The water damage claim lawyers in Boca Raton, Florida at Bernstein Polsky may be able to help you if your homeowner’s insurance company denied your water damage claim or if you believe your claim was underpaid. Water damage claims are one of the most common reasons homeowners need to make a claim. Whether or not your water damage claim is covered will depend largely on your homeowner’s insurance policy, the source of the water damage, and whether the water damage occurred suddenly or over a period of time. Standard homeowner’s insurance coverage doesn’t typically cover flood damage because this insurance coverage must generally be purchased separately. Sometimes homeowners get their water damage claims denied because their insurance company may claim that water damage occurred due to a reason that was excluded from coverage, for example due to flooding or due to a gradual leak. If your water damage claim has been denied, you may have the right to appeal the denial. The Boca Raton, Florida water damage claim lawyers at Bernstein Polsky can review your insurance policy, evaluate the source of your water damage, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight to help you get the homeowner’s insurance settlement you may deserve either inside or outside of court.
Water Damage Excluded by Homeowner’s Insurance
Water damage claims might be denied in Boca Raton, Florida when the type of water damage being claimed is excluded from coverage. There are several types of water damage claims that certain policies might exclude from coverage. If you are not sure whether your water damage is included or excluded from your policy, reach out to the Boca Raton, Florida water damage insurance lawyers at Bernstein Polsky today. We can read your policy’s fine print, help you understand your rights, and fight to help you get the best possible settlement permitted under the law. Here are some types of water damage that may be excluded by your insurance:
- Gradual Water Damage. If you fail to repair a leaking pipe and, over time, the water from the leak damages your home, you may not be able to make a homeowner’s insurance claim for this damage. Another example of water damage that occurred over time that could be denied is when you have a leaky roof and fail to repair the leak. Your insurance adjuster may claim that the water damage occurred due to your own negligence. Homeowner’s insurance typically doesn’t cover damages that result from your failure to care for your home. Water damage that occurs because you failed to perform routine maintenance on your home could also result in a denied homeowner’s insurance claim. Determining whether water damage was sudden or gradual can sometimes be difficult and sometimes insurance adjusters make mistakes when they assess water damage claims. If you believe your water damage claim was wrongfully denied, reach out to the Boca Raton, Florida water damage insurance lawyers at Bernstein Polsky today to learn more about your rights and options under the law.
- Most standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover water damage due to flooding. If your water damage was caused due to flooding, you may need to have purchased separate coverage to protect you. In order to purchase flood insurance, you’ll need to live in a flood zone. Unfortunately, because of climate change, flood zones are changing faster than the zones are being updated. Families might find themselves with flood damage after a storm, but without proper coverage to protect them. Things can also get complicated if, in a storm, your home was damaged due to flooding and due to water damage, say, from a hole in your roof due to a fallen tree. In this case, you may need to provide documentation to support the distinction between the two occurrences. To make matters even more complicated, some insurance policies may even include wording that excludes all water damage in the event that a home was damaged due to a flood. When it comes to appealing a denied water damage claim in Boca Raton, Florida, it can help to have a lawyer on your side. The Boca Raton, Florida water damage insurance lawyers at Bernstein Polsky can look at the causes of your water damage, read your policy for exclusions, and fight to help you get the settlement you may deserve under the law.
- Failure to Take Steps to Protect Your Property. If, after a hurricane or storm, you failed to take steps to prevent further water damage to your property, your water damage claim could potentially be denied. For example, if there’s a hole in your roof after a tornado or hurricane and you fail to put a tarp on it, and your house sustains water damage afterward, your homeowner’s insurance may not cover you for this water damage. Of course, differentiating between water damage that took place during a hurricane or tornado and damage caused because you didn’t put up a tarp can be difficult. If your water damage claim was denied, reach out to the Boca Raton, Florida water damage insurance lawyers at Bernstein Polsky to appeal a denied claim and learn more about your rights.
- Sewage Backing Up Into Your Home. In general, individuals need to purchase additional coverage to ensure damage due to these issues.
- Costs of repairing the cause of the water damage if the cause was a broken washing machine or appliance.
These are just some of the reasons why a water damage claim might be denied. If your water damage claim has been denied, a water damage claim lawyer in Boca Raton Floria at Bernstein Polsky may be able to help. Our lawyers can review your policy, assess the damage, and help you take the next steps.
Common Types of Water Damage Covered by Homeowner’s Insurance
Now that we understand the types of water damage typically excluded by insurance, let’s look at the types of water damage claims that are typically covered. In general, water damage claims that are covered include damage due to natural disasters (excluding flooding), and sudden accidental damage. Water damage claims covered by homeowner’s insurance can include:
- Burst pipe
- Sudden leaks
- Water damage due to a fire if firefighters needed to use extinguishers to put out the fire
- Water damage from a roof leak due to a fallen tree, tornado, hurricane, wind damage, or other accident.
- Water damage due to ice.
These are just some of the types of water damage claims that may be covered by your policy. If your home has been damaged, Bernstein Polsky is a water damage claim law firm in Boca Raton, Florida that may be able to help you appeal a denied or underpaid claim or assist you with the claims process if you are having difficulty. We are here to help you.
