Water can cause vast damage to a home and the property inside it˳ In Florida, water damage occurs frequently due to high rainfall and moisture levels˳ Because the state is so humid, the damage incurred by a leak may increase because of mold growth˳ If you discover that your home has sustained damage from water, you may be feeling frustrated and confused about what to do˳ If you have insurance that covers water damage, there are several factors and options to consider regarding filing a claim to cover the cost of damages˳
National credit databases such as C˳L˳U˳E˳ (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) keep a record of any transactions or activities involving your insurance˳ That means that any claim filed with your insurance company, or even just an inquiry, can be noted on your records˳ Based on this information, an insurance company is entitled to raise your homeowner’s insurance rate, deny an insurance application, or even cancel an existing policy˳ For this reason, it is crucial to check your policy to see what the repercussions would be in reporting water damage, and if the coverage that you would receive would justify filing a claim˳
If you decide to pursue a claim, there are certain steps that must be taken throughout the process to ensure that your chances of fair compensation are maximized˳ Throughout the clean-up process, be sure to take numerous photographs of any damage˳ You may need to move some items out of the damaged area, but try to take pictures of the original state of the damage before it is changed, if possible˳ Some insurance policies may contain responsibilities that the homeowner must fulfill, such as draining any standing water or working to prevent mold, so investigate your policy to see if it contains these types of regulations˳ It is also important to note that, according to Florida Stat˳ 95˳11, any claim filed for water damage must be placed within 5 years˳ However, if the damage was caused by a hurricane, the statute of limitations is 3 years instead˳
Mold can be a very serious problem after water damage has occurred˳ In a humid climate like Florida’s, mold can spread quickly and cause severe damage to both your property and health˳ Steps can be taken to prevent or minimize mold growth, and these precautions must be enacted as soon as possible to avoid disastrous problems˳
Once you begin contacting your insurance company regarding your claim, it is critical that you keep a record of all correspondence˳ The insurance company is responsible for handling the claim through certain procedures and timelines, so it is important to have evidence of the time and content of any communication with the company, in case a bad faith issue arises, such as your insurance company refusing to pay a reasonable amount for the damages incurred˳ Your claim may include Additional Living Expenses (ALE) if you are forced to live elsewhere while the damage is repaired˳ This can include hotel costs, transportation, storage, etc˳ If you will be claiming compensation for these, make sure to keep all the receipts acquired for these expenses˳ Unfortunately, a new Florida law permits insurance companies to delay compensation for water damage until after the repairs have been completed, so you may have to pay out of pocket for the up-front costs˳ If this is the case, be sure to keep records of all expenses incurred during repairs˳
From May to September, hurricane season is in full swing in Florida, which usually leads to more water and flood damage˳ In light of the disastrous floods that hurricanes can bring, it is important to remember that flood damage is covered independently from water damage˳ Many individuals do not discover that homeowner’s insurance typically does not cover flood damage until they are facing thousands of dollars in repairs and learn the unfortunate truth that they must fund this cost themselves˳ It is important to fully understand what your insurance policy does and does not cover before it’s too late˳
In the event that your insurance company acts in bad faith, such as refusing to handle your claim in a timely manner, you may need to consider contacting an insurance lawyer to pursue a case for fair compensation˳ All of the records that you’ve kept of the damage and claim process will be crucial in such a situation, so it’s important to stay as organized and thorough as possible˳
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