Homeowners Sue Insurance Company and Remediation Contractors over Water Damage

Many property owners who are confronted with damage to their home or business trust their insurance company to have their best interests at heart when they have to file an insurance claim.  One couple in Mission Viejo found out the hard way that this is not always the case.

According to a report from KABC, the couple’s two-story home suffered damage when water from an upstairs bathroom flooded the main floor.  Although they had just recently moved into the home, they had been using the same well-known insurance provider for 20 years.

The couple contacted their insurance company who recommended they use one of several water damage remediation companies that are on the insurance company’s premier program for water loss.  They picked one of the recommended companies to perform the work, but within two weeks could smell what they thought was mold. The insurance company informed them that mold tests were not covered under their policy so the couple paid for it out of their own pockets. The test results revealed mold contamination so the couple and their children moved out of the house.  Another large remediation company on the insurance provider’s premier program was then sent to take care of the problem that was not resolved the first time. However, the homeowners claim they did not remove the mold and simply covered it up.

The couple has now hired an attorney who has filed a lawsuit against the insurance company and the two remediation firms.  The article states the lawsuit claims breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith, fraud, false promise, intentional misrepresentation and negligence.

“Unfortunately, as a public adjuster whose entire mission is to work on the behalf of policyholders, we see cases like this all the time,” said Douglas Waldie, President of Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters, LLC. “Insurance companies luring customers to use preferred contractors that do not work in their interest, failing to investigate damages properly and thoroughly, and even sometimes providing false information to policy holders about their benefits happens all too frequently. Insurance companies and their preferred contractors are known to try and cut corners to save money.” 

A public adjuster, working exclusively for the policyholder, represents their interests to prevent situations like this from occurring.  The experts at Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters know what to look for, which includes both visible and out-of-sight damages that would likely otherwise go unaddressed.  They comprehensively detail all damages and negotiate for the policyholder to ensure damages covered by the insurance policy are properly handled.  The end result is a happy policyholder with the resources and expertise to repair their home or business.