If you own a home or business in Florida, you are all too aware of the damage water can cause to your property. Whether from a storm, floodwaters, or a plumbing problem, water damage can be extensive and costly. With that in mind, you expect your insurance company to pay your claim quickly and in full if your home or business suffers water damage. Sometimes, however, insurance companies take an unreasonably long time to process a claim, outright deny a claim, or fail to fully cover the cost of repairing the damage.

At Malik Law, our experienced Florida water damage lawyers are familiar with the strategies used by insurance companies to keep from paying claims or to reduce the amount they pay out on claims. We have the expertise and the resources to protect your rights and secure payment in full if your Florida home or business was damaged by water.

Steps to Take If Your Florida Property Has Suffered Water Damage

Your home or business could suffer a wide variety of damage from water, depending on the source of the water. Florida’s storms and hurricanes often result in water leaking in through the roof or windows. Floodwaters can enter your home or business and saturate everything in the property, causing mold to grow. Even a simple plumbing leak or faulty appliance can result in water damage inside your home. Regardless of how your property was damaged by water, taking the following steps will help protect you and your property as well as ensure that you are fully reimbursed for damages by your insurance company:

1. Remain outside until given clearance to re-enter. Water damage can cause hazardous conditions within your home, including damage to your home’s structural integrity and the growth of dangerous mold. For this reason, you may need to wait until local authorities and/or a professional contractor tells you it is safe to re-enter the property.
2. Prevent additional damage. Preventing further damage to the property is not only the smart thing to do, but it may also be required to ensure full payment from your insurance company. If it is not safe to re-enter your home, mitigating damages may be as simple as making sure water and electricity to the home are turned off. Once you can re-enter, it may include things such as boarding up broken windows, putting a tarp over a hole in the roof or using a shop vac to get up as much water as possible from the floor.
3. Gather documentation of the damages. Before you make any changes to the property, take pictures of the damage as it is. From that point on, start documenting your out-of-pocket expenses. This might include things such as the cost of materials to prevent further damage, hotel receipts, and emergency supplies. You should also start an inventory of all damaged/destroyed property and include the cost to repair or replace the items.
4. Contact your insurance company. File a water damage claim with your insurance company as soon as you can do so. Depending on the circumstances and the severity of the damage the insurance company may send out a claims adjuster to view the damage and prepare an estimate. You will probably be required to submit additional documentation and/or forms to your insurance company. Be sure to stay on top of this as failing to do so is often used as a reason for denying or delaying a claim.

What Can I Do If My Florida Water Damage Claim Was Denied, Delayed, or Underpaid?

Dealing with water damage to your home or property can be extremely stressful, particularly if it makes your home uninhabitable. The last thing you need is to have your insurance company delay, underpay, or completely deny your water damage claim. Unfortunately, your insurance company has a vested interest in paying out as little as possible to policyholders because the insurance company must make a profit to remain in business. Toward that end, they may claim the damage is not covered at all, that you failed to submit required documentation, or that the damage was not as extensive as you claimed. All these scenarios leave you without the money you need to repair the damage to your home or property despite paying your premiums as required for the life of the policy.

The good news is that the Florida water damage lawyers at Malik Law P.A. know all too well how insurance companies try to avoid paying claims, and we can help get your claim paid in full. We will review your policy and your claim to find all the ways in which the damage to your home might be covered by your insurance policy. We will also make sure we have a realistic estimate of the cost involved in repairing/replacing damaged property. From there, we will attempt to reach a settlement with your insurance company that fairly compensates you for all your losses. If a settlement is impossible, we will litigate on your behalf in court to ensure that your rights under your insurance policy and under the law are protected.

We have an extensive track record of advocating and litigating for homeowners who have had a water damage claim denied, underpaid, or delayed by their insurance company. We look forward to helping you with your water damage insurance claim.

Call us at 407-500-1000 or submit our online form today. One of our experienced Florida water damage lawyers will explain your rights to you and discuss your legal options at no cost.