As winning sinkhole lawyers, we do more than just file a claim; we build the team to solve your riddle, and get your claim paid.  No matter the size or scope of your claim, we’ll employ our more than two decades of experience and knowledge in multi-unit, large sinkhole losses to help you get the best possible outcome.  If you’ve lost property or experienced inconveniences due to a sinkhole damage, call 813-258-4998 for a free, comprehensive consultation.

As a seasoned sinkhole lawyer, I work with an extraordinary team to evaluate your claim; help you make sound sinkhole repair decisions; retain and consult expert geologists, geotechnical engineers, contractors, and structural engineers; and litigate your claim through the appeal process, if necessary.  Rest assured that your sinkhole damage claim will be thoroughly evaluated, investigated, and litigated in order to ensure that you are fully compensated by your insurance company. 

When it comes to dealing with multiple buildings and properties managed by LCAMs, for example, don’t give your claim to a law firm who handles only smaller, single-family homes.  The larger the loss, the more the need for documentable experience and proven success. As a property owner, you have rights when it comes to sinkhole damage.  I tried my first sinkhole case in 1999, and have since successfully represented insureds in claims for sinkhole damage and are prepared to force your insurance company to honor your claim. 

Corless Law Group counsels many types of insureds – including multi-unit properties, businesses, homeowners associations, LCAMs, and their representatives – to recover benefits on sinkhole damage insurance claims throughout the State of Florida.  We provide valuable insight to help you navigate the claim process and complex sinkhole laws while serving as your dedicated advocates.

Corless Law Group can document record-setting verdicts for larger properties and against the largest insurers, from discovery through verdict and appeals to the highest courts.  Click here to view results we have obtained while representing Boards of Directors who are policyholders in sinkhole claims.  If you want to talk to our former clients in this context, we can provide specific references.

Sinkhole damage insurance claims are scrutinized by adjusters who are looking for defenses.  As a result, Corless Law Group approaches the investigation and resolution of your sinkhole claim with the utmost care, attention, tenacity, diligence, and technical skills.  We’ll fight for the money you deserve to stabilize and repair your property and business.  

If your sinkhole claim is denied, it is imperative to hire an experienced sinkhole damage insurance attorney to help you with an existing claim against your homeowner’s insurance company.    Whether in the courtroom or during settlement negotiations, Corless Law Group can obtain full and fair payment on sinkhole damage insurance claims.  Contact us at 813-258-4998.

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. 

L – Listen now because global warming does affect the development of sinkholes.  Corless Barfield Trial Group is a law firm focused on successfully litigating sinkhole and property damage claims. We have seen a rise in the frequency and severity of sinkholes. Global warming related to climate change has most definitely led to an increase in sinkhole collapse events in Florida over the past 50 years. 

O – Owners of homes and businesses should be aware of their rights when it comes to sinkhole damage. Sinkholes can cause major damage to buildings and personal property.  Corless Barfield Trial Group represents families and businesses in disputes with insurance companies throughout Florida. Call us now at 813-258-4998 for a free and confidential case evaluation. 

B – Begin to understand and learn about your home and property. Common signs of sinkhole damage include cracks both on the interior and exterior of the home or building, gaps between walls and floors or ceilings, difficulty closing windows and doors, yard slopes or depressions, trees or fence posts that tilt or fall, and cracks in driveways or pool decks. 

A – Alarming is an understatement when it comes to the climate crisis the world is experiencing. Sinkholes can often be deadly. This month, at least six people died and 16 others were injured after a massive sinkhole swallowed a bus picking up passengers in China. 

L – Law and activism are tools that can help stall or even reverse global warming.  Our law firm and team of lawyers can help you deal with the impacts caused by sinkhole damage. CBTG 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 losses, contact our law firm today at 813-258-4998.

W – Winning sinkhole lawyers do more than just file a claim. The attorneys at CBTG will help you evaluate your claim, provide guidance on how to file a sinkhole claim, help you make sound sinkhole repair decisions, retain and consult with expert geologists, geotechnical engineers and structural engineers, and litigate your claim (if necessary) through the appeal process.  

A – Arctic sinkholes are appearing due to climate change. While sinkhole events are usually associated with the Sunshine State as well as Texas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania, they continue to pop up across the globe thanks to global warming. 

R – Rains are the perfect precursor to sinkhole activity. Soils are like sponges with a network of pores that allows water and air to freely enter and escape.  When it rains often and there is flooding, the water stays inside the sinkhole and typically drains into the subsurface. Rainfall and surface water percolate through joints in the limestone. The more it rains, the more sinkhole activity there is, and flooding is caused by global warming. 

M – Man-made sinkholes are becoming more and more frequent. Major floods and major droughts contribute to the formation of sinkholes.  Specifically, the main trigger for sinkholes is water – too much or even too little. A good chunk of Florida bedrock is made up of porous rocks such as limestone or sandstone, which can dissolve over time as they interact with acid naturally found in rainwater. 

I – Insurance companies often seek to delay, deny or underpay valid sinkhole claims.

N – Nature is warning us to do better and be better at protecting the planet. We don’t want sinkholes swallowing people or real estate. Sinkholes are caused naturally but they can be triggered by “water” events. Sinkholes can form due to heavy rainfall, tropical storms or hurricanes, a drought followed by heavy rainfall, and human activity like substantial pumping of groundwater.

G – Global warming and climate change has altered the frequency and intensity of many natural geohazards, including sinkholes. That is a fact. If you have experienced sinkhole activity or have questions about property damage and repairs, call Corless Barfield Trial Group, the sinkhole lawyers, at 813-258-4998. We don’t hide from the science – we run to it.

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.