Rising sea levels might not seem to threaten an inland town like Middleton. However, its location on the Ipswich River in a low-lying part of Massachusetts makes residents vulnerable to flood damage they might not have considered.
Did you recently sustain flood damage after a storm? If so, you might need help from a Middleton flood damage lawyer to deal with the insurance company and recover the payout you need to repair your home and return your life to normal. GED Lawyers represents flood insurance claimants who are just starting a claim, encountering a stumbling block with their insurer, or appealing an unfavorable decision.
We Can Help at Any Stage of Your Flood Damage Insurance Claim
Our property damage attorneys serving Middleton work on contingency, meaning we only expect payment if we recover financial compensation for your flood damage. There are no upfront legal fees to get started. Then, once we accept your case, we start building your claim no matter where you are in the process.
GED Lawyers can assist if you:
- Initiate a claim
- Await a reply from the insurance company
- Had your claim denied
- Find your insurer challenging your claim
How Our Middleton Flood Insurance Claim Lawyers Help
We can take over various tasks to free you to focus on taking care of your home and family.
Building Your Flood Damage Claim
Our team handles all the preliminary tasks to prepare your claim to file, including completing any necessary paperwork. Then, we’ll document the damage to your property, itemize and estimate the value of the damage, and investigate the source of the flood.
Keeping the Claim Process Moving
It can feel like a lifetime while you wait to hear back from the insurer. However, don’t worry—our legal team can step in and assess your claim’s progress. In addition, if you’ve already filed and the insurer takes unreasonably long to respond, we’ll take steps to move things forward.
Our attorneys communicate with the insurance company on your behalf, so you never have to stress over phone calls, emails, scheduling appointments, sending or receiving documents, or contacting the insurance adjuster to find out the status of your claim.
Appealing a Flood Claim Denial
Insurance companies deny or undervalue claims for many reasons. Regardless of the reason, a flood insurance lawyer on our team can help you correct the issue. For example, an error in your paperwork or a mistake on the adjuster’s part could require a simple fix.
On the other hand, you might have presented insufficient proof of damage or needed more evidence supporting that your policy covered your damages. Then, our office will need to investigate and gather the required information. So, we’ll review your denial letter and determine the best way forward.
Suing the Insurance Company
Unfortunately, your insurer might challenge your claim by:
- Offering a lowball estimate of your damages
- Alleging fraud
- Unreasonably delaying processing your claim
- Refusing coverage
However, our Middleton flood damage attorney will work to resolve the problem. We have the law on our side, and any violation of insurance codes or breach of contract could justify filing a lawsuit against your insurer.
Our Middleton Law Firm Serves With Compassion
Our property damage law firm has served the Middleton community with compassion for nearly three decades. Thus, we understand that dealing with flood damage to your home or business can cause instability in all aspects of your life.
You might feel weighed down with stress over:
- Recovering the money to restore your property
- Finding a qualified water damage restoration company
- Coordinating the repairs
- Relocating temporarily
- Working and taking care of your family
So, let our flood damage lawyers take over your claim. We’ll reduce the pressure you feel. Our lawyers have experience battling insurance adjusters, so we know how to build a compelling claim and combat insurance company tactics.
What Qualifies as Flood Damage?
Many insurance policyholders are unaware of the actual provisions included in their contracts. For example, some homeowners need to learn that their home insurance policy only includes water damage from covered perils and does not cover flood damage. Instead, you must purchase a separate flood insurance policy to protect your property.
For example, your insurer considers tropical storm rainwater that enters your home through the window as water damage. However, if rain accumulates on the ground outside your home and then enters it, that would be a flood if it also affects another property.
Sources of Floods
Floods must originate from a natural source of water, including the following:
- Overflowing tidal or inland waters (e.g., rivers or ponds)
- Rapid or runoff accumulation of surface water (e.g., rain)
- Mudflows
- Collapsed land or eroded shorelines near bodies of water
Examples of Flood Causes
Flood insurance would likely cover damage caused by any of these causes:
- Flash flood
- Prolonged rainfall
- Hurricane
- Nor’easter
- Storm surge
- Snowmelt
- Ice jam
- Failed dams or breached levees
- Overfilled rivers and lakes
- High tide combined with rainfall
If your insurance company alleges your flood damage policy doesn’t cover your losses, there might be a dispute about the source of the flood. Then, you may need to turn to one of our Middleton flood damage attorneys.
We can definitively link the flood damage to the source of the flood. We can work with experts in water damage restoration, hazardous weather, and public adjusting to build your claim.
Property Covered Under a Flood Insurance Policy
Your flood insurance policy may cover your building and personal property damage. So, if you have both building and content coverage, your insurance will pay for damage to the following:
- Foundation, walls, staircases, floors
- Plumbing (sump pump, pipes, sewer drain, etc.)
- Electrical systems
- Furnaces and water heaters
- Built-in appliances
- Detached garages
- Fuel tanks
- Well water tanks and pumps
- Permanent carpeting and cabinetry
- Air conditioners
- Appliances
- Carpeting
- Clothing and accessories
- Curtains
- Electronic devices
- Furniture
Our flood insurance claim lawyer will scrutinize your policy to determine the extent of your coverage. In addition, we’ll look for any additional coverage you may have, such as endorsements or separate policies that could provide payouts for temporary living expenses, loss of use or access, or lost profits.
Let a Middleton Flood Damage Lawyer at GED Lawyers Fight for Your Rightful Payout
If you experienced flood damage to your home or commercial property, our law firm could facilitate the insurance claim process. At GED Lawyers, you have access to legal help from a Middleton flood damage lawyer with years of experience winning for clients like you. We’re dedicated to procuring the insurance payout that your damages and policy demand. Call us today for a free case evaluation.
