Daytona Beach Flood Damage Lawyer
Floods cause a large amount of damage each year to property owners throughout the United States. Through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) certain property owns can purchase flood insurance to protect their property against the risk of flood. While some people may be able to secure flood insurance through private insurers, most homeowners policies do not cover flooding. In addition, most forms of federal disaster assistance are only available when the President declares a major disaster. Contact our experienced Daytona Beach flood damage lawyers for more information or assistance today.
Flood Insurance Coverage For Florida Property Owners
Most flood policies cover direct physical damage to buildings or personal property as a result of flood. The extent and amount of your damages may be up for debate as to what caused the damage. The answers to these questions may determine whether the damages are covered under a standard homeowners policy or flood policy. The determination regarding causation (i.e., flood v. wind) can have significant consequences on what you’re entitled to recover from insurance. For example, most homeowners policies provided loss of use coverage which will pay for you to live at another home while your claim is being adjuster and while the repairs are made. Flood policies don’t typically provide loss of use coverage.
In general, flood insurance covers loss to the following:
- Building Property coverage – flood coverage protects the insured’s building and foundation as well as the home or building’s various components
- Contents coverage – flood coverage generally protects against loss to personal belongings
Most flood insurance policies do not insure loss for building property or contents coverage for the following items:
- Additional damage to property caused by moisture, mildew or mold that could have been avoided by the property owner
- Landscaping, septic systems, walks, decks, patios, fences, swimming pools
- Currency, precious metals, and valuable papers
- Additional living expenses such as temporary housing in the event your home is not habitable; and
- Financial losses caused by business interruption
Structural Damages Caused by Floods
Floods can cause massive damages to a home that may leave a homeowner scrambling to file and insurance claim. These devastating natural disasters can quickly destroy or contaminate a person’s home, leaving them with thousands of dollars in damages and a need to act quickly to repair the home. In fact, one of the more serious types of damage that a home can sustain is structural damage, which can make getting prompt insurance coverage even more critical.
Flood Damage That Ruin Homes
In most cases, flood damages can be fixed through substantial repair and rebuilding efforts that a homeowner may even be able to do on his or her own. Although serious, these damages often don’t require considerable reconstruction or changes to a home’s basic structure. However, in the following situations, floods may have damaged crucial structural portions of a home, requiring more significant repairs:
- Excessive water retention in the ceiling, causing a collapse
- Water damage that damages the house’s foundation
- Pressure on the basement walls and floors that causes substantial cracks
- Destruction or contamination of weight-bearing structures inside the house
In the most extreme cases, flood damages may compromise a home’s structural integrity to the point at which the home is no longer safe to be in, as it may not remain upright. In these worst-case scenarios, a homeowner may need to tear down their home and rebuild entirely.
How Our Daytona Beach Property Damage Lawyers Can Help
Restoring a home or business back to its undamaged state can be a difficult and costly process. If you have filed a claim for flood damage from your insurer but have not received payment for the repairs you need the Daytona Beach flood insurance lawyers at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A., we work with clients throughout Florida including Volusia County, Flagler County and Brevard County.