Florida Roof Leak Damage Lawyers
Roof leaks pose an interesting dilemma for insurance companies. On one hand, they often go out of their way to find exclusions or policy loopholes that let them avoid paying full value on roof repairs. On the other hand, if they don’t help you get your roof leak repaired quickly, more serious damage may begin to occur in your home.
Roof leaks can lead to mold growth, damage to your home’s electrical systems, pest infestations and even wood rot that can compromise your home’s integrity. Any roof damage that allows water to intrude into your home should be addressed as soon as possible. In fact, failure to take action is one of the things that may lead the insurance company to deny future claims for related damages.
Types of Roof Leak Damage
A roof leak doesn’t need to be large to cause serious damage inside your home. Some common types of damage that can occur after a roof begins leaking include:
- Staining on drywall or ceilings
- Cracking paint on walls
- Rotting of various materials in your home, including ceilings, drywall, baseboards, flooring and even vital structural components
- Damage to clothing, electronics, appliances, furniture and other personal property
- Mold growth
If your home is exhibiting these types of damage, it may indicate your roof has been leaking for a while. The insurance company may attempt to undervalue some of these damages by suggesting you failed to take notice of the roof leak when it first started and are therefore liable for some of these damages.
However, Florida weather can make things more complicated. You might not realize a storm damaged your roof until the next big storm, at which point it’s too late to file a claim for repairs or roof replacement.
If you have a roof leak claim and the insurance company is being less than helpful or wants to pay less than you need to truly address your issues, call Kanner & Pintaluga.
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Frequently Asked Roof Leak Damage Questions
The only scenarios where your home insurance won’t cover a roof leak is if it was caused by an excluded peril, or the roof leak happened during a named storm and the repair cost doesn’t exceed your hurricane deductible. However, there are many scenarios in which those exclusions don’t apply.
In most cases, your insurance should cover roof leaks if the leak was caused by:
- High winds
- Falling debris (like branches)
- Vandalism
- Hail
The insurance company may try to deny your roof leak claim if they suspect your leak was caused by:
- Your home’s natural expansion or shrinking due to temperature or humidity
- Damage caused by animals or insects
- Mold
- Neglected maintenance or failure to replace
Insurance claims aren’t always black and white. There may be scenarios where a roof leak may initially appear to be caused by an excluded peril, but further investigation shows it should have been covered. If your roof leak claim is initially denied, you may want to speak with a property damage lawyer.
Whether you should file a claim depends on the extent of damage, the cost of the repair and whether the damage justifies a total or partial roof replacement. If the damage happened during a named storm, then you’ll likely have to pay a higher deductible than normal. The cost of repairing the roof leak and other damage may not exceed that deductible threshold.
Home insurance claims do have consequences, even when they’re justified. Your home insurer may attempt to increase your premiums if they view your home as a risk to insure, which means you may pay more in the long run.
Sometimes it helps to talk with a roofer before you file a claim. A roofer can assess the damage, give you options on roof repair or replacement and help you understand the ramifications of your choices.
Whether you should get an attorney involved with your roof leak claim really depends on whether you believe your claim is being undervalued, delayed or wrongfully denied. If a roofer you trust tells you that the age of your roof and the damage it has sustained justifies replacement, but the insurance company is denying your claim or only wants to pay for minor repairs, it may be appropriate to call a Florida property damage attorney.
You can schedule a free consultation with the Florida roof leak lawyers at Kanner & Pintaluga by calling 800-586-5555.
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