers. However, Corless Barfield Trial Group levels the playing field by retaining expert contractors and engineers to make an independent (and substantiated) evaluation of your property damage case.

DO get a free case evaluation. It takes resources, legal knowledge, and tenacity to effectively counter an insurance provider’s attempts to undervalue, delay, or deny an insurance claim. Corless Barfield Trial Group is a Large Loss Lawyers firm. We represent clients in high-end property damage disputes.

DON’T handle your insurance dispute alone. Most insurance companies will make every effort to deny your property damage claim or pay out as little as possible. If you find yourself involved in a property damage insurance dispute with your insurer, contact Corless Barfield Trial Group at 813-258-4998 for a free initial consultation. We are available 24/7, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.  We represent clients throughout the state of Florida.

DO engage a law firm that represents clients in many types of insurance claims, including:

• Windstorm
• Water Damage
• Hurricane and Tropical Storm Damage
• Roof Damage
• Lightning 
• Fire / Smoke Damage
• Construction Defects
• Mold / Bacteria 
• Sinkholes 
• Foundation Cracks 

As a property owner, there are a variety of issues to tackle in the event that your property is damaged by natural forces or human error. Act now to ensure that your insurance company provides fair and just compensation.  For your free initial case consultation, call 813-258-4998. 

EYE OF THE STORM.  Washington is thousands of miles away from Florida but even the governor of the Evergreen State understands the precipitous times Floridians are living in when it comes to hurricanes. How do you maximize recovery after a hurricane or other type of severe storm to ensure your family, property, and business is taken care of?  Policyholders have a right to receive the full benefits under their insurance policy. 

Hurricanes cause tremendous damage to residential and commercial properties. Property owners face resistance by insurance companies that are determined to deny or delay claims as well as minimize payments.  Corless Barfield Trial Group’s goal is to provide quality legal services for Florida homeowners, business owners, Board of Directors for Community Managed Associations, Homeowners Associations, and other kinds of multi-unit dwellings that have experienced property damage due to a storm. 

LEGAL EAGLES.  Our attorneys successfully handle property damage claims, and they are happy to speak with you for free and answer your questions.  Contact us now at 813-258-4998. Do not wait to retain an aggressive, strategically-focused attorney to represent you and your rights.

Our compassionate and knowledgeable Florida property damage attorneys have helped residents secure the full and fair compensation they need to fix their homes and get their lives back on track after hurricanes and other devastating storms.  The attorneys at the firm of Corless Barfield Trial Group can help you solve your hurricane or storm property damage crisis. 

SUNSHINE STATE SOLUTIONS. Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, and countless times our residents have seen their homes, businesses, and properties ravaged by these forceful storms. Our Tampa-based law firm prides itself on the ability to provide clients throughout the state of Florida with unsurpassed legal representation and responsiveness.  

Insurance companies make a profit for their investors when they receive more in premiums than they pay out in claims. Insurers have an incentive to pay as little as possible to Florida policyholders when they file claims for property damage. 

MONEYBALL. You’ve got to be a baller lawyer in this industry to aggressively and triumphantly fight insurance companies on behalf of policyholder clients.  Our Florida property insurance claims lawyers have extensive experience helping clients demand full and fair compensation for hurricane and severe storm damage.

“Yes, a dark time passed over this land, but now there is something like light,” observed award-winning author Dave Eggers after Hurricane Katrina.  Corless Barfield Trial Group seeks to be that light for clients in times of darkness. Corless Barfield Trial Group has handled hundreds of property damage cases and collected hundreds of millions of dollars for policyholders. 

Contact us today at 813-258-4998 for a free consultation from one of our experienced hurricane and storm damage attorneys. 

Trial work is not easy, and a lot of lawyers claim to do it but they either have little to no experience trying cases or they are not very good at it. Real trial lawyers go to trial often and win. For a free consultation on your Florida property damage claim, contact Corless Barfield Trial Group today at 813-258-4998.

Corless Barfield Trial Group has handled hundreds of property damage cases and collected hundreds of millions of dollars for insureds. We are a high stakes trial law firm and outperform other law firms through our tenacity, experience, and preparation.

Some lawyers live in libraries or conference rooms with stacks of paper, arguing over terms and conditions, and some get hired on cases where they may need to go to trial. We take cases where we believe we can recover what the client is due, and trial must be inevitable. Otherwise, insurance companies will deny or underpay what they owe.

Most lawyers go to trial because they have to; our lawyers go to court because that’s what we do. Through our experience managing major investigations, working as jury consultants and with focus groups, and using enhanced technologies in the courtroom, we have a track record of success litigating complex, high stakes insurance disputes.

Our successes and record-setting verdicts are well-documented in the media. CBTG is composed of highly skilled trial lawyers, whose clients are not just insureds but other law firms whose clients now require the experience we can provide as co-counsel.

We pride ourselves on mastering the following skills that we believe greatly contribute to our excellent courtroom success:

• Experience
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Analytical Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Organization
• Polished Performances
• Teamwork

In trial, success comes from experience, and as a client of ours, you’ll have the experience of attorneys who have tried more than 100 jury cases. We know the ins and outs of jury selection, how to convey complex information to a jury, and how to persuade a jury by telling your story in a way that resonates with jurors from all walks of life.

We have found that what it takes to win big ticket property damage cases is unsurpassed storytelling skills, gritty determination, slavish preparation, refined listening skills, good judgment, and expert cross-examination. There is no substitute for trial experience when it comes to your case. Choose wisely. If you want to play in the Big Leagues, you need a Big League law firm.

Corless Barfield Trial Group represents Florida property owners in their insurance disputes, which include hurricane damage, storm damage, wind damage, sinkholes, catastrophic ground cover collapse, fire loss, and water damage.

As damages can cost thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars, you need a property damage litigator who can fight back and win at trial since insurers regularly seek to delay, deny or underpay insurance claims.

Call Corless Barfield Trial Group today at 813-258-4998 to put our trial experience to good use for you. We provide trial services from the very start of litigation through appeal where necessary. Learn more at www.corlessbarfield.com and call us for a free consultation on your property damage insurance claim.

Whether big or small, sinkholes remain geological phenomena that regularly occurs in Florida.  Did a sinkhole loss occur or how do we repair sinkholes when they do occur are questions we get asked all the time.  Corless Barfield Trial Group brings our extensive experience, which includes a comprehensive understanding of the legal and engineering issues associated with sinkholes, to our client’s cases.  

Below are important sinkhole warning signs. If you are experiencing a number of the signs described below, please contact a professional. If you have questions about sinkhole activity, insurance, or property damage call Corless Barfield Trial Group at 813-258-4998.

Fall Between the Cracks:  In the event you have sinkhole activity, you could see cracks forming in your walls, especially where walls and ceilings meet as well as around doors and windows.  You may notice cracks in tile grout, laminate, linoleum, or flooring. Be aware of new or growing cracks. If you live in a community managed association, each building on your property should be annually inspected for the common signs of sinkhole loss.

Mind the Gap: Walls and ceilings with gaps or separation could indicate a sinkhole.  Specifically, look for cracks in your interior walls and on the ceilings. Trim and molding that’s pulling away is another sign of sinkhole activity. If you notice slanting or see warping, these issues may be sinkhole related.

Nature Calls:  There are numerous sinkhole warning signs to look for around the outside of your house, too.  Inspect your fence posts and trees for sagging or slanting. Small ponds of water are a sign of sinkhole activity, especially if water has never collected there before.  

Love Thy Neighbor:  If you see any of the signs mentioned above, ask your neighbors if they’ve had sinkhole activity.  Additionally, check with your emergency management office and weather offices about sinkhole activity in the area. In Florida, the Geological Survey office records and tracks sinkhole events.  

Corless Barfield Trial Group brings a unique, valuable perspective of representing policyholders against some of the nation’s most powerful insurance companies.  

Our property damage insurance lawyers, Ted Corless, Morgan Barfield, and Mary Catherine Lamoureux are leaders in the legal community on these issues. We represent insureds in sinkhole damage claims but also in claims arising from hurricane and other windstorm activity (e.g. tornado, microburst, hail, etc.). Corless Barfield represents clients at all levels of insurance issues, from claim management through value appraisal and arbitration.  

For denied claims, Corless, Barfield, and Lamoureux can document record-setting verdicts against the largest insurers, from discovery through verdict and appeals. To learn more about how we can help you with sinkhole and windstorm losses, please contact our law firm today at 813-258-4998.