Need Help with Your Sinkhole Insurance Claim?

Nothing can be more devastating than finding out a giant sinkhole in your front yard one fine morning. If you are living in Florida, it may be a common scenario for most of you. Due to this giant sinkhole, your property may go under substantial damage. For which you may require immediate financial assistance. You may have insured your property, but does your insurance cover sinkhole damage? If it does, how can you claim it effectively? These questions can easily overwhelm you. Worry not; we will try to clear your confusion in the following article.

Sinkhole Signs

As mentioned above, sinkholes are pretty common in Florida. They can either occur due to natural topography or for human activities. The topography of Florida consists of a thin layer of sand and clay covering limestone. Due to rain and circulating groundwater, the ground gets loose and forms cavities and crevices. Although sinkholes are very unpredictable, they may possess some signs in some cases. The signs being,

• The splintering of the ground

• Drying or dying of vegetation

• Excessive standing of the water

• Failing to close doors and windows properly

• Exposure of previously hidden tree roots

• Leaning of different structures fixated to the ground

• Cracking of any structure

• Unexplained loud noise

• Suspicious water stains

Reporting of Sinkhole Activity

Although no state agency is responsible for sinkhole inspections, many homeowners tend to call Florida Geological Survey to verify sinkhole activity. The FGS maintains a database, however, it doesn’t assist the homeowners to file a claim or get paid. Therefore, the home is already marked as a “sinkhole home,” and still no luck in claiming the insurance from the company.

Sinkhole Insurance Claims

Florida is one of the most vulnerable states when it comes to sinkholes. The fl sinkhole map can be a difficult decision to purchase your home in.

Similar to California with earthquakes, sinkholes are more likely to appear in states like Florida and Alabama, where there is a high water table, than anywhere else in the country.

Sinkholes can lead to ground collapse, which can cause catastrophic damage to your property. This is why Florida sinkhole claims are a rather common insurance policy that many Floridians opt for.

While your Florida insurance company will send an adjuster to assess the property damage caused by the sinkhole, our Licensed Public Adjusters keep YOUR interests in mind and uncover the full scope of the damage to your home or business. Their thorough inspection will uncover any additional damage that may not be outwardly apparent.

They will then negotiate directly with your insurance company until you get the settlement you deserve.

Filing a Sinkhole Claim

Give a call to your insurance company at the first sign of sinkhole generation. The company will send an adjuster to record and file their inspection of the area. It is a common practice to send a geologist or geotechnical engineer by the insurance company after the adjuster assessment. They provide their professional opinion if there’s a sinkhole present or not. After that, the company may request repair estimates and send the client a letter confirming or denying the claim.

Why is Sinkhole Damage Claims Denied?

When a sinkhole damage claim has been denied, there are three important questions that should be asked. They are,

• What type of testing was conducted?

• Has there been any drilling done before denying the claim?

• Has every information regarding the claim been investigated thoroughly?

There are some companies that may try to Ignore the standard procedure required under the law of Florida. Consulting a geotechnical engineer may be costly, and the insurance company may not be keen on spending money. Therefore, they may have performed a “drive-by” test and reported everything normal. If it’s the case with your insurance company, you can take drastic measures like going to court for your claim.

Sinkhole Insurance Law in Florida

Before 2007, the residents in Florida were required to purchase sinkhole insurance for structural damage and non-catastrophic events. However, despite the lobbying of the companies, a new law has been established which forced the insurance companies to include the cost of sinkhole coverage. Nowadays, the Floridians are only forced to buy catastrophic ground collapse insurance, which covers:

• The sudden crumbling of the ground

• Falling of ground cover visible to the eye

• Damaging of the foundation or the building

• Any incident that forces the residents to evacuate the insured property

However, there are still conflicts about the Florida sinkhole law that enables the insurance company to pay less or deny paying.  

Recent Approaches to Deny Sinkhole Damage Claims

In the past, the insurance companies used to deny sinkhole damage claims by denying any sinkhole activities. They may blame the earth’s movement or material shrinkage for the damage. However, now with the advancement of technology, one can easily determine if there is a sinkhole. So, the companies are now highly focused on the structural damage wordings. They may refer to any damage caused by sinkholes as “cosmetic” to deny the claim. The insurance company may either report this by a simple visual inspection or conducting comprehensive tests. Either way, after they declare that the damage is “cosmetic” rather than structural, they deny the claim to pay the homeowners. This possesses several problems like now your insurance company won’t pay for repairing the damage, and the house is already marked as a sinkhole house. Even if the homeowner wants to sell the house, he has to substantially pay for the repairing from his pocket.

Why Hire an Adjuster for your Sinkhole Claim?

The insurance company already has their own team of experts to assess and manage the sinkhole claims. Additionally, you may not be aware of all the nooks and croons of the insurance laws. However, an adjuster has the license to practice insurance law and is well aware of it. So. When you are facing a panel of experts, it’s always clever to form a team of your own to fight better. Here, at Ask an Adjuster, we have helped a lot of homeowners and built a reputation. When our adjusters are handling your claim, you are assured of having the best benefits with minimal hassle. 

Ask an Adjuster Claims Adjusting Works for YOU!

Ask An Adjuster Licensed Public Adjusters work for you, NOT your insurance company. Call Ask An Adjuster Claims Adjusting BEFORE you call your insurance company. We will represent you during the entire insurance claim process. Our sinkhole insurance adjusters in Florida will do a thorough inspection, find any and all damages, and report those damages to your insurance company. They will then communicate directly with your insurance company on your behalf.

Even if you have already filed a claim, we can still help you. We may be able to find additional damage that your insurance adjuster overlooked. Call us for a FREE, no-obligation inspection.

Guest Contributor: Arnold Bloom