Dealing with a flood in the home is frustrating, overwhelming, and often challenging to deal with, regardless of how it happens. If your home is flooded, you may not know what to do or how to handle such a problem.
In addition, you are likely concerned about the water and the damage it can cause to your belongings and property.
While the flood is one problem, there’s much more to it because the water often leads to excess moisture that causes mold to grow.
In addition to these problems, you may worry about the cost associated with the flood damage and whether your homeowner’s insurance will cover such costly expenses or not.
Don’t let this situation get the best of you. Instead, get help from a Fort Lauderdale flood damage lawyer. At Klotzman Property Damage Law, we’re here to help you get the compensation needed to cover the cost of the damage you’ve experienced in your home because of the flooding.
Call our Fort Lauderdale property damage lawyers at 954-915-7405 for a free consultation.
What Should You Do After a Flood Affects You?
No one wants to deal with a flood in the home. Unfortunately, some may feel like it’ll never happen to them. However, floods can happen at completely unexpected moments, putting homeowners at risk of dealing with extensive damage to their belongings and property. Knowing what to do when dealing with a flood can help you get through this trying situation with less stress.
Document Everything
The first step you need to take is to document everything. It’s best to do this using a phone or camera that produces high-resolution images. Don’t be afraid to take as many pictures as possible to showcase the extent of the damage.
You may need to go from room to room to take photos of the floor, walls, and belongings impacted by the flooding inside the home. If mold is already growing in certain areas or there are water stains on ceilings and other areas, take photos of it for documentation purposes.
Failure to take photos can negatively impact your ability to receive compensation for damage to your property caused by the flood.
Contact the Insurance Company
Once you’ve documented the damage, it’s time to contact the insurance company. You’ll want to let them know about the situation and go over the extent of the damage, listing things that are no longer in good condition because of the water.
Call a Flood Damage Lawyer
While talking to the insurance company is an important part of dealing with flood damage and potentially getting it covered so that you don’t have to foot the bill, these companies are notorious for trying to avoid paying the total cost of repairs and restoration.
With that in mind, it’s best to work with a lawyer who can represent you and help you answer the questions that the insurance company might ask.
You will feel more comfortable knowing you have a skilled Fort Lauderdale flood damage lawyer by your side to guide you in the right direction. After all, you don’t want to get tricked into saying the wrong thing, which is something predatory insurance companies can and will attempt to do.
How Is Flood Damage Defined?
Flood damage is defined as damage directly caused by flooding throughout the home. The flooding may have occurred due to heavy storms, ultimately enabling water to seep through the building and spread from one room to the next.
And while flooding from rainwater is most common, a flood can occur when something else happens, such as when a pipe bursts.
Whether the pipe bursts inside your home or somewhere in the middle of the street, it can cause water to spread into the house, resulting in water damage caused by flooding.
How Flood Damage Affects You
When flood damage occurs, it can have a lasting negative impact on those who live in the home.
Health Risks
First, it can lead to health risks. You may wonder how water from a flood can cause health problems. But, the excess moisture left behind throughout the property can cause mold and mildew to grow.
If you’re dealing with mold in the home, it can trigger an allergic reaction, causing you to experience irritation, coughing, and even difficulty breathing. After a while, it can take a toll on your health and immune system, potentially putting you at risk of suffering from additional health problems in the future.
Anyone living in the home, including your pets, can experience health issues because of mold growth.
Financial Costs
Although the health risks are problematic, they’re not the only concern you might have as someone dealing with flood damage. Such damage can quickly cause financial emergencies. Unfortunately, not everyone has money set aside in a savings account for a rainy day.
If you don’t have money to cover the cost of water removal, mold remediation, repairs, and restoration, you may wonder how you’ll ever afford to get your home back into the condition it was in before you ever dealt with the flooding.
Common Reasons a Flood Damage Claim Might Be Denied
While making a claim is essential, there are times when a homeowner’s insurance claim gets denied by the insurance company, ultimately causing frustration. These are some of the situations in which you may receive a denial from the insurance company.
The Damaging Event Does Not Qualify as a Flood
In some instances, the insurance company may try to claim that the event that caused the damage wasn’t a flood and doesn’t fall under a flood category. If so, they’ll deny your claim to avoid paying for any of the repairs.
Do you believe the damage caused to your home is because of a flood? If so, reach out to us at 954-915-7405 today to get professional legal assistance. We’ll review your case and let you know if you should pursue legal action to get compensated for the damages.
Insufficient Proof of Damages
When there’s a lack of proof of damages, it’s much easier for insurance companies to deny your claim. It’s one of the many reasons we recommend documenting the situation as it’s unfolding. Take dozens of pictures and ensure they depict the damage’s extent.
The key is to have as much proof as possible so that it becomes nearly impossible for the insurance company to deny the claim.
Even if the insurance company is saying there’s insufficient proof of the damages, you may still be able to receive coverage. Reach out to us to discuss the details of your situation. For example, if you hire help with repairs and restoration, the company may have taken before and after photos or documented the damage for you.
Late Claim
If you waited too long to file the claim for property damage, the insurance company could deny your claim. We recommend filing as soon as possible. Never delay making a claim when dealing with something as serious as property damage caused by flooding throughout the home.
Pre-Existing Damage
In some cases, the insurance company will try to claim that you already had the damage in your home before the flooding occurred. We understand this is a common tactic of predatory insurance companies that don’t want to foot the bill for costly repairs to flood-damaged homes. We’re here to stand up for you.
Failure to Mitigate
Another common reason for having a claim denied is failure to mitigate, otherwise known as failure to minimize risks, thus resulting in the flooding that caused the damage. The insurance company may attempt to put the blame on you, claiming that your home flooded because of your negligence.
It’s a horrible accusation that can frustrate you even more during this challenging process.
How Can a Fort Lauderdale Flood Damage Lawyer Help My Claim?
A flood damage attorney in Fort Lauderdale can help you fight claim denials by providing sufficient evidence of the damage to the home caused by flooding.
At Klotzman Property Damage Law, it’s our mission to assist you every step of the way through this legal process with the hopes of reaching the most favorable outcome for you.
We understand what it’s like to deal with something as serious as flooding in the home and the damage left behind in the aftermath of it all. It’s why our legal team is ready to consult with you to determine what we can do to help you achieve a feasible outcome.
Rather than handling the insurance claim alone, allow us to do the job for you. We know how to deal with insurance companies, and we will collect as much evidence as possible to prove that your claim is legitimate.
In addition, we’ll act quickly so that you don’t have to worry about having a claim denied because you waited too long to file it.
Flooding in the home can lead to serious damage that puts your health at risk and causes financial strain. Get professional legal help when making a claim with Klotzman Property Damage Law. Reach out to us at 954-915-7405 to book your free consultation!
