Property Damage Attorney in Louisiana
Denied, delayed or underpaid insurance claims for homeowners and businesses across the state
When you pay for insurance, you are buying a promise: that when a hurricane, storm, hail, roof failure, fire or burst pipe damages your property, the insurer will pay what the policy says. When that promise is broken, when the claim is denied, dragged out for months, or settled for a fraction of what repairs cost, DeJean Law Office holds the insurer to it. Andy DeJean has practised law in Louisiana since 1997, and property damage and insurance claims are now the largest part of the firm’s work. We represent property owners in every parish from our office in Baton Rouge, with video consultations for clients elsewhere in the state.
Property Damage Claims We Handle
Every type of loss below has its own page explaining how these claims work in Louisiana and what the insurer is likely to argue.
Hurricane damage claims
Wind, rain and storm surge losses after a named storm, including disputes over the hurricane deductible and whether damage was wind or flood.
Wind and storm damage claims
Straight-line wind, tornado and severe thunderstorm damage outside of a named hurricane.
Water and flood damage claims
Burst pipes, roof leaks, plumbing backups, storm surge and flood losses, and the disputes over whether the water damage is covered.
Hail damage claims
Roof, siding, gutter and window damage from hail, and the "wear and tear" denials that often follow.
Roof damage claims
Partial-repair offers, depreciation disputes and denials that blame the roof's age rather than the storm.
Homeowners insurance claims
Fire, water, falling trees and other covered losses under a standard Louisiana homeowners policy.
Denied and bad faith insurance claims
Claims denied without a reasonable basis, unexplained delays, and lowball settlements, and the penalties Louisiana law allows when an insurer acts in bad faith.
Business interruption and commercial property claims
Lost income and property damage when a storm closes a business, and the insurer disputes the loss or the period of restoration.
How Insurers Deny, Delay and Underpay Louisiana Claims
Most claims that fail do not fail because the damage is not real. They fail on the paperwork, the timeline and the valuation.
Denial. The insurer attributes the damage to a cause the policy excludes: wear and tear instead of hail, flood instead of wind, a pre-existing condition instead of the storm. The letter cites a policy clause and an adjuster’s opinion, and most homeowners take it as final.
Delay. Requests for more documents, a second inspection, an engineer’s report, then silence. Every month a roof stays open the damage grows, and every month a business stays closed the losses mount, while the insurer holds the money.
Underpayment. The claim is accepted but valued at a fraction of the repair cost: depreciation applied too aggressively, line items left off the estimate, or a “partial repair” offered for a roof no contractor will patch.
We read the policy against the loss, document the damage properly, put the insurer on a legal clock, and negotiate from a position the adjuster has to take seriously. When the insurer still will not pay what it owes, we file suit.
Louisiana's Claim Deadlines Work in Your Favour, If You Use Them
Louisiana law sets specific obligations on insurers and specific windows for policyholders. Under La. R.S. 22:1892, once an insurer receives satisfactory proof of loss it has 30 days to pay the amount due, and a policyholder generally has 180 days from the loss to submit that proof. An insurer that fails to pay within 30 days without a reasonable basis can owe a penalty on top of the claim, and La. R.S. 22:1894 adds further penalties where the insurer’s conduct is arbitrary, capricious or without probable cause. There are also contractual and legal deadlines for filing suit that vary by policy and by loss.
These rules are the reason a claim should not sit. The sooner the proof of loss is complete and the insurer is on notice, the sooner the clock starts running against them rather than you. In one hurricane claim, that approach recovered $350,000 on a homeowner’s property claim that the insurer had refused to pay in full.
What to Do If Your Claim Has Been Denied or Underpaid
- Do not accept the first offer or sign a release until you understand what the claim is worth.
- Keep every letter, email, estimate, photo and adjuster report. Photograph the damage again before any repairs.
- Ask the insurer, in writing, for the specific policy language and the reason for the denial or the valuation.
- Note the date you submitted proof of loss and the date of every response. The 30-day clock matters.
- Call a property damage attorney before deadlines pass. A consultation with our office is free, and we will tell you plainly whether the claim is worth pursuing.
Why Choose
DeJean Law Office?
Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and attorneys working to protect their bottom line—you need a legal advocate who will fight for you. At DeJean Law Office, we have extensive experience handling property damage claims across Louisiana.
We know how insurance companies operate
and we won’t let them take advantage of you.
We fight for maximum compensation
ensuring you receive what you need to rebuild.
We stand by your side every step of the way
from filing claims to courtroom litigation if necessary.
Serving Property Owners Across Louisiana
Our office is at 604 St. Ferdinand Street in Baton Rouge, and we handle property damage and insurance claims statewide. We meet clients outside Baton Rouge by video and travel for inspections, mediations and court appearances. See how we are working in your area: