Why you should file your Harvey insurance claim now

If you plan to file an insurance claim following Hurricane Harvey, you might want to put it off until things calm down. But there's a reason to consider doing so sooner rather than later: a new law takes effect later this week.

House Bill 1774 provides protection for insurers and is meant to cut back on unnecessary lawsuits. It reduces the penalties for insurers who don't pay enough money in claims, according to the Texas Tribune. It also decreases the odds that insurers will have to foot the attorney's bill for those who sue them and protects them from the negative effects (such as a lower credit score) of being sued.

The tort-reform bill, which was passed in May, goes into effect on September 1.

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