If you’ve experienced flood damage in your home or place of business, it’s reasonable to expect your flood insurance company to pay for the damages according to the terms of your policy. Unfortunately, insurance policies can be riddled with confusing jargon and not always straightforward. Policyholders don’t always understand what they’re covered for, especially when it involves a flood claim.
Summer is right around the corner. It’s time to understand your flood insurance policy once and for all before it’s too late. The Scranton, PA, property damage lawyers at Saffren & Weinberg are here to help.
Does My Homeowners Insurance Policy Cover Flood Damage?
If you have homeowners’ or renters’ insurance and expect to be covered in a flood event, think again. That’s because these policies don’t cover flood damage. To be adequately covered for flood damage, you must have purchased a separate flood policy through a private insurer or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Not everyone needs a flood policy, but it is critical if you live in a flood-prone area or your mortgage company requires it. Don’t wait until the last minute. Flood insurance takes 30 days to go into effect, and if you suffer losses during that time, your insurance company can deny the claim. You will be personally responsible for the losses.
What Kind of Water Damage is Covered by Flood Insurance?
What caused your damage? Because your flood policy only covers damage directly related to rising water or water entering your home from the ground up, ascertaining the cause of your flooding will be critical to the success of your claim.
If your flooding was caused by water intrusion by heavy accumulated rain, a storm surge, or overflow from a rising body of water like a lake or river, you will be covered under a flood policy. Conversely, if your water damage was caused by wind-driven rain through walls or windows or a leaking roof, your flood insurance won’t pay for the damage.
What IS Covered in a Flood Policy?
What is covered by your private flood insurance policy will depend on its terms. You should familiarize yourself with the specific terms of your policy so you’re not blindsided after a weather event.
Generally, flood insurance covers:
- The physical structure of your home, including the foundation, walls, and stairways
- The essential large systems of your home, such as your electrical components, central air conditioning, furnace, water heater, plumbing, and sewer systems
- Your household appliances include built-in kitchen appliances, washers and dryers, stand-alone freezers, and other appliances. If you own unusual or portable appliances, you’ll want to speak with your insurance agent to ensure they are covered or to add them to your policy.
- Items attached to the structure, like permanently installed carpeting, cabinetry, wallpaper, paneling, and window blinds.
- A detached garage
- The flooding affected household contents as long as they were not stored in a basement.
- Valuables up to $2,500 in value
Things You May Have Thought Your Policy Covered – But Doesn’t
A flood policy will have specific exclusions and limitations that you should be aware of. Generally, damage caused by earth movement, avoidable mold, mildew damage, damage to your car or other self-propelled vehicles, and outdoor property like decks, patios, fences, pools, and septic systems are excluded from flood policies. Furthermore, you may not be covered for temporary housing if your home becomes uninhabitable because of the flooding event.
You should read over your flood policy to thoroughly understand what you are covered for and what you are not. Call your insurance agent if you have questions or need to make changes.
Is Your Insurance Company Refusing to Pay a Valid Claim?
If you’ve experienced flood damage and your insurance company is refusing to pay a valid flood damage claim or it isn’t providing the coverage you expected under the terms of your policy, it could be a case of insurance “bad faith.”
Some examples of bad faith practices by an insurance company can include
- Denying a claim without valid cause
- Unjustly delaying processing and payment of a valid claim
- Failing to complete a timely investigation of a claim
- Refusing to explain a denial
- Undervaluing a claim and offering an insufficient settlement
Unfortunately, it’s up to the policyholder to prove these things to pursue damages from the insurance company. Insurance companies rely on policyholders backing down when they don’t get the results they’re entitled to after a flood insurance claim. After all, it can be intimidating to fight a large insurance company with an equally sizeable legal team. This is when having skilled legal advice is helpful.
What Are Some Advantages of Having a Scranton, PA Property Damage Lawyer?
Having the assistance of a property damage lawyer to file a comprehensive claim or fight your insurance company’s bad faith practices is critical when you’ve suffered extensive flood damage. Your attorney will:
- Analyze the details of your insurance coverage, its exclusions and limitations, and explain your coverage and rights to you.
- Help you comprehensively document the damage, including photos, videos, and detailed notes.
- Recommend professional assessors and contractors who can provide accurate damage assessments and repair estimates.
- Assist you with filing a timely claim that is well-supported and detailed
- Ensure structural damages, personal property losses, and other expenses are fairly valued and included in your claim
- Communicate and handle all correspondence with your insurance company on your behalf
- Negotiate with the insurance company’s adjustors to ensure the damage assessment and settlement offer are fair and consistent with your coverage
- Challenge any claim denial
- If a fair settlement is impossible through negotiation, litigate the matter in court.
- Advise you on additional sources of assistance, such as disaster aid programs, and help coordinate your claim with other benefits to ensure your maximum support.
Peace of Mind
An experienced Scranton property damage attorney can play an important role in pursuing a successful flood damage claim so you can have peace of mind and focus on your rebuilding efforts.
At Saffren & Weinberg, our experienced Scranton, PA, property damage lawyers are here to assist you with your flood damage claim after a serious flooding incident. Call us to schedule a no-cost consultation at (215) 576-0100 or use our online contact form.
Disclosure:
This website is designed to provide only general information. The information presented on this website is not formal legal advice. You should not rely on any general information from any source for making legal decisions. Each legal matter is unique and requires specific attention from a qualified and experienced attorney. Unless a representation agreement has been signed with Saffren & Weinberg, we are not your legal representatives.