Jackson, Mississippi Water and Mold Damage Lawyers
Helping home and business owners obtain temporary advances and full compensation when storms, floods, and other events cause water and mold damage
Your home or commercial property insurance should cover water damage that isn’t due to floods. These policies generally should cover any damage due to sudden accidents. Common water damage accidents include pipes that burst, appliances that break, and plumbing problems. Home and commercial insurance policies may cover water damage due to hurricanes, storms, and other natural disasters, depending on the specific terms of your insurance policies. For flood damage coverage, you need a separate flood insurance policy. You may also need coverage for sewage backup, which may be added by endorsement to your property policy.
At McWherter Scott Bobbitt PLC, we can explain if your policies cover water damage. Our Jackson, Mississippi water and mold damage insurance lawyers work with a network of home and property professionals who can remove the water and mold. We work to fight for compensation to cover damage to every corner of your property and all your personal possessions. Call us for help today.
How can we help?
- Does my insurance policy cover the damage to my property?
- What types of water damage insurance disputes do you handle?
- Do you handle mold insurance claims in Jackson, MS?
- How do you determine the amount of my insurance claim?
- What steps can I take to reduce the risk of water damage?
- Do you have a Jackson, MS water insurance dispute lawyer near me?
Does my insurance policy cover the damage to my property?
Most homeowners and commercial insurance policies cover sudden and accidental damage, like a pipe that bursts. Our Jackson, MS water damage insurance lawyers can explain what you’re covered for and what your policies don’t cover.
What’s covered?
According to Forbes, a standard homeowner’s policy should cover the following damages/events:
- Plumbing leaks, such as broken dishwashers, kitchen or bath drains, and washing machines
- Pipes that burst in cold weather
- Gutter-related water damage, provided the damage was recent and not because of the failure to regularly inspect and maintain the gutters.
- Water damage from extinguishing fires (such as from hoses or sprinklers)
- Water damage from a leaky roof – damaged by a fallen tree or a natural disaster like a storm, provided you perform temporary repairs (such as a roof tarp) to prevent further damage
- Water damage due to hail, storms, or heavy rain (we can explain if any exceptions apply)
- Other types of water damage, including damage due to vandalism, explosions, and other dangers
What’s not covered?
Some types of damage that may not be covered include:
- Flood damage. Generally, you need a separate flood insurance policy for flood damage due to hurricanes, overflowing rivers, and storm surges.
- Lack of maintenance or repair. You can’t recover for water damage if, for example, your toilet was overflowing and you didn’t call for a repairman.
- The cost to fix the source of the damage. For example, insurance policies typically don’t cover the cost of replacing a broken pipe, but they usually owe for the repairs necessitated by resulting water damage.
- Earth movement damage. While some rain damage and other natural events may be covered, generally, you cannot recover for water damage due to earthquakes, unless available through your policy or endorsement.
- Swimming pool leaks or man-made overflows.
- Water damage due to leaks or seepage through a foundation.
- Sump pump failures or related equipment.
- Sewer or drainage backups if excluded in your policy.
- Mold is typically limited or excluded if it is the cause of loss. However, insurance companies often misinterpret the policy language and exclude costs that should be covered due to water damage.
Generally, you cannot recover for any water damage that your insurance policy specifically excludes. You may be able to seek endorsements or pay for separate policies to cover some of the non-covered items.
What types of water damage insurance disputes do you handle?
In addition to coverage disputes, our Jackson, MS water damage insurance lawyers handle the following types of insurance issues:
- Temporary advances. If covered water or mold damage forces you to leave your home or business, we help you obtain advances if available through your policy so that you can live or work in a new location, have money for necessities such as meals if you don’t have a kitchen, and the money to continue operating your business at a new location (if you have business interruption insurance).
- Your damage claim. We work with experts who understand the visible and hidden dangers of water damage and mold damage. These experts provide estimates for the cost to remove the water and mold, and the cost to repair or replace any damaged part of your property or the contents of your home. Water damage may require that you:
- Replace your roof
- Repair any damage to your walls or the siding of your home
- Repair or replace any HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems
- Remove any insects
- Remove any mold buildup
Generally, you should leave the cleanup and repairs to experts, instead of doing them yourself.
Do you handle mold insurance claims in Jackson, MS?
Mold damage is a common danger when there is water damage. You need to hire experts who can determine the proper causation and whether the damages are covered by your policy. Insurance companies often improperly rely on mold exclusions or limitations when the underlying cause of the mold should be covered. Water damage and mold cases are highly fact dependent and require experienced insurance attorneys such as those at McWherter Scott Bobbitt PLC.
Mold is a type of fungi that grows everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. It’s composed of a minuscule multicelled structure called a hyphae. At the end of the hyphae, more mold spores are produced and released. If they land on just the right surface (nutrients, moisture, and temperature), they will grow and begin the reproduction cycle all over again.
Moisture (such as from water damage) is the most important ingredient for the growth of mold. Without moisture, “mold spores will still be present, but mold colonies won’t be able to flourish and spread.”
There are three types of molds:
- Allergenic mold. This type of mold causes symptoms similar to a pollen allergy.
- Pathogenic mold. This type of mold can “cause infections or illnesses, especially in people with a compromised immune system.”
- Toxic mold. This type of mold can cause toxic reactions.
Some mold damage is irreparable. “A mold-riddled carpet, for example, will need to be ripped up and replaced. Mold in the home growing behind walls will require major construction work to remove the mold areas.”
Some of the signs of exposure to mold include difficulty breathing, coughing, tiredness, itching, sneezing, a runny nose, wheezing, and watery eyes.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
“Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.”
Our Jackson, MS water damage lawyers anticipate the arguments that insurance companies will make, such as that mold damage isn’t covered, that a cap should apply, or that the mold damage should have been repaired earlier.
What steps can I take to reduce the risk of water damage?
Forbes recommends that homeowners consider the following precautions:
- Conducting regular inspections and prompt repairs.
- Draining water heaters twice a year
- Inspecting the hoses on your various appliances
- Inspecting your roof and replacing damaged shingles
- Cleaning out the roof gutters so they don’t fill up, causing water to seep into your home’s foundation
- Installing water shut-off systems and water leak detectors
- Ensuring that pipes don’t freeze
- Removing any ice or snow on your roof on those rare occasions when winter cold causes ice or snow in Mississippi
Do you have a Jackson, MS water insurance dispute lawyer near me?
Yes. Our Jackson, Mississippi, office is located at 460 Briarwood Drive, Suite 400-101. We work with water removal professionals, mold removal professionals, investigators, and appraisers who examine the damage to your property in person. Our lawyers also talk with clients by phone and through online video platforms.
We’re here to guide you through each step of your claim.
Contact our accomplished Jackson, Mississippi, water damage insurance lawyer
At McWherter Scott Bobbitt PLC, we understand how destructive water damage can be. Once water starts flowing, it can move and hide anywhere. Our insurance dispute lawyers work methodically to assess the damage, confirm your coverage, negotiate temporary advances, and negotiate settlements so you can rebuild. We’re always ready to argue your claim in court if necessary. Please phone us or use our contact form to schedule an appointment. We also have offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.