Allocating Damage When a New Loss Arrives Before the Previous One Has Been Repaired
Back-to-back seasons often put a second storm on a house before the first repair is done. How to separate the two claims so the same damage is not paid twice and the new damage is not denied as old.
Named Storm and Percentage Wind Deductibles Showing Up in New Places and the Math Policyholders Did Not Plan For
A flat $1,000 deductible is no longer the number on a growing share of policies, including policies well inland. How percentage wind and named-storm deductibles are calculated, why the trigger language decides whether they apply, and what to say when the deductible exceeds the repair.
Separating Drought Shrinkage Plumbing Leaks and Excluded Earth Movement on a Foundation Claim
After a long dry spell, brick cracks and doors stick, and the homeowner reports a claim. Four causes produce the same cracks. How to separate drought shrinkage from a slab leak, and which answers the policy will pay.
Debris Flows, Mudflows, and the Coverage Split Between Earth Movement and Flood on a Burn Scar
A house can survive the wildfire and still be wrecked by the first hard rain on the burned slope above it. Why one neighbor's flood policy pays and another's homeowners policy does not, and what to document before the debris is hauled away.
Reading Shingle Damage Cosmetic Endorsements and Storm Chasing Contractors in Markets That Used to Worry About Rain
Damaging hail is falling on roofs specified for wind and rain, in cities whose contractors built their businesses on hurricanes. How to read a bruised shingle, apply a cosmetic-damage endorsement, and deal with the roofer who got there first.
