Free legal hotline for Hurricane Harvey storm and flood victims

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Texas policyholder attorney Bill Voss, founder of The Voss Law Firm based in the Houston-area township of The Woodlands, has set up a special free legal hotline for state residents finding themselves in need of legal advice and counsel once Hurricane Harvey has swept through the area. The hotline can be reached by calling 888-991-3212.

Mr. Voss strongly suggests storm survivors get qualified legal advice before dealing with their insurance companies. “I have seen too many cases where policyholders have made mistakes early in the process that ended up being fatal. Remember that Noah built the ark before the storm, not after,” said Voss

Especially in the wake of the devastating flooding that occurred several times in Texas and Louisiana in previous years – including Tropical Storm Allison, last year’s Memorial Day floods, and hurricanes like Katrina, Rita, and Ike – it was of utmost importance to Voss to have a single telephone number where people in distress can call to get their questions answered about what to do in the aftermath of a ruinous event.

The hotline is free to use, and callers are under no obligation whatsoever to retain the subsequent services of the Voss Firm. “Up front, this isn’t a ploy to get more clients; it’s a sincere effort to provide what I know will turn out to be much-needed assistance,” said Voss.

Callers to the hotline will be able to receive answers on legal and contractual matters such as:

• Extent of insurance coverage
• What homeowners insurance does and does not cover
• FEMA assistance questions
• Lease and rental agreement issues
• Proper protocols in reporting damaged and lost property
• Federally available flood insurance questions
• Proper negotiation and settling of insurance claims

Voss has significant experience in handling storm-related questions, and is known in the legal community as a strong advocate who never backs down from the insurance carriers who decide to take advantage of policyholders. He is also well known for his philanthropic programs, such as matching dollar-for-dollar all local donations to Red Cross for last September’s Louisiana flood victims.

After widespread disasters, insurance companies have had to take measures to cut rising costs, and some people have become increasingly vocal that it is home and business owners who ultimately pay. Voss urges the victims of the impending flooding to be aware of their rights as policyholders and potential “bad faith” insurance industry practices that could limit their recovery before they submit their claims or accept a settlement.

“Too often, horrendous contract or insurance issues occur in the wake of a natural disaster, when a simple phone call might otherwise have helped,” said Voss. “This hotline will hopefully be able to provide a lot of advice – and relief – to the callers recovering from this tragedy.”