For a water leak to be covered under the terms of most insurance policies, the event must be fortuitous or sudden and accidental in nature. Insurance coverage for damage resulting from a water leak is often denied when the insurance carrier takes the position that the water damage resulted from an ongoing problem that the property owner did not properly address.
Lack of maintenance may, in fact, not be the cause of the event. Important details may have been overlooked by the insurance company’s field adjuster in his initial inspection of the loss. At Keys Claims, we are frequently able to help clients who have had their water claims initially denied by their insurance carrier.
If you enter your business or residence to find that a water leak has occurred, it is imperative that you begin the mitigation process as soon as the leak is discovered. The source of the water must be identified and remedied. Dry out and temporary repairs should be performed by a licensed professional experienced in preventing further damage to the building and any affected personal property.
Many policyholders do not realize that they are required to preserve the damage so that all insurance company representatives may make a full inspection. It is important to note that more than one inspection is often necessary to finalize the claim. It may seem unreasonable to a property owner to be asked to keep what appears to be garbage, however, keeping damaged items is important to the final outcome of the claim. Accordingly, keep wet drywall sections, baseboards, cabinetry, flooring and any wet furniture or other personal items. A storage facility may be utilized if it is not possible to keep these items at the affected property.