Living in the sunshine state of Florida has clear advantages. However, it isn’t happy all the time. Some things need to be prepared to protect homes and possessions. One of those things to prepare for is water damage.
Although water damage can seem innocent enough, it is anything but. Even just a tiny amount of water can cause thousands of dollars in repairs.
But what makes it worse is that even with homeowners insurance policies and water-specific add-ons, companies will find ways to avoid paying up when the time comes.
Enter attorney law firm Vargas Gonzalez Baldwin Delombard, LLP. Located in Greater Orlando, Miami, Panama Beach, and Coral Gables, they know the common occurrence of water damage and fight to get insurers the funds they deserve.
What Can Cause Water Damage?
There are many issues, both internal and external, that can be attributed to water damage besides a storm surge. The various issues can create different levels of damage. Some common reasons in the state of Florida for property damage are:
- Leaking A/C Unit
- Roof Leak
- Plumbing Failures
- Weather
- Sewage backups
Water Damage Projections
Water damage in Florida due to floods and sea levels will increase by 61% in the next 30 years. Therefore, acquiring adequate insurance is vital if a future matter occurs.
These elements have their place within most policies or add-on coverage. However, due to repairs with a similar outcome, like these issues warrant, many avoid paying out this cost.
What Damage Can Happen?
Even small leaks can cause a big issue. A pipe bursting can have the most water damage. This issue may warrant digging into the ground to replace it while ripping up floors to access the area.
When an A/C unit leaks, the result can affect many different areas of a home. At times this can be in the ceiling, floor, or even personal property. This level of damage comes with a large number of labor needs and materials to repair.
Suppose the water damage isn’t tended to promptly, mold can start to form inside of the home. This issue is an additional expense but can create unlivable conditions. If a home becomes unlivable, those residing will need to relocate.
Finding new accommodations can be stressful. If the situation remains for an extended period, a home can become condemned. This situation brings other legalities, which homeowners can avoid with payouts on schedule.
What Damage Should Insurance Companies Cover?
Depending on the policy, an insurance company can cover very little or all of the water damage insurance claims. At times the coverage is within the policy itself, but can also be in an add-on.
Additionally, an insurance company will often cover accidental issues, but not those avoided by routine maintenance. They may cover a burst pipe claim but are unlikely to cover an outdated sump pump claim.
In the event of weather and flood insurance, policies have notable inclusions for things like flood damage due to hurricanes. Hurricanes are a common event in Florida, but there is no separate flood insurance that provides for flood claims. However, the flood damage that results from a hurricane can be quite severe, and it is best to have a policy that can assist with an insurance claim or the National Flood Insurance Program.
Knowing the details of homeowners insurance is vital when it comes to water and flood damage claims. Orlando insurance attorneys can help with legal advice and work to get the flood assistance covered for those in Florida.
Why Isn’t The Insurance Company Paying?
Since water damage accounts for 79% of all home insurance claims, a significant amount of money is paid out every year for repairs. To limit pay-outs, insurance companies have updated language in their documents that take what’s covered away from the insurance company.
This act occurs by changing the language in the yearly auto-renewal. An insurer will include different limitations to amounts paid out. This information will be relayed through a yearly mailing when the policy renews.
Unless the policy is read thoroughly each time it renews, which many homeowners don’t do, the policyholder won’t detect the new language. Therefore, any new changes are in bad faith and will go unnoticed until services are needed.
Underpaid & Denied Insurance Claims
If water or flood damage occurs and the homeowner’s insurance policy decides to deny claims and payment, it is best to reach out to an insurance attorney for assistance. For those in Florida, we have a Miami, Panama Beach, Coral Gables, and Orlando, FL water damage claims attorney for you that can help fight insurance companies while incorporating Florida law.
If the insurer declines to cover issues associated with a water damage claim, take time to collect all versions of the policy through past years for your attorney. The information contained in these files will show coverage and changes made and is helpful to Florida lawyers.
After collecting this vital information, obtaining an insurance attorney’s professional advice is the next step. Orlando water damage claims attorneys Vargas Gonzalez Baldwin Delombard, LLP, knows the intricacies of navigating insurance claims and policies in Florida. With this experience and information, they can determine what a policyholder deserves.
Reasons For Retaining A Florida Attorney
The insurance world changes daily. Much of this is without the policyholder’s knowledge. Wading through a sea of documents and policies can be stressful in addressing a Florida water damage claim. Unless they know the specific things to look for, most policyholders won’t know what information to gather to fight for their claim.
Time is of the essence when it comes to a water damage claim. Having issues go without resolve even for a brief period can create more extensive problems and higher costs. Therefore, getting through the process on schedule is vital.
The best route to do this is by retaining legal services to get through the issues faced. Not only do they know all the details within the insurance world, but they can negotiate on the homeowner’s behalf to get the best payout in a short period. The benefits of bringing water damage attorneys on board are plentiful with the years of experience and knowledge on water damage legal options they possess.
Schedule A Free Consultation
Florida residents love where they live. The sunshine, the beaches, the beautiful weather – all of it is an advantage for those living in the state. However, sometimes living in the state has downfalls. With hot and dangerous weather, water damage can be an issue that comes up routinely. In fact, water damage claims are the highest within the state of Florida.
At times, the idea of water damage can come across as trivial, especially for those on dry land on two or more acres. Many see it as only a cosmetic clean-up. However, water damage is disastrous to home and business owners and requires many repairs to make a home livable again.
ith the rise in flooding and water damage claims, insurance companies have put limits on their policies. These changes are often unbeknownst to the policyholder. As a result, many claims are denied.
With this, it is in your best interest to get a free consultation on your claim with attorney law firm Vargas Gonzalez Baldwin Delombard, LLP. They are Miami, Panama Beach, Coral Gables (main office), and Orlando attorneys. They are flooding experts that have won prior results and have practice areas in each place. They know substantial water damage and will use the Florida statute to get insurers the funds they deserve.
