As early filers begin to get responses back from their insurance companies on their flood claims, more and more homeowners are going to find their flood claims denied by insurers. In some cases, these denials are legitimate, and homeowners must turn to federal aid. But in other cases, homeowners may have grounds to fight the flood claim denial. What should you do if your Hurricane Sandy flood claim was denied?
Do You Have Flood Insurance?
Unfortunately, standard homeowners and renters insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. Many homeowners and renters are going to discover this in the coming weeks as Hurricane Sandy flood claim denials come rolling in. If your flood claim was denied, check to make sure you have active flood insurance. If you’ve recently bought a flood policy, it may take 30 days to become effective. If you do have flood insurance but the insurer has denied your claim, ask why. You’ll need the reason when you dispute the denial.
Can You Demonstrate that Water Damage Wasn’t a Flood?
Depending on the type of water damage and the way it occurred, you may be able to demonstrate that your water damage wasn’t a flood. A typical homeowners insurance policy won’t protect against flooding, which is typically defined is water that comes up from the ground. But if a tree fell on your home and you had water damage from rain as a result, your standard homeowners insurance policy may cover it. If you can demonstrate that your water damage wasn’t a flood, you may be able to use that as a basis to fight your denied claim.
File for Federal Aid
If you don’t have flood insurance and your home was damaged by flooding, you may not have an avenue for recovery from your insurer. Instead, you may need to file for federal aid. To find out if you may be eligible or to apply for assistance, visit the FEMA Hurricane Sandy website. There, you can find out if you’re eligible, apply for assistance, and find other resources to help Sandy victims.
If you believe your Hurricane Sandy flood claim was unfairly denied, contact us here at DeniedClaim.com. We’ve got the background to deal with insurers and can help you get your claim approved.
