What you need to know if you’re a Florida homeowner with a house or property built before 1975.
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What To Look For If Your Pipes Are Failing
Cast Iron Pipe Failure & Insurance Claims
Most property insurance policies may provide coverage for the replacement of your leaking sewer or broken drain pipes, but the cost to replace your cast iron pipe plumbing system can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so it is important to present your cast iron pipe claim correctly.
Florida homes built before 1975 have cast iron pipes for sewage and water. These pipes will last for 50 to 75 years, but depending on the environment, pipes can corrode as early 25 to 40 years.
Florida soil makes cast iron pipes deteriorate at a faster pace than other soils due to the constitution of the soil, the salt water and the high level of moisture content.
The worst enemy of cast iron is corrosion. Over time, it can eat away at piping, causing it to crumble or burst under pressure.The other issues with cast iron pipes are that they are not flexible. Any movement, such as growth of tree roots, can cause these pipes to crack. Any number of conditions can lead to your water mains and other conduits being exposed to rust, including:
Replacing your pipes can cost you thousands. The price depends on the size of the project, materials used and labor. To add injury to insult, these pipes are often buried in the foundation slab or within walls, making it hard to visibly detect when our pipes are starting to fail and the water damage possibly happening.
Although removing all the leaky plumbing and putting in new pipes can cost the most, sometimes it’s more economical than waiting and potentially having disastrous water damage, too.
The truth is there are so many variables and factors that contribute to the deterioration of cast iron pipe. And while there’s no way to know when your pipe will go bad, there is no doubt that they will go bad.
Insurance companies in Florida have consequently faced thousands of pipe lawsuits over water damage claims involving cast iron pipes. Property insurance companies have developed a number of complicated rules over the years to deal with plumbing losses. The result is often a mishmash of coverage provisions, limitations and exclusions. Therefore, even if an insurance company says “No,” there is often a “Yes!” to be found, if one knows where to look.
There are two common reasons: timeliness and apparent damage. It’s important to file your claim as soon as the water damage becomes visible, which usually means within the first 72 hours. Otherwise, insurance companies might deny on grounds that regular upkeep was not performed on the house.
The insurance company may send an inspector to your home to assess the damage. Remember that you can also call in your own experts for estimates, which may help if you need to take legal action.
From the first phone call you make to report your claim, the insurance company has a team of professionals working above all to underpay or totally deny your claim.
Insurance companies will often try to deny or underpay pipe damage claims for, at least, one of the following reasons:
Although they often rely on these reasons to deny coverage, these exemptions many times do not “hold water” and are as faulty as the cast iron pipes sought to be repaired. Furthermore, you might receive less than the cost of repairs because the insurance company may only want to pay what is obviously damaged.
Some home insurance companies will refuse to insure homes with cast iron or galvanized steel piping or require high deductibles before a home with known problematic plumbing can be insured. Those purchasing a home with such sewer pipes may be required to have a licensed plumber to certify the system before it can be insured. It also will lower a home’s resale value and make it more difficult to find a buyer.
Our firm has litigated Florida water damage lawsuits (and other) insurance policy exclusions for over 20 years. As a result, we’ve been very successful in proving that our clients are actually entitled to full coverage for their losses. Do not accept the insurance company’s denial or underpayment of your claim without having it reviewed by a lawyer who is experienced with insurance claims.
Initial consultations with our firm are always free and without obligation. There are no out of pocket fees or costs to hire our firm for your cast iron pipe damage insurance claim in Florida, and we are only paid if we win your case.
We are committed to providing you not only with quality legal representation, but also with excellent, individualized service. You don’t have to navigate the complicated — and sometimes mystifying — insurance litigation process alone. If you live in Florida and think you have a case, please call us for a free claim review. There are never any costs unless awarded a settlement.
All Rights Reserved. Williams Law,P.A. 2019