Making an insurance claim for flood damage
by Admin
Posted on 29-03-2023 11:45 AM
For general information on what you need to think about when making a claim on your insurance, read about making a claim on your insurance policy. There are steps you can take to help with your claim for flood damage:
take photos of any damage to the structure of your property and its contents
write a detailed inventory - make a list of your home contents if you haven’t already
take a note of the reading on your electricity meter so you can claim back the running costs of commercial dryers
phone your insurer to start your claim as soon as possible - there are usually time limits.
https://www.pdla.ie/burst-pipe-/-escape-of-water
Getting compensation from an insurance company is rarely easy, especially since insurers often pay claimants as little as possible. Our team of specialists have a vast amount of experience dealing with flood damage insurance claims, so no matter what caused the flooding at your home, we can help. We will help make things easier for you and ensure you get the proper compensation you need to restore your property – we work for you rather than the insurance provider. See how we helped during the blackett close flood here.
As most people are aware, 2014 will go down in history due to the serious adverse weather and the large number of properties that suffered flooding, particularly in the somerset, thames valley, surrey and west london regions. Flood damage to a property is without doubt one of the most stressful events that can happen to a homeowner. Generally damage is not isolated to just one area but extends to the whole of the ground floor, plus any basement or void in the property. Over the years we’ve had considerable experience helping homeowners whose properties have suffered floods. In doing so we have encountered a number of common problems that can affect the speed and efficacy of flood damage insurance claims.
Starting a claim for flood damage
Tanking is a heavy-duty form of waterproofing that’s often used in buildings with rooms below the ground or in areas with a high water table. We sometimes see cases where a previously watertight basement room has started to let water in. If there’s evidence the customer should have known their tanking was defective or missing before a flood happened, we may say it was reasonable for you to reject the claim. Insurers sometimes say the tanking failed because of a "gradually operating cause" which is excluded under the terms of the policy. We’re unlikely to agree that it's fair for you to exclude the claim on this basis, if the damage which occurred is the result of a steady accumulation of water as opposed to the gradual deterioration of the tanking.
How badly damaged your car is will dictate who you call. If your car is flooded do not drive it until it has been looked at by a qualified mechanic. This may mean you need to get it towed to your nearest garage, so contact your breakdown provider if you have cover , or a local garage to help. Make sure you save all receipts for the cost of the towing and any repairs to submit to your insurer so you can reclaim the cost. If the car is badly damaged or the flood water was high, and you have fully comprehensive insurance, contact your insurer.
Whilst repairs are carried out, it may not be safe to stay at your property, or there may not be access to essential amenities, so you'll need to move into alternative accommodation. Many policies will cover the reasonable extra costs of temporarily living somewhere else because of damage to your property caused by a flood. When we look at these types of complaints, we'll look at the accommodation you were offered and if it was suitable for your needs, and if any additional costs incurred were reasonable and in proportion to your claim. We'll consider things like: when your property was considered unsuitable for you to live in.
Flood damage occurs when water enters a property. This could be caused by significant rainfall, or extreme weather causing a river to burst its banks. A burst pipe inside your home could cause an escape of water. Both of these situations could cause extensive damage to your home, which is why rac offer cover for both flood damage and escape of water on our home insurance policies. You would need to check with your insurer to ensure you have adequate cover. It's also possible for a property to suffer flood damage without water even entering it. If a flood has been so forceful that it has made a building's structure unstable - by washing away earth, for example - then that could be considered flood damage.
If your property has suffered from flood damage, we are experts working on your side assisting with flood insurance claims. If you’ve experienced flood damage to your home or business, then you will be facing many challenges to get your property restored. One of the biggest hurdles will be your flood insurance claim. Many homeowners find that dealing with insurers can be very stressful due to their current situations, the last thing they want to be doing is haggling the value of the flood damage that has been caused. We are here to ensure that you are equipped with expert knowledge on how to deal with your insurer.
Unfortunately, there’s rarely a year that passes without majoring flooding somewhere around the uk. While the most significant damage is generally done to people’s homes, cars often also fall victim to the water – and many are so badly damaged they have to be written off by insurers. With flood damage seeming to be more common, we get a lot of questions about how car insurance works with flooding, including:.