After you’ve cleaned and dried up all your things at home because of water damage in Fort Lauderdale you will then realize that you have one more job to accomplish: filing an insurance claim. Taking the necessary procedure to visit your insurance claims companies to file a claim for water damage is somewhat difficult. However, if you settle in and commit to reviewing your policy and adhering to their procedures, you will find that it is well worth the effort.
The very first thing that you need to do before visiting your insurance claims companies is to get your homeowner’s insurance and have a look at the fine print revolving around Fort Lauderdale water damage. Some of the most commonly covered causes of water damage include burst pipes, tub and sink overflows, washing machine and other appliance overflows as well as water damage from leaking roof. Quite often these are spelled out in plain, easy to read language that you should be able to spot easily.
Once you have experienced water damage as a result of one of these sources, it is important to consider how the accident happened. Let’s say for instance, if the pipes burst while you were home and the damage occurred as you slept soundly, there’s a possibility that it will be covered. But if the damage happened as a result of you turning off the heat entirely while you were away on a vacation, the insurance claims companies could say that the real cause was your failure to maintain the proper upkeep and to keep the pipes in good condition.
The same goes for the other causes. A leaky roof as the cause may be covered, but again the insurers could investigate whether or not the roof had fallen into disrepair some time ago. If this is the case, they could claim that, once again, you should have fixed the problem as soon as you saw it. In the case of appliances, insurance may cover the damage but they will probably not pay for the appliance to be replaced or repaired.
Alternatively, when it comes to acts of nature such as high storms or flooding, insurance does not typically cover the damage. This is why many homeowners take out an additional policy or opt to add the extra coverage for flood damage. Many people think this kind of coverage is only of interest to those living in particularly wet climates or in areas prone to severe storms like Fort Lauderdale.
However, since storms appear to be getting worse in all parts of the country, many people are left with no recourse when their homes are damaged by rain or floods. The same principle goes for sewage backups and the damage they can cause. Most often, this is specifically excluded in policies and needs to be covered by additional coverage through the same insurance claims companies or a policy from a third party insurer.