Storm damage claims are a constant in Florida, especially given the extremely active Atlantic hurricane seasons in the past several years. However, what many public adjusters will tell you is that storm damage claims have not formed the majority of their work in recent years. Instead, water damage claims due to burst, leaking. and/or clogged pipes are much more common than most people realize unless you work in or around the property or homeowner’s insurance industry. This is due to the large number of homes that have cast iron pipes in South Florida, which are beginning to fail in larger and larger numbers every year as these pipes reach the end of their useful life.
The trouble for many insured homeowners who may have plumbing systems comprised of cast iron pipes is that, due to the increased cost of water damage claims in recent years, there has been a widespread adoption by many homeowner’s/property insurers of specific dollar limits an insurer will pay for water damage or pipe failure claims. This can lead to an insured homeowner having to dip into his or her own pocket to perform the necessary repairs for water-related damage from a pipe failure or water leak involving cast iron piping. However, an experienced public adjuster like David Flaks of PubAdjuster can often help an insured homeowner avert disaster in such a situation by helping the homeowner to maximize his or recovery from the homeowner’s insurer, even if there is a specific limit on the amount the insurer will pay for a pipe failure or leak.
Cast Iron Pipes in Florida
Decades ago, the piping of choice in the construction of new homes, subdivisions and developments was cast iron pipes. Many of the older communities in South Florida, particularly those built before 1975, have cast iron pipes. While many developers and construction companies stopped using cast iron pipes around 1975 or so, by then the damage had already been done for many of today’s South Florida homeowners. While cast iron pipes in some places have been known to last as long as 100 years, these pipes typically last on average between 50-75 years in most place. However, in some places in South Florida, they have started failing regularly in as little as 25 years. Although there is no general consensus as to why this is occurring, some experts have posited it may be due both to the oppressive humidity year-round in South Florida and the excessive salt in the area soil. Along with this premature failure comes an increase in the number of water damage claims claims filed when a cast iron pipe fails either in whole or in part.
Insurers’ Efforts to Limit Coverage for Pipe Claims
Yet another problem for the Florida homeowners who have cast iron pipes is that many insurers have made changes to their policies in recent years that limit coverage for cast iron pipe failures. Many insurers are trying to limit their exposure to water-related claims and lawsuits resulting from cast iron pipes. Insurers do this by setting specific limits (often called sub-limits) on how much they will pay for a cast iron pipe-related claim at $10,000 or another arbitrary amount regardless of how much damage the homeowner actually suffered because of the cast iron pipe leak or failure. This can leave an insured homeowner in dire straits given that it may cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace failed cast iron pipes, but his or her insurance policy only provides very limited coverage. In such an instance, it is imperative the insured homeowner have an experienced public adjuster to help him or her maximize recovery.
Contact David Flaks of PubAdjuster if You Suffer a Water-Related Loss in Florida to Maximize Your Recovery from Your Insurer
David Flaks of PubAdjuster is committed to ensuring his clients maximize their recovery for any cast iron pipe, water leak or water-related loss. Even if a client’s insurance policy includes a particular sub-limit for cast iron water pipes or water damage because of pipe leaks, clogs or failures, David can often help his clients avoid out-of-pocket costs by ensuring they are compensated fairly for a pipe leak or other homeowner’s insurance claim by scouring every available nook and cranny of their insurance policy.
Regardless of what type of loss you have suffered to your home, whether storm damage, a burst pipe or otherwise, PubAdjuster is here to assist in maximizing your recovery from your insurer. From our offices in Boca Raton, we serve clients throughout South Florida with a wide variety of different types of insurance claims. We will work with you to ensure that you maximize your recovery from a cast iron pipe leak or failure or any other type of loss. Call (561) 212-0239 or email us at david@pubadjuster.com for a free claim review today.