Homeowners Insurance
At The Morgan Law Group, our Florida homeowner insurance claims attorneys know that most homeowner’s insurance policies should cover any sudden and unexpected water damage due to a broken pipe or plumbing malfunction.
Whether the policy covers the actual broken pipes requires finding the source of the water damage — which is something the insurance company decides after you file a claim — as normal wear and tear are often not covered on most policies.
Likewise, damage caused to your home from a broken pipe that has gradual or even a slow leak is often disputed by the insurance company for various reasons — including blaming the leak on the homeowner.
Both types of pipe breaks can cause enough damage that it compromises the structure of your
home, condo, or business, which requires the damages and destroyed property to be replaced, and possibly the need to relocate from your home or business until the damage is fixed.
This can be costly, and doubly devastating when you find out your insurance policy does not cover the complete damages, or only agrees to cover a portion of the damage.
If your broken pipes claim has been delayed, undervalued, or denied, contact our skilled insurance claims attorneys in Florida to learn more about your legal rights and options to pursue your policy for the coverage you deserve.
How to Troubleshoot Potential Pipe Trouble to Avoid Insurance Disputes
Broken pipes can flood a home, condo, or business without notice, especially if you are not on the property to minimize the fallout while it is occurring.
This often means the property owner returns to the home to discover that the damage has already been done.
In other cases, a damaged pipe could continue flooding home from behind its walls for days without anyone noticing, causing an increasing amount of damage each hour until it is fixed. Unfortunately, these types of broken pipe damages are often immediately disputed by the insurance company.
To avoid jeopardizing your insurance claim’s reimbursement potential, check your home regularly for sagging spots on the ceiling, a bulge on the wall, or other stains and discoloration that may point to broken pipes.
Another sign of damaged pipes is the musty smell of moisture or mold growth.
Responding to these problems as quickly as possible is important, both to minimize the damage and to make sure your insurance company will honor your claim.
What Should I Do if I Have a Broken Pipe in My Florida Home, Condo, or Business?
Whether the broken pipe is causing an ongoing leak, or if the pipe burst and caused a flood, you may need to shut off the water supply to investigate the source of the leak or to stop the water from causing more damage.
Before removing any water from the premises, document the damage with photographs and/or video.
Then remove any wet or damaged personal property from the flooding to avoid further damage, to begin removing standing water with a shop vac, and run dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air.
Contact your insurance company to pursue the compensation you are entitled to from your policy.
If you would like to file an insurance claim with the help of our attorneys or are receiving resistance from your insurance company in the form of delays, undervalued responses, or even a denial from a claim you have already filed, contact our experienced Florida insurance claims lawyers at The Morgan Law Group to learn how we can help during a free consultation by calling 888-904-2524 today.
