Water losses are frequently caused by hurricanes, storms, roof damage, or may be caused by broken pipes within your home or business. Flood claims are subject to special rules and you normally must have a flood policy to recover for flooding.
If you discover water damage to your home or business, immediately report it to your insurer. Your policy of insurance will likely require you to promptly make temporary repairs to the source of the water intrusion, to limit additional damages. When making temporary repairs, the damage should be repaired to the extent necessary to prevent further damage. However, you should not completely repair the problem until authorized to do so by your insurer. You will also need to dry out the wet or affected areas as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of mold occurring. This is best done by utilizing an experienced, professional water/mold remediation company to dry out the area and chemically treat the affected area to prevent mold. Most insurance policies exclude mold damage or limit it so prompt remediation of the condition is a key to less money out of your pocket later. Many times it is necessary to force the insurer to live up to it’s contractual obligations after an insured files their claim. When that occurs, the Wells Law Group initiates appraisal or litigation to enforce your contractual rights. Our actions differ from case to case dependent upon the facts, the terms and conditions of the insurance policy, amounts in dispute, and our client’s needs and desires.