Insurance policies are to be interpreted in the light most favorable to the insured. Narrowly interpreting policy language can help find coverage for an insured, as was the case in Tuscarora Wayne Insurance Company v. Hebron.1… Continue Reading
The photos from Hurricane Michael show catastrophic loss from not only the storm surge, up to fourteen feet in some areas, but from winds and rain as well. For those that live far enough inland where surge and flood was not an issue, but still sustained water damage from rain, you may think your homeowners … Continue Reading
Is loss or damage caused by a tenant covered under an all-risk insurance policy? Like most issues addressed in the Merlin blog posts, the answer is: it depends on the facts and the policy language.… Continue Reading
In March, I posted a blog on the Hicks v. American Integrity Insurance Company opinion,1 in which a Florida court ruled that policy language stating: “we do not insure…for loss…caused by…constant or repeated seepage or leakage of water…over a period of 14 or more days,” did not preclude coverage for damage caused during the first … Continue Reading
Most insurance policies are voluminous, trying to encompass everything from what is covered to what is not. They included with some profound confusion between covered and uncovered situations.… Continue Reading
Certain types of water damage are likely to fall under a water exclusion clause such as damage caused by flood, tsunami, standing water, groundwater and drain or sewage backup. Despite these categories, disputes often arise whether damages caused by water are covered under the standard homeowner’s policy. The type of water damage that may be … Continue Reading
Whether residential or commercial, most property coverage policies exclude loss caused by freezing, unless the insured either: Uses reasonable or best efforts to maintain heat in the building; or drains the plumbing lines. Application of this freezing exclusion, however, often turns on interpreting or defining what the terms “reasonable,” “best efforts,” and “building” mean.… Continue Reading
I commonly get asked coverage questions that relate to a commercial client’s claim for damages. My response is always the same, “send me the policy and I will take a look.” I know this sounds obvious but with the multitude of policies out there it is impossible to relate a policy to a factual situation … Continue Reading
Many property insurance policies have a provision that states something similar to the following: “we do not insure…for loss…caused by…constant or repeated seepage or leakage of water…over a period of 14 or more days.” Insureds may find their claims for water loss under their homeowners’ policy denied on the grounds that the leak was present … Continue Reading
Most homeowners and commercial insurance policies contains exclusions for loss or damages caused by mudflow or other similar occurrences. An example of on such exclusion is included below: b. Earth Movement and Settlement, meaning earthquake, which includes land shock wavers or tremors before, during or after a volcanic eruption; landslide; mudflow; sinkhole; earth sinking, rising … Continue Reading
I recently received a call from a public adjuster who told me that his client’s property was flooded when a municipal water main broke which caused damage to his property when it flooded.… Continue Reading
Southern Californians impacted by the mudslides that followed the devastating wildfires in Ventura and Santa Barbara may see some light at the end of the tunnel with the big question of whether insurers will cover their mudslide loss. Over the last few week Californians have lost their homes when the rains brought homes down from … Continue Reading
Section 708.1.1 of the Florida Building Code, often referred to as the “25% Rule,” implements guidelines for roof replacement requirements. The section states, Not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the entire … Continue Reading
When renewing your insurance premium, it’s common for your insurance agent to offer you any discounts you qualify for. These discounts can range in size from a few dollars to several hundred dollars, depending on the discount. For example, it is well known that a multi-policy discount can save you hundreds of dollars annually when … Continue Reading
Water damage from a broken water supply line is one of the most frequent homeowner’s insurances claims. Quite often, an insurance carrier will assert there is no coverage for the resulting damage by citing to a “leakage” exclusion. In one such instance, while the policyholder was living in Ohio, the water line separated from the … Continue Reading
In a recent appellate decision out of the Court of Appeals of Texas in Beaumont, the appellate court affirmed a jury verdict for the Defendant insurance company.1 The case centered on damage from Hurricane Ike that resulted from water entering the home from separations between a door and its frame, specifically, the wind from the … Continue Reading
An Illinois homeowner recently contacted me regarding an insurer’s denial of a water damage claim. The facts were: An underground pipe which was part of a municipal water supply system (“the water main”) burst and water was released from the water main. The pressure from the water cracked the street pavement and water flowed onto … Continue Reading
As discussed in my blog post last week, the 1943 New York Standard Fire Policy (“the Standard Fire Policy”), or a statutory version differing from it only slightly, is used in many states. The Standard Fire Policy potentially affords insureds more fire coverage than they may otherwise have, given the limited number of provisions which … Continue Reading
If a homeowner agrees to sell a home, and as part of the sale agreement allows the prospective buyer to: (1) lease the property before escrow is closed, and (2) make certain improvements to the property with the owner’s permission, but then, after taking possession during the lease, the prospective buyer tears the property down … Continue Reading
I spoke about water damage loss at the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters Annual Convention last week. One issue I discussed was the time limits of water damage. A recent post, Avoiding Denials of Water Damage Claims Based on “Long Term Damage Exclusions” also discussed the issue.… Continue Reading
Insurance provisions related to explosions, like all other terms, are subject to the rules of construction applied to all insurance contracts. Typically, property damage caused by explosions is covered under the policy. However, some policies may expressly define the term “explosion” to exclude events that would generally be defined as such.1 For instance, policies may … Continue Reading
We have all seen it – an insured has a water damage claim; the insurance policy has an exclusion for long term water damage occurring over a period of weeks, months, years (or even 14 days); and the insurer’s expert claims the damage is clearly long term. In these situations, insureds need their own expert … Continue Reading
Often, your insurance policy will protect your property from loss by burglary, larceny, and other types of offenses. However, policies also contain numerous exclusions so it is important to read the small type in these policies because insurance companies often narrow these common-law offenses by placing certain requirements on the activity. For instance, the policy … Continue Reading
Are a tenant’s unauthorized renovations to landlord property covered under a landlord’s property insurance policy? The outcome likely depends on how the issue is framed.… Continue Reading
