There is a variety of damage that could occur to your home, including flood damage. Flood damage could occur due to storms, plumbing issues, leaks, and other incidents, for example. If your home floods, in can take significant time and effort to remove all the water from your home. After the flooding is addressed, the property damage becomes apparent.
In terms of property damage, many people often disregard water damage. However, flood damage can be significant and contribute to tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Even if your home sustained severe damage, you might not be worried because the damage might be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. In that case, you would simply have to file a claim with your insurance company and wait for them to investigate the situation to provide a payout.
Although the property damage insurance claim process can be simple for some, the process can be purposefully made difficult by insurance companies. That is, insurance companies can fail to exercise their duty to their claimants. They can refuse to cover the property damage even if the claim is valid. Insurance companies can exercise bad faith.
Did your home sustain property damage associated with flooding? If so, you likely had to pursue a property damage claim with your homeowner’s insurance company. Did you encounter difficulties? Is your insurance company refusing to cooperate? If so, you might need to hire a property damage lawyer to ensure that you have the appropriate representation. If you would like to discuss your claim with a property damage attorney, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible.
You can trust the experts at Normandie Law Firm to provide you with the representation that you need to pursue your property damage claim against your insurance company. Normandie Law Firm is a firm dedicated to fighting for the rights of our claimants; regardless of the details surrounding your claim, you can trust that our lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a positive claim outcome. Are you ready to discuss your claim with the property damage attorneys at our firm? If so, contact us at your earliest convenience.
The Common Causes of Flood Damage in Homes
Without a doubt, natural disasters, like hurricanes, could lead to flooding. However, flooding in your home could occur due to many other incidents, including but not limited to some of the following:
- Appliance leakage
- Appliance overflow
- Broken dishwasher or washing machine hoses
- Broken or leaking pipes
- Clogged toilets
- Groundwater seepage
- Hurricanes, high tides, overflowing rivers, etc.
- Leaking roofs, windows, etc.
Unfortunately, the incidents listed above cannot always be avoided before there is at least some flooding to your home. When flooding occurs, homeowners are suddenly faced with the stress of addressing the situation. Even after the flooding is addressed, the extent of the water damage might not be apparent until after the incident. Flood damage could ultimately result in mold, rotting wood, and other issues in the home that could make it unlivable.
Is Your Flood Damage Covered?
Based on the details surrounding the incident, the flood damage that your home sustained, the property damage might be covered by your insurance company. In most cases, a regular homeowner’s insurance does not include coverage for flood damage. Because of that, flood insurance typically has to be purchased separately. A flood policy can cover your home as well as your personal belongings, depending on the policy.
Building property coverage can include coverage for the following:
- The structure of your home
- Your home’s foundation
- Plumbing systems
- Electrical systems
- Central air/heating systems
- Attached furniture, including bookcases, cabinets, etc.
Personal content coverage can include coverage for the following:
- Furniture
- Electronics
- Clothing
- Appliances
It is also important for claimants to be aware of what is typically not covered by flood insurance policies. In general, any mold, mildew, or mold damage that could have been prevented by the homeowner is not covered. Additionally, outdoor property (including but not limited to hot tubs, pools, septic systems, decks, and fences, for example). Living expenses (including temporary housing costs) are also not covered. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of what is and is not covered by your flood insurance policy, you should review your insurance documents.
About Insurance Bad Faith
Even if the damage to your property is covered, the insurance company might refuse to pay. More specifically, they might refuse to answer calls and emails; they could fail to provide claimants with the necessary information. Why would insurance companies do that? Every time that insurance companies make a payout, they lose money; therefore, they will often resort to trickery to avoid paying the claim. They can fail to investigate claims properly and just outright deny them, even if they would otherwise be valid claims. When companies do this, they are acting in bad faith. Insurance companies have a duty to their claimants; they must investigate their claims fairly to reach a decision. When insurance companies unjustly deny claims or resort to tricks to get claimants to withdraw their claims, they are breaching their duty of care and exercising bad faith. They can be held accountable. In other words, affected consumers could sue the insurance companies to ensure that they are properly compensated.
What Should Affected Homeowners Do?
If your home sustained flood damage, there are a number of things that you should do to prepare to pursue your property damage claim. The things that you should do include the following:
- Taking photos of the flood (if possible, before anything is cleaned up)
- Taking photos of the property damage resulting from the flood
- Speaking to witnesses (and collecting their contact information for later reference)
- Gathering video footage of the incident
- Contacting the insurance company to report the incident as well as the damage resulting from the incident
- Providing your insurance company with the facts related to the incident
If your insurance company is exercising bad faith and refusing to take your claim seriously, you might need to proceed legally against the insurance company. To prepare to take legal action, you should do prepare by doing the following:
- Keeping records of all communications with the insurance company (if possible, limit communication to written communication)
- Gathering all the evidence available
- Seeking the expert representation of a property damage attorney
Would you like to learn more about the specific steps that you should follow to prepare to pursue your property damage claim, contact the property damage lawyers at our firm as soon as possible. For more information about the steps that you should take to prepare to pursue your claim, contact the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
File Your Claim Within the Statute of Limitations
All claims are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the total length of time that claimants have to pursue their claims. If claimants fail to file their claims within the appropriate length of time, they could lose their right to sue entirely. What deadline applies to your claim. In general, property damage claims in California are subject to a three-year statute of limitations. Insurance bad faith claims (based on breach of contract) are subject to a four-year statute of limitations. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the specific length of time that you have to pursue your claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
Contact Our Firm Today
Did your home sustain flood damage? If so, you might have grounds to pursue a property damage claim. Based on the details surrounding the incident, you might also have grounds to pursue a bad faith claim against your insurance company. Regardless of your specific situation, you might be in need of legal representation. You can trust the experts at Normandie Law Firm to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. If you would like to discuss your claim with the experts at our firm, contact us today.
At our firm, we offer free legal services. Our free legal services include free consultations and free second opinions. During our free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our property damage attorneys will be available to provide you with all the information that you need to pursue your claim successfully. Whether you are ready to start your claim or redirect it after dealing with an incompetent attorney, you can trust that our lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need. Contact our firm today to schedule a free consultation or a free second opinion.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee, meaning that our clients will never be required to cove upfront legal fees for our legal services. Additionally, our firm offers a strict contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be responsible for paying anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you do not win, you will not be responsible for paying anything.
Contact Normandie Law Firm today to learn more about your right to sue.
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