Blog

13Mar
2023

Exclusions: What’s NOT Included in Your Florida Home Insurance Policy?

Good on you, you dug out the paperwork and you’re rolling up those sleeves. Must be home insurance renewal time in your world.

But before you commit to a policy that offers the best rates, we need to talk about exclusions. In addition to examining what your policy DOES cover, you need to take a glance at what it DOES NOT cover. 

That’s because anyone who’s found themselves in the stressful situation of dealing with the aftermath of a devastating event at home knows that those finer details in the policy are really important. And we mean really important, as in they could affect your ability to claim compensation for replacement, repair, or medical bills.

Let’s look at exclusions and what to watch for in your home insurance policy.

What are exclusions?

While your home insurance policy is in place to protect you financially following a loss in the home, all policies contain things that are excluded from cover or limitations to the cover provided. 

Broadly speaking, home insurance policies provide two types of coverage: coverage for the repair or replacement of property caused by a covered peril and personal liability if you were injured on your property. It’s important to look at common situations that may not be covered in your home insurance policy. 

Common exclusions to claims for home or personal property include:

• Losses that result from negligence, perhaps a policyholder’s failure to maintain the property may affect coverage. A good example is damage caused by freezing pipes if the policyholder didn’t use their best efforts to keep the pipes heated or drain liquid.
• Damage caused by a manmade and natural disaster such as war, earthquake, flood, or nuclear hazard. If these perils are excluded, you would need a separate policy or a rider on your home insurance policy to cover it.
• Damage caused by shifting or settling of the soil.
• Losses caused by radiation and losses related to the loss of utility services such as electricity are excluded from most policies.
• The cost of removing bugs and vermin is usually excluded (yet the cost of repairing the damage they may have caused is often covered)
• Losses caused by violation of building codes or government laws that lead to condemnation or confiscation of a property.
• Damage caused by water leakage that continued for more than 14 days.

Taking time to get the right policy for your home

We previously covered the importance of doing your homework and getting to know your home insurance policy. You mustn’t assume that the policy covers all scenarios. So, read the small print, ask the questions, and examine the deductibles and coverage. 

Trust us, discovering a gap in your home insurance policy after a storm, flood, or fire is not the kind of surprise you want. 

Expert guidance during a dispute

If you find yourself unfairly treated and in the middle of a dispute with your insurance company, you will need legal backup. That’s because insurance companies are excellent at denying, delaying, and underpaying claims. They work hard at avoiding having to pay out, and they’re good at it.

When you have a legitimate claim and are facing a battle with the insurance company, call in the big guns. As a team of insurance claim lawyers in Florida, we know just how to handle insurance companies. We won’t let you be pushed around because of their deny/delay/underpay games. We are a legal team you can count on.

At Jenkins Law PL, we specialize in achieving full compensation for home insurance claims, and we take the stress out of making a claim. We are ready to help, so get in touch to learn more.