Water Damage – Insurance Claim Case Study
Water damage insurance claims require attention to detail and expert knowledge in several fields. The extent of water damage is not always easy to assess by an average home owner. A wet spot on the ceiling can look deceptively harmless yet cause a lot of long term problems. Unless the home owner is a structural engineer, property surveyor, or has a prior water damage claims experience much damage can go unnoticed and only show long after the insurance claim is closed.
Water getting into the wrong places can cause structural damage, can result in developing rot, mould, mildew or rust problems. It can even be the cause of a fire from unnoticed electrical damage. It is therefore advisable to use the services of a professional loss assessor, rather than trying to assess the damage and file in the claim yourself.
Discovering the extend of damage and correctly completing the required paperwork is frequently the most difficult part of filing the claim. In an effort to reduce the payout, the insurers will try to dispute every item, unless there is undisputed evidence that the damage had occurred. We work hard to ensure that our clients are protected and that they receive a full compensation for their loss.
Water Damage Case Study
A few weeks ago ICS received a call from a client who had returned home after a short vacation and found extensive damage to his home following a substantial leak from the attic tank.
The ballcock in the attic tank had gotten stuck, allowing water to continually fill the tank; the water overflowed and escaped to the rooms below. The tanks were located high in the attic space and the escape of water affected the whole house. Half of the ceilings collapsed and the water was pooling in the rooms below.
The damage to the property extended beyond the obvious. By using our substantial claims management experience and specialist moisture detection apparatus, we were able to discover the damage which was not immediately apparent, especially to the home owner.
The water had caused extensive damage to insulation, ceilings, wall plaster, flooring, furniture, clothing and carpets, kitchen units, wall tiling, fitted furniture, doors, frames and more.
As the property was uninhabitable and speed of handling the claim was important, we completed the full survey within 8 hours of receiving the call, and reported the claim to the insurers.
Whilst we were awaiting the response from the insurance company, we recommended a professional water damage restoration crew who were able to quickly strip out the property, install dehumidifiers and air movers.
In the meantime we entered into negotiations with the insurance company loss adjuster and agreed a favourable settlement. The favourable settlement terms allowed the policyholder to reinstate the property to current regulations and as new. The clients were delighted with the outcome, see the testimonial we received …
Advantages of employing a professional Loss Assessor
- No paperwork to fill out- ICS take care of this
- Access to our expert specialist partners to commence repairs to mitigate the loss and to speed up the reinstatement process.
- Full claim management from start to finish from a registered building surveyor and regulated insurance expert
- Peace of mind that no damage is left undiscovered
- Achieve more favourable settlement terms with considerably less stress
- Expert guidance, support and assistance in all areas of the claim an experienced professional building surveyor. Claims are our core business and we handle 100’s of claims every year.
- As ICS are owner operated, the policyholder receives a 1 to 1 personal service