There is a chasm of difference between flooding and water damage and that difference often comes down to the claims process.  Many companies will define too much water in your home as a flood but that doesn’t mean what you have is actually flooding!

Using a broad brush we can define a flood as water coming from the ground up and water damage coming from the top down.  If you have a pipe burst in your attic and that floods your home you should be covered as long as you have a homeowners or renters policy.  On the other hand, if your yard floods from too much rain and the interior of your home is impacted that is usually a flood.  Not all insurance companies agree!

We have seen companies that get more creative than the law allows and define any level of excess water as a flood.  This is done because it appears to be a flood and in many cases the person being flooded will never know the difference.  Both events have to do with an excess of water and both are expensive.  In neither case does the insurance company want to pay for the loss!

We will note that Flood Insurance is a specific type of insurance much like Earthquake insurance and to be protected you will need a specific policy.  It should also be noted that in most cases there is a 30 days waiting period for the policy you buy to assure actual coverage.  This is done to prevent fraud… The reason for this blog is that fraud is a 2 way street!

If you have been denied coverage for what you feel should be a covered loss you may be the victim of Insurance Bad Faith!  If this describes you please call the Law Office at Guenard & Bozarth at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com  We have the experience and aggressive posture to get the insurance company to do what you paid them to do.  We Can Help!