Every year, one in fifty insured homes suffers water damage. One of the leading causes of water damage is plumbing leaks caused by burst pipes or broken pipes. You will probably have to deal with a leaky plumbing system at least once during your lifetime as a homeowner, and maximizing your insurance water damage claim in Florida is a challenge.
Your homeowner’s insurer is more likely to only accept your claim or pay what you are entitled. Insurance companies earn money by underpaying and denying insurance claims. There are some things you can to do protect yourself against your insurance company denying or underpaying your claim.
What is an Insurance Policy?
Your insurance policy is a contract between you (the policyholder) and the insurer. The policy outlines the obligations of the insurance company to you, as a policyholder. It also outlines the duties that you must follow if you suffer a loss. Many insurance companies will deny claims if you do not comply with the duties outlined in your policy.
You will not be covered for every type of loss or plumbing leak. Some policies include endorsements that exclude coverage for water loss or limit the amount paid out on a claim. Your insurance policy must detail any limitations in coverage.
Check Your Home Regularly
Water losses are covered by most homeowner’s policies. Insurance companies don’t often question policyholders about whether or not a water loss is “accidental”, but they do ask if it was “sudden,” or if it occurred “over a long period.”
Homeowners should conduct periodic inspections. Pay attention to areas with a high concentration of plumbing lines, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. Under sinks and toilets, look for leaks that might otherwise be missed. Check the air conditioner closet for a clogged condensate drainage line. If your refrigerator has a water pipe, look behind it. You can narrow down any leaks that you find by performing these inspections.
Act Quickly After Discovering a Water Leak
If you discover a plumbing leak, even a small one, time is critical. Normal homeowner’s insurance policies require that policyholders “protect the property against further damage” and make “reasonable and necessary repairs to the property”. In other words, they must stop a leak from damaging their home. It is normal for homeowners’ policies to require that policyholders “show the damaged properties,” which means you have to preserve “damaged items” for insurance company inspections.
Does that sound confusing? Others might argue that it’s intended to be confusing. Insurance companies have often claimed that the efforts of a policyholder to “protect their policy from further damages” and make “reasonable and necessary repairs” have prevented them from showing the “damaged property”. Document any leaks as soon as possible with photos and videos. Take pictures from different angles. Make a video of the leak. You may need to use this evidence in the event of a dispute with your partner to use against your insurance company.
Next, turn off the main valve if you can’t find the leak or there is no indoor valve that allows you to stop the water flow to the broken pipe. The main shutoff valve is usually located on the exterior of your house. Stop using any plumbing systems connected to the drain line if the leak comes from it.
Take photos and videos of your efforts to remove the water or improve the conditions on the property. Take photos and video of the water that has collected on the floor. After that, you should clean up the area to stop water from damaging any items that have not been damaged.
Call a Professional Plumber
The plumber should stop the leak if possible. You should then receive a receipt from the plumber for all repairs. The plumber should give you any plumbing parts that were removed during repair. Don’t throw away any plumbing parts as your insurer may want to inspect them. Take photos and videos of the area after the plumber has stopped the leak. Ask the plumber to provide an inspection report if the plumbing repair is not made (e.g. the leak was not located).
You may want to call a leak detection service if the plumber is unable to locate the leak. If the company that provides leak detection is unavailable for an inspection on the same day, you should turn off the water or not use the system.
Report Losses Quickly
Insurance policies for homeowners require that losses be reported promptly. The insured is required to report damage and loss “promptly”. Some policies specify a time limit for reporting a claim (e.g. Within 72 hours after the loss. Report a leaky pipe as soon as you can. Insurance companies will argue that you did not report the leak promptly if you wait too long to file a water damage claim in Florida.
Calling your insurance company’s 24-hour call center to report a claim is the most common method of reporting a loss. Many insurance companies have a portal where you can report a claim online. Keep a record of when and how you filed the claim. Also, note who you spoke with, the claim number, and what you said.
Inform the insurance company when reporting the claim if the plumber could not locate or fix your leak, or if you still have no water. You may get a faster response from your insurance company if you report these issues.
How to Provide a Date for Loss
You will be asked to report the claim when you notify your insurance company. The answers you give to these questions will have an impact on the outcome of your claim. The majority of insurance policies will not cover leaks that have been present for a long time, or longer than 14 days – even if they are hidden.
The insurance company will ask you for the date of the loss to see if there is a reason to deny the claim at the beginning of the process. When leaks aren’t visible or are hidden, water loss claims can be very complex, and when they asked to provide a date, do not give a range of dates. When your coverage is new or the leak has been ongoing for some time, it is dangerous to give a range of dates. You can give the date you discovered the damage if you don’t know when the leak started. Experts and claim professionals can be used to assist in the presentation of the claim and help prevent denials of claims based on date of loss issues.
Documenting your Claim
Insurers require that policyholders keep and maintain all claim documentation. Keep a written log of all claim actions and events. This will protect you if your insurance company fails to honor its obligations. Your activity log should include the date and time of discovery of the leak and any witnesses, the name of the plumber and his contact information as well as any other service providers who inspected the insured property in response to the loss. You should record all communication with your insurer and adjusters about the claim.
You should also ask for receipts and keep them for any work done in your home. Avoid service providers who refuse to provide documentation or receipts for the work they have performed. Some service providers offer discounts for paying in cash without requiring a receipt. These service providers are not to be used in the context of a claim.
You and the insurance provider will exchange many documents while your water damage claim in Florida is in progress. Your insurance company will send you letters and notices. Service providers will send you repair estimates, receipts, invoices, and invoices. You can hire a public adjustmenter or an attorney to handle your claim. You should keep copies of all these documents as a reference.
Cooperation with Reasonable Requests
Your insurance company will ask you for access to your property and any claim documents as soon as you have reported your claim. It is vital that you comply with these requests as your policy may require it. Many homeowner’s insurance policies require that policyholders “cooperate with the investigation of the claims.” They also often include obligations to provide records and documents.
A desk adjuster (or third-party administrator) from your insurance company will usually contact you within one or two days of filing the claim to begin working on it. They may ask you a few questions about the claim and request that you schedule an appointment for your home. If the desk adjuster doesn’t try to schedule an inspection, ask when it will take place. To keep the claims process on track, you want to have the loss inspected as quickly as possible. Tell the adjuster if the plumber could not fix the leak, or if your water was still cut off. Ask them to provide alternative living arrangements. A field adjuster will be sent by your insurance company to inspect the damage on their behalf. Ask the adjuster who inspects your property for their business card to keep.
During your first conversation, ask the desk adjuster for their email address. Send all communications and documents related to claims using this email. You should also respond in writing to any requests from the insurance company, even if you only say that you don’t have the requested documents or information. Don’t rely on the insurance company to accurately record all conversations. Insurance companies may not accurately document all verbal communications during the claims process. Emailing the insurance company will allow you to keep a complete and accurate record of all communications (and your cooperation and compliance during the claim adjustment).
Claims Professionals Are Available to Help You
It is possible that you may not get the full coverage of your purchase despite what your insurance company promised when they sold you the policy. You may want to hire a professional claimant to get a full and fair settlement of your water damage claim in Florida. Insurance companies have a team of adjustors and experts to protect their interests. Consider hiring a claim professional yourself to protect your rights in the claim.
According to studies, when insureds hire their professional claims representatives, they are less likely to have their claims denied and receive a higher insurance benefit than those who do not. Don’t rely on your insurance company to represent your interests in a water damage claim in Florida. You should hire a professional claims adjuster who will work for you, not the insurance company.
We Can Help You Get the Most Out of Your Claim
Here at Jenkins Law, we will prevent your insurance company from denying coverage for your water damage claim in Florida, and let you understand the terms and conditions of your insurance policy, and we can also assist with properly investigating and documenting damages.
You may be asked by your insurance company to provide answers, make recorded statements, provide a sworn proof of loss, or appear at an examination under oath. Our team here in Jenkins will protect your interests throughout all of these steps.
It can be complicated to get an insurance claim paid for water damage. If you have any questions or want to speak to one of our insurance claims attorneys, please contact us for a no-obligation consultation. It is our job to ensure that the insurance company keeps its promises to you.
