Most Common Property Damage Claims In Florida

Sun, sand, and water make Florida a paradise to live in. The golden beaches stretching through the coastline are a dream come true. This dream destination, however, hides in its bright sunshine some harsh realities of life. Hurricanes and tropical storms of high intensity come rolling in, disrupting life and wreaking havoc year after year. It is why homeowners invest heavily in getting good, well-rounded, and adequate homeowners insurance coverage. 

When disaster strikes, you want to be well-prepared, especially in such a place where inclement weather is just a matter of time. Sometimes, it becomes essential to purchase additional insurance coverages to ensure that all eventualities are covered. If there is one certainty in Florida, every homeowner is sooner or later going to make claims for severe weather events. Not only that but there will also be other events that may make it necessary to file a claim under your homeowner’s insurance umbrella. To that effect, today, we shall enlighten you about some of the most common property damage claims in Florida.

Whenever there is property damage, homeowners believe that their homeowner’s insurance will cover it all — the bubble bursts when they realize that assuming anything was a mistake. Therefore, when buying a new policy, ensure that you understand it completely. To make things easier, here is a list of common property damage claims in Florida so that you know that having these coverages is only to your benefit.

1. Wind And Hail Damage – Strong winds and hail typically accompany Storms. These two factors often cause massive damage. Since Florida is synonymous with thunderstorms, there are numerous claims arising from these two occurrences. The average claim value comes to about $11,000, so you can very well understand the severity of the loss.

Roof damage due to blowing objects, fallen trees, or heavy winds is probably one loss that has big financial repercussions. It may lead to a partial or complete roof replacement. Roof damage claims tend to go sour quickly if:

1. The roof of your dwelling is considered “too old” by the insurance company.
2. You have not kept up with its regular maintenance. If you have, always keep its proof handy, maybe even store it in a digital format.
3. Your homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover the cause that resulted in roof damage.
4. You have employed fraudulent methods and overhyped the damage to con the insurance company.

Other damages, like a caved sidewall, or broken doors and windows, may also happen, but such claims are few and far between. 

2. Water And Flood Damage – If the rainwater or a broken pipe floods your residence, it is not flooding damage. It is water damage. So you need to be clear about the two. Flood damage happens when the water rises ground up and enters homes. It will typically happen after heavy rains or hurricanes. Now that you know the difference, it would be wise to point out most home insurance policies only cover water damage. To gain financial protection for floods, you will have to buy additional coverage. The best course of action would be to ask the insurance agent outright whether your homeowner’s insurance policy will suffice in case of floods or not.

Water damage occurs from:

1. Malfunctioning appliances.
2. Burst pipes.
3. Plumbing issues.

Flood damage happens when:

1. The bayou’s, dams, lakes, or rivers overflow, and water enters the home.
2. Incessant rains don’t allow the rainwater to flow away. Instead, it keeps collecting until it sleeps indoors.
3. Breaks or leaks in a communal pipe.

3. Fire And Lightning Damage – In frequency, fire and lightning damage claims are less. Nevertheless, their average dollar value is close to $80,000. So one can’t risk ignoring coverage for the same. This coverage becomes even more critical for the residents of Florida because fire is a necessary hazard of every home, and hurricanes and tropical storms rarely hit without lightning. 

Both fire and lightning can lead to structural and cosmetic damage to a home. Had the loss been limited to that, it would have been a great day. But it tends to destroy the possessions inside the house as well. This is when you take a real hit, and the repair and replacement expenses add up to a significant amount.

4. Theft And Break-ins – Miscreants are everywhere. Everyone is not lucky enough to escape their clutches. Most of their acts include theft and break-ins or acts of vandalism. Unfortunately, they also try to grab the expensive stuff and make a run for it. In trying to get to the valuables, they turn things upside down and sometimes even destroy everything in between. Therefore, the loss is usually high. 

Every homeowner’s insurance policy demands that the homeowners should take reasonable precautions to safeguard their property. It involves having a working burglar alarm or a similar security measure in place. Not fulfilling this core requirement may give way out to the insurance company from honoring the claim.

5. Mold Damage – The weather in Florida is conducive to mold growth. If your property has suffered water damage of any kind and there was a delay in executing remedial measures, there are very high chances of mold infestation. All mold damage is not covered under the homeowner’s insurance policy. In fact, it is usually a result of primary damage, so every homeowner needs to question the insurer whether they cover such ancillary damage or not. If not, it would be ideal to specifically ask for the coverage, even if it costs a little more. 

If you have not paid attention to the small details of the homeowner’s insurance policy, now you need to rise to the occasion. Finding out later that the policy you bought is not enough will become the makings of a nightmare.

Continental Public Adjusters can help the natives of Florida understand the contents of their current homeowner’s insurance policy. In addition, we can also help you successfully file the claim and get the maximum possible settlement. We are here to do all the legwork, and you just sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Call (800)989-4769 to book an appointment.