Suppose your house was hit by a tropical storm or some other kind of intense weather event that caused severe flooding. You may think that the damage caused to your property by the flooding is covered in your homeowner’s insurance policy or windstorm policy. However, you would be wrong to assume such a thing. A homeowner’s insurance policy and a windstorm insurance policy may cover a lot of different kinds of property damage, but it does not cover flood damage caused by a natural disaster. Damage caused by flooding and damage caused by water are two different types of damage events. Due to this, flood insurance exists as a separate and distinct policy.
This article will explain the main differences between flood claims and water damage claims, outlining how these policies differ from one another and how the insurance company may use your lack of knowledge about these differences to deny your claim or offer you a lowball settlement.
Flood Damage Claims
Flooding is the most common and most damaging natural disaster in the country and of course in Florida, the risk of flooding is greater due to the frequency of storms and the States proximity to water. Flood insurance is a type of policy that covers flood-related damages caused by natural disasters to your house, more specifically, damages to your home’s foundation, paneling, carpeting, basement, and electrical and plumbing systems.
Most importantly, homeowners must remember that the biggest difference between flood claims and water damage claims is that flood damage is water damage caused by a natural event, that enters a home or building from the ground, caused by excessive rain, a flooding pond, creek, river, bay, ocean, estuary, etc. And such water damage caused by flooding is only covered by a flood Insurance Policy & not a homeowner or wind insurance policy. So, if, for example, your property is in an area that is prone to flooding, the homeowner will need to invest in flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in order to be protected from damage caused by flooding or a storm surge from a hurricane.
Water Damage Claims
However, if you sustain property damage not caused by flooding, but rather due to water damage caused by wind during a weather-based event, or due to broken pipes, those types of claims are covered in your homeowner’s insurance. So, while damage, such as a burst pipe is typically covered under your homeowner policy, your homeowner policy will exclude damage caused by flooding and storm surge from a hurricane.
However, you should ideally review your insurance policy carefully beforehand to determine what kind of water damage your insurer will pay for. In general, storm damage includes any damage caused to your house by a severe rainstorm, including roof damage or broken windows due to a hailstorm.
It is important to remember that in the case of storm claims if rain comes into your house due to a suddenly damaged roof, the insurance company is likely to pay. However, if the insurance adjuster can conclude that water entered your home due to negligence on your part, they will likely deny your claim or offer a lowball settlement.
Consumer Law Office – Handling Property Insurance Water Damage Claims & Disputes from the Start of Damage to Settlement
If you are engaged in a dispute with your insurance company over a water or wind damage claim, you should immediately contact Consumer Law Office (CLO) and have your property damage claim reviewed by one of our Florida Property Damage Claim Attorneys. Our attorneys are highly experienced in matters related to the different kinds of water & wind damage and use their experience and knowledge of insurance law and adjusting to determine the nature and scope of your property damage.
Whether you have filed a water damage claim with your insurance company or need help filing your claim with your insurance company,, The Florida Property Damage Attorneys at the Consumer Law Office will help you with your property damage claim so that you can receive the compensation you are entitled to under your insurance policy. At CLO, we will aggressively advocate on your behalf to get you the relief to which you are entitled.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We have helped numerous home and business owners successfully recover the compensation they deserve. Best of all, there are no upfront fees, and we only get paid when you get paid by the insurance company.