Your Insurance May Not Cover Your Broken Pipes, and Here’s Why

3/21/2018 (Permalink)

If your home was recently subject to a flood because of a broken pipe, you may want to know if your insurance coverage will pay for the cost of remediation. In many instances, the answer is yes, but in a few specific circumstances, the answer is a resounding no. Why, you wonder, would an insurance company deny a water damage claim? Here are a few reasons:

• You failed to fix a broken pipe
• You failed to fix a leaking pipe
• You failed to replace a broken pipe
• You failed to take preventative measures

Insurance Agencies Don’t Cover Negligence

As with all insurance policies, there are certain stipulations to coverage. For instance, some healthcare policies won’t cover preexisting conditions or any symptoms of said conditions, and an auto insurance provider will refuse to cover the cost of a broken window if you knowingly parked in a bad neighborhood. Homeowners’ insurance companies have their limitations as well, one of which is negligence on the part of the owners.

If the insurance adjuster discovers that the flood in your home was due to your failure to perform routine maintenance or to take reasonable preventative measures, you claim is likely to be denied. For instance, if you knew that a pipe was broken but didn’t fix it, damage caused by a surge of water through said pipe may not be covered. If a pipe burst because of a known leak down the line, any subsequent damage may not be covered. If you went on vacation in the middle of winter and did not insulate exposed pipes or set your thermostat to turn on at a certain temperature, damage may not be covered.

Fortunately, there are simple steps that you can take to ensure that all damage caused by a flood is covered. Talk with your Peoria, AZ, water restoration team about possible preventative measures.