Even as the internet is full of Hurricane Harvey damage pictures, another storm is quickly approaching Florida from the eastern Atlantic.  Tropical Storm Irma – soon to be Hurricane Irma – is projected to be a major storm and may make landfall along Florida’s coastline.  The time is now to stop looking at flood pictures in Texas and realize that we could be in the same situation – or worse – if a major storm…

After a flood or other substantial water event, flood insurance policy holders are often surprised to learn what is covered by their flood policy – and more surprisingly, what is NOT covered under their flood insurance policy.  As I have written about before, flood insurance is totally separate from homeowners insurance, and both provide separate coverage for different types of loss.  Specifically, homeowners insurance does not cover water damage from flood. Call (800) 451-6786…

Policyholders are often shocked to learn that the loss settlement check they receive from the insurance company is payable not only to the policyholder, but to their mortgage company as well.   Homeowners insurance policies are broken down into several types of coverage – whether for the building, personal property, liability, alternative living expense, or other losses.  For certain types of coverage, the insurance policy will list the mortgage company as an “additional payee” on the…

Most people believe that when they buy homeowner’s or commercial property insurance that they will be covered for any damage that may occur to their property.  Unfortunately, as many people have painfully learned during recent flooding events, the normal policy of homeowner’s property insurance does NOT provide coverage for damage caused by “rising water” or flood.  This realization often comes too late for property owners and only after catastrophic damage has occurred to their property…

Developers and construction firms often elect to use heavy equipment, blasting or pile driving in the performance of their construction projects.   If your property is in close proximity to a construction project where heavy equipment, pile driving or blasting is being used, your property may incur damage related to the vibration caused by these activities. If you believe your property has sustained damage due to vibration-related sources, you can assess whether your damage was the…

As can be easily witnessed as you drive around town, construction companies often use blasting, pile driving, dewatering and heavy equipment in the performance of large construction projects.  Many times, damage can be caused to buildings on nearby properties due to the  enormous amount of vibration generated by these activities.  The question then becomes whether the cost to repair the damage caused by this vibration is covered under the property owner’s property insurance policy. For…

As Tropical Storm Erika was quickly approaching landfall a few weeks ago, Floridians were correctly focused on preparing for the high winds and water that could have caused an unknown amount of damage.  As important as pre-storm preparation is, the steps you take immediately after the storm are also crucial with regard to your ability to adequately present a claim with your insurance company for the damage to your property. Your first priority after the…