For most people the prospect of cleaning up after major flood damage is overwhelming, but for an unfortunate few the water damage restoration project will never begin because their home is a total loss after the flooding. If this happens to you then you need to be certain that your homeowners insurance will pay for the loss of your home. After Hurricane Katrina many insurance companies balked at paying for flood damage from homes that were destroyed. Often the only option at this point is to take your insurance company to court in order to rectify this situation. Since this is an incredibly expensive process in and of itself many people simply lost their homes, don’t let this happen to you.
Flood damage insurance is often a separate entity in many states from homeowners insurance. While most homeowners insurance will pay for the total loss of your home due to wind they will balk at paying for a home destroyed by a flood claiming that the flood damage insurance is actually a separate policy. The importance of having the appropriate insurance coverage literally cannot be stressed enough. Taking care of flood damage is enough of a hassle even with your insurance company paying for most of the cleanup. Trying to go about water removal, sewage backup, drying out your flooded basement, and mold removal with no reimbursement from your insurance company can turn the difficult into the impossible.
The flood damage costs are more than most homeowners can afford as an out of pocket expense, moreover trying to fight the insurance company after you have lost your home can simply be more than most people can take. When shopping for flood damage insurance, have a face to face meeting with your insurance agent and have each and every clause explained in clear and concise language. If needed make them write the explanation in a way that is easy to understand and have them initial the explanations. Unfortunately no court is going to accept the excuse that you did not understand your policy as a reason to force the insurance company to pay for your repairs.
As with all legalities the law differs from state to state. For instance in Florida insurance companies are usually required to pay for flood damage that is caused by hurricane activity. Unfortunately, in New Orleans insurance companies were only required to pay for damages that were directly caused by the hurricane which basically meant wind damage. The insurance companies in New Orleans made the successful argument that the flooding was caused by the failed levies which were not their responsibility. Many homeowners who thought they were covered lost their houses because of this fine, but important distinction.
The bottom line is that it is your responsibility to know who will pay for any loss inflicted on your home by a flood. If you are unsure or think you know you could wind up doing yourself a great disservice if you wind up losing your home because you thought you were covered. Remember flood insurance is relatively inexpensive when compared to the incredible financial strain that can accompany the total loss of your home.
Chris Blastoyout distributes information on water damage issues for Chicago Flood Damage Service and Orlando Flood Damage Service
Article Source: What To Do If Flood Damage Totals Your Home
