Sinkhole Attorneys
If you have been searching for an experienced sinkhole attorney in Tampa, call the attorneys at Hancock & Hancock, P.A. You've worked hard to provide a nice home for your family and you have protected your investment by purchasing homeowners insurance. Florida law requires homeowners insurance to cover damages to your home caused by a sinkhole. Many times, clients come to us with similar complaints - that their insurance company is "dragging its feet," that the insurance company claims the damage to their home is the result of "natural ground settling," not a sinkhole, or that the insurance company refuses to pay the amount of money it will cost to properly repair their home. If your home or business is showing signs of damage from a sinkhole, contact our sinkhole lawyers at our Tampa law firm for a fast and confidential sinkhole case evaluation by completing our online consultation form or contact us directly to discuss your particular claim.
The partners at Hancock & Hancock, P.A. possess the experience of over 35 years of personal injury law in the following types of cases:
Claire D. Hancock
Michael F. Hancock
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Sinkhole Damage Claims
What are the signs of sinkhole damage?
- A cracked or leaking pool
- A large cracking in walls around doors and window frames
- Doors or windows that do not work properly anymore
- An unusually large or rapidly developing depression in yard or driveway
- A fence post or posts that start sagging or slanting from trees on the property
- A separation of walls from floors or ceilings
- A tilting or sinking of a section of floor
- Tree roots that are now exposed that were not before
- A poor compaction of soil around utility poles
Do the attorneys at Hancock & Hancock, P.A. handle sinkhole damage claims where I live?
We represent clients in the following west and central Florida counties: Citrus, Hernando, Sumter, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Desoto, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota and Charlotte.
How is my Florida sinkhole lawyer paid?
Hancock & Hancock, P.A. handles all sinkhole damage cases on what is called a "contingency fee" basis. This means that no fees or costs are charged unless we collect money damages for you. All of the consultations with our office are absolutely free. When you receive compensation, meaning our sinkhole lawyers have successfully concluded your case, either by settlement or litigation, our fees are then worked as a percentage of the gross settlement. This percentage is agreed upon before we begin work, in writing and signed by you, and is comprised 33% prior to filing suit and 40% after the lawsuit is filed, up through trial.
The sinkhole attorney' s fee is separate from the "costs" that the firm advances on behalf of the client. "Costs" include expenses for obtaining records, filing fees at the courthouse, expert witness testimony, costs of taking depositions and so on. We advance all costs related to your case. Only on obtaining a recovery for a client are our sinkhole lawyers reimbursed the costs that were advanced by our Florida law firm.
What are sinkholes?
Sinkholes are a natural geologic feature, found commonly in north-central Florida. Sinkholes are formed when rain dissolves underground limestone, or when surface materials collapse into cavities in the underlying rock. When the weight of the overlying ground becomes too great, or the dissolved area too large, the surface collapses into the void. Sinkholes are usually cone or bowl shaped depressions in the land surface, although they vary in shape and size. Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by ground water circulating through them. Abrupt collapse-type sinkholes have become more common over the past twenty-five years, primarily due to activities such as the withdrawal of groundwater, diversion of surface water, or the construction of ponds.
What are some of the typical issues involved in a sinkhole damage claim?
First, the insurance company will typically send someone to your home, usually an environmental engineer, to determine the cause of the damage to your home. These people are paid by the insurance company and know that damage due to "natural ground settling" is not covered by homeowners insurance. If, by chance, they agree that your damage was caused by a sinkhole, your insurance company will do everything they can to have you sign a release and have the "repairs" begin. The trouble is that they try to lay all the liability of what could go wrong back to you. The insurance company may also try to make the repairs in the cheapest, least effective way, even though they are required to do otherwise, pursuant to the terms of your homeowner's policy.
Free Consultation for your sinkhole attorneys in Tampa
If your home or business is showing signs of damage from a sinkhole, contact Hancock & Hancock, P.A. for a free, immediate and confidential evaluation of your sinkhole damage case. Attorneys Michael Hancock or Claire Hancock will personally provide detailed and comprehensive answers to your important questions by reviewing your online consultation form, evaluating your claim and responding to you, either by e-mail or telephone, within 24 hours. If you prefer, call attorneys Michael Hancock or Claire Hancock in Tampa at 813-915-1110 or toll free from anywhere in the United States at 1-888-975-1110. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will answer your questions, without charge, and there is no obligation to use our services.
As committed Florida sinkhole attorneys, and many other types of personal injury cases, justice will be served for you.