Insurance Coverage For Property Damage
People living in this area from time to time have to deal with flooding or some kind of other water damage. Severe storms are unpredictable and can happen at any time. In the same way, a broken water pipe or a backed-up sewage line can victimize any home or business owner under the right (or wrong) circumstances.
This kind of widespread damage can be devastating to a property owner, not just emotionally but also financially. Fortunately, insurance is there to blunt the worst of the effects. Unfortunately, while insurance is something property owners can always count on in the event of a fire, it’s not quite so simple when it comes to water damage.
Barring arson, which is deliberately setting a fire for insurance payout purposes, the cause of a fire in a home or commercial property is generally not that important. Whether it was a child playing with the fire having an accident, faulty electrical wiring that the property owner didn’t know about, or even a visitor smoking, insurance will typically cover it if it wasn’t deliberate.
Insurance Coverage For Water Damage or Flood Damage
The same is not true for water damage. Some types of water damage are covered by insurance, whereas others will have no coverage at all. Flood damage, to the surprise of many, is something that is usually not covered by a general insurance policy.
Instead, flood damage is often covered by its own specific type of insurance. In other words, if you experience a flood, but haven’t explicitly taken out a flood insurance policy, then the insurance company doesn’t need to step in to help you.
Specificity Matters
Even in the event that you get flood insurance, there may be some instances of a flood that flood insurance will still not cover. For example, t typical flood that is considered an “act of God,” for example, will receive compensation if water levels rise and all the homes in your area are flooded, and you have flood insurance.
On the other hand, if there’s a severe rainstorm, your roof gutter is blocked by leaves you didn’t clear out, and your foundation is damaged with a crack, so water flooded in that way, you may be liable for this. A damaged foundation always runs a risk of water damage, so not repairing that foundation damage may be seen as negligent property care, and the insurers may not have to assist you, even though you have flood insurance.
Be Proactive
A home is just like your own body. There should be periodic “check-ups” on all aspects of it. If you find a minor issue, take the time and spend the money on a lower cost, minor repair. If you don’t do this, you may end up with significant damage later down the line that may be beyond your ability to pay for without help from insurance.
And if you suffer flood damage and need a team to remediate and repair the damage, we can help. We have many years of experience serving this area.
Contact us for a prompt, professional response.
