The Most Common Reasons Home Insurance Claims Are Denied

If your house has suffered serious damage, you might be wondering how you are going to cover the cost of the damage. The good news is that you may have an insurance policy that can cover your damage. On the other hand, you might get frustrated if you file a home insurance claim only to realize that it has been denied. What are you going to do in this situation? You need to reach out to a property claim lawyer who can help you put your claim in the best position possible to be successful. Take a look at a few of the most common reasons why your home insurance claim might get denied.

1. The Home Insurance Policy Has Lapsed

One of the most common reasons why a home insurance claim might be denied is that the insurance policy itself has lapsed. There are a few situations where this might happen, but one of the most common examples involves your mortgage company. When you have a mortgage, you are required to carry home insurance by the lender. Then, when your mortgage is paid off, your mortgage company stops collecting money for your home insurance policy. Now, it is on you to make sure your home insurance policy is up to date. If you do not pay your home insurance premium on time, the policy could last, meaning that you no longer have protection when the damage takes place. 

2. You Don’t Have Coverage for That Type of Damage

Another common reason why your claim might be the night is that you do not have coverage for that type of damage. You need to take a look at your home insurance policy to understand exactly what types of damage you have protection against. For example, if your house was damaged because a fire came through, do you have protection from fire damage? Or, if your house was damaged by an earthquake, do you have an earthquake rider on your policy? You need to understand exactly what types of damage are covered by your home insurance policy. If you believe the damage should be covered, you need to reach out to a lawyer who can help you.

3. The Damage Might Be Exaggerated 

Finally, there is also a chance that your home insurance company might think that your damage has been exaggerated. For example, if your basement floods, your home insurance policy might cover the flood damage to the basement; however, if you are trying to claim that there is a big screen TV on the top floor that was damaged by a flood in the basement, this is probably not going to get honored. The best way you can avoid the situation is to make sure you document everything that happened. That means taking pictures of all the sources of damage. If you work with a property damage lawyer, they can help you figure out how to take pictures that the home insurance company will honor. 

Hire a Property Damage Lawyer Who Can Help You With Your Home Insurance Claim

Ultimately, these are just a few of the many reasons why a home insurance policy might get rejected. The good news is that just because a home insurance policy is rejected doesn’t mean that the situation is final. You need to reach out to a property damage lawyer who can negotiate with the insurance company and make sure that the policy is honored. The sooner you reach out to a property damage lawyer, the easier it will be for you to put your claim in a position to be successful.