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Get a Tough Houston Flood Damage Lawyer to Win Your Case

If you’re a homeowner or commercial property owner, it’s vital that you are aware that most policies are maintained by the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) and are administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”). Hence, as you can imagine, the National Flood Insurance Program has special rules for governing those individuals and businesses making claims.

Flooding is responsible for millions of dollars in damages every year, and the truth of the matter is that those most affected are residential and commercial properties. Add to that the reality that homeowners are often cut short of being fairly compensated and are left out in the rain long after the storm has passed.

Homeowners Need an Experienced Houston Flood Damage Lawyer

After the floodwaters have subsided, homeowners are left cleaning up mother nature’s mess and paying for extensive property damage, even though the same homeowners have faithfully paid premiums on their insurance policy for years. Amid insurance adjusters, insurance representatives, insurance assessment crews, government programs, lengthy policies, and a plethora of other individuals and/or entities that homeowners deal with after flooding, the cumulative effect of it all is both overwhelming and confusing. As a direct consequence unintended mistakes happen in the claims process.

The simple truth is that floods have a devastating effect of leaving complex damage behind – damages that have the potential to displace families and further require extensive and costly repair to make the home once again suitable and safe for living. The problem arises because insurance companies are not willing to pay to repair a policyholder’s residence to pre-flood conditions and instead will try to undercut homeowners by underpaying or delaying payment for as long as possible.

When homeowners have tried but are unable to get their claim paid to the fullest extent possible, then they need to seek the help of an experienced attorney.

Condo Owners Need Attorney Help

It’s no secret that after an individual has experienced a flood, there is an expensive clean-up. However, condo association the costs are often exaggerated because affected buildings require costly interior clean-up, repair of their HVAC system, and commercial groundwork with all areas of the condominium association property to ensure no leakage, leftover debris, clogged drains, and no existence of dangerous mold persists. Unfortunately, insureds’ often make mistakes that lead to the improper execution of flood claims, and, as a result, insured’s end up paying for the costs to repair and clean up after a flood’s devastation rather than an insurance provider.

Common Mistakes Condo Owners Make After a Flood

Although the majority of condominiums are covered by flood insurance policies held by individuals or by the condo association, some policyholders may still end up making costly and expensive mistakes. Homeowners often make costly mistakes while handling their flood claims, which could potentially threaten their likelihood of recovering monetary compensation for their claim if they don’t understand their rights, rely on insurance company estimates, forget about missing or hidden damages, or worse yet submit flood claims under the wrong policy.

In fact, if a policyholder does not understand their legal rights then they are considerably more likely to be trampled on by the insurance company and experience a gross underpayment of their claim, delayed processing payment time, or an outright and complete denial of their claim. Thus, if a policyholder has a better understanding of their legal rights, then they are less likely to be taken advantage of by their insurer.

When a policyholder does not understand the seriousness and devastating effects a flood can have, then they are more likely to be underpaid in pursuing their flood claim. Therefore, it is important that a policyholder’s claim is thoroughly assessed and documented. A policyholder must understand that it’s important to not solely rely on the insurance company’s adjuster.

A policyholder can make grave mistakes while juggling the difficulties associated with a flood claim by submitting a flood-related claim under the wrong policy. It is important to note that flood damage to a condominium may sometimes be partially covered by a variety of different policies and policyholders, therefore, it is not entirely clear who should submit the claim or that policy covers each type of flood-related loss.

Reasons Why Condo Owners and Homeowners Need a Houston Flood Damager Lawyer

  • An insurance company delays payment and investigation of flood damage
  • An insurance company denies and/or refuses to pay cleanup costs
  • An insurance company denies and/or refuses to pay cleanup costs related to mold and mildew.
  • An insurance company denies a claim.
  • An insurance company denies and/or refuses to pay for secondary water and/or mold and mildew damage.
  • An insurance company denies and/or refuses to properly and thoroughly investigate damages or pay for the costs to replace damaged property.

Commercial Flooding

Commercial Property Owners Face Complications with Flood Claims

Subject to the circumstances of the flooding event, businesses may be covered for flood and water damage under a plethora of policies. Nonetheless, commercial flood claims are likely to develop into complex claims that can sometimes take months or even years to fully resolve after a damaging flood. As one can imagine because of the complex nature and lengthy time to resolve a large majority of businesses and commercial property owners end up surprised and overwhelmed by the potential complications, even more so when they are told by their insurer that their claim is denied, delayed, and underpaid for their damages.

Flooding creates enormous damages for business, including losses connected to:

  • Interiors
  • Exteriors
  • Structural
  • Work Equipment
  • Business Vehicles
  • Property Grounds
  • Mold and Mildew Issues
  • Business Records
  • Disruption of Business Profits

Get a Tough Houston Flood Damage Lawyer to Win Your Case

Call an experienced Houston flood damage lawyer to help guide you through the perils of dealing with insurance companies and their adjusters. Call the Testa Law Group for a free consultation at 877-780-9052 to speak with a dedicated Houston flood damage lawyer to begin your path to recovery.


About The Author

Mr. Testa a Personal Injury Lawyer with a national practice who represents members of our society who have been seriously injured or killed due to the irresponsible acts of an individual or company. He is licensed to practice law in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida and admitted to practice in the Southern District of Texas and also in the United States Court of International Trade.