consult
X

Request a Free Consultation

Please fill out the form below and we will be in touch soon.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY

Blog Home

The Most Common Types of Property Damage Floridians Should Watch For
Posted By:

The Most Common Types of Property Damage Floridians Should Watch For

Florida’s proximity to the ocean is both a blessing and a curse. On the blessing side, our state has thousands of miles of shoreline and is home to some of the most scenic beaches in America. On the curse side, as all residents know, we’re incredibly vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms.

 

Because of this, having property insurance (especially flood insurance) is pretty much a requirement for anyone who owns a home or other building here.

 

Insurance enables you to bounce back from structural damage caused by natural disasters by helping you repair, rebuild and replace the damaged property.

 

However, it’s not only natural disasters that Floridians ought to be worried about.

There are several other ways that property owners can experience damage. In this post, we’re going to look at the most common types of property damage as evidenced by claims.

 

To find out which damage claims are most common, we looked at averages over several years in the recent past. The following events stood out as being the most frequent triggers of property insurance claims in Florida.

 

Wind and Hail Damage

 

Weather-related claims are the most common, accounting for a sizeable percentage of all insurance claims in Florida. The most prevalent of these weather-related claims are wind and hail damage.

 

Windstorms, hailstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes are the main culprits behind wind and hail damage to property in Florida. Most home insurance policies cover these perils. However, there are times when one might be required to purchase a separate policy to cover wind and hail damage – make sure you understand exactly what your policy covers.

 

Water and Freezing Damage

 

Water damage in Florida may be attributed to rain, flooding, plumbing defects, and – in rarer cases – melting ice. Freezing damage is primarily caused by snow – something, again, that most Floridians don’t have to worry much about. Still, most home insurance policies provide adequate coverage against all of these types of damage.

 

Flooding is particularly a common cause of water damage here. Flooding in Florida may occur in several ways, including:

 

  • A hurricane or tropical storm can cause a tidal surge
  • Heavy, rapid rainfall may cause water to overflow into homes, streets, car parks, etc.
  • Clogged or inefficient drainage systems may result in flooding

Plumbing failures are also fairly common causes of water damage to properties in Florida. A typical home with 2.5 bathrooms has about 13 water sources or faucets, and every one of them is susceptible to water leakage. Water that leaks inside a home may cause untold water damage – especially if it goes unnoticed for a long time.

 

Fire Damage

 

Fire is the most expensive – and perhaps the most stressful – property insurance claim. Fires do a lot of damage to properties, and they typically do it quickly.

 

Moreover, fire also brings with it additional expenses such as moving out, looking for temporary shelter, and rebuilding the property – either partially or entirely.

 

Thankfully, homeowner’s insurance was originally designed to provide coverage against fires. Because of this, it’s relatively easy to find coverage for fire damage claims.

 

Other Property Damage

 

Other miscellaneous property damage claims that are frequently reported in Florida include:

 

  • Tree falling damage
  • Termite damage
  • Falling objects damage
  • Toxic mold damage
  • Sinkhole damage
  • Lightning damage
  • Smoke damage
  • Mildew damage

Fort Lauderdale Property Damage Attorney

 

Property insurance, according to Section 624.604 of the Florida Statutes, is insurance on both real and personal property. Real property refers to your house, home, or land. Personal property refers to moveable property such as livestock.

 

Insurers should always honor legitimate property damage claims, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. If an insurer fails to settle your property damage claims as set down in your contract, you should consider taking legal action against them.

 

 

About the Author:

 

Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2017 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – and was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite” and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015, 2016, and 2017.

 

Categories
AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

SUPER LAWYERS 10 YEARS

TOP RATED PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER IN DAVIE FL
2011-2023

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

SUPER LAWYERS FLORIDA TOP 100

FLORIDA TOP 100 LAWYERS
2015-2017, 2019-2023

Super Lawyers magazine features the list and profiles of selected attorneys and is distributed to attorneys in the state or region and the ABA-approved law school libraries.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

SUPER LAWYERS MIAMI TOP 100

MIAMI TOP 100 LAWYERS
2015-2017, 2019-2023

Super Lawyers magazine features the list and profiles of selected attorneys and is distributed to attorneys in the state or region and the ABA-approved law school libraries.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

FLORIDA TREND’S

FLORIDA LEGAL ELITE
2011-2023

Now in its 13th year, Florida Legal Elite presents a prestigious roster of attorneys chosen for recognition by their peers.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

MILLION DOLLAR ADVOCATES FORUM
LIFETIME MEMBER

THE TOP TRIAL LAWYERS IN AMERICA ®

ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS GROUPS OF TRIAL LAWYERS IN THE UNITED STATES. MEMBERSHIP IS LIMITED TO ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE WON MILLION AND MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

EXPERTISE BEST CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS 2023

BEST CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS IN FORT LAUDERDALE
2016-2023

Our goal is to be a hub where qualified experts can connect with people to share their knowledge, experience, and skills.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

EXPERTISE BEST PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS IN FORT LAUDERDALE 2023

BEST PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS IN FORT LAUDERDALE
2016-2023

Our goal is to be a hub where qualified experts can connect with people to share their knowledge, experience, and skills.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

MARTINDALE-HUBBELL AV PREEMINENT

AV PREEMINENT
2016-2023

For more than 130 years, Martindale-Hubbell has been evaluating attorneys for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards through a Peer Review Rating system. Prior to the 1887 edition of Martindale’s American Law Directory, which was the first publication to provide such ratings to attorneys, there was no way of truly knowing if the lawyer you were considering to do business with was trustworthy, ethical, or skilled in the legal field.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

AMERICAS TOP 100 HIGH STAKES LITIGATORS 2022

2018-2023

Selection to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® is by invitation only and is comprised of the nation’s most exceptional trial lawyers for high stakes legal matters. For initial consideration, an attorney must have successfully litigated (for either plaintiff or defendant) a matter (1) with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or (2) with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake (i.e. bet-the-company litigation valued in excess of $2,000,000).

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

LAWYERS OF DISTINCTION

LAWYERS OF
DISTINCTION

Lawyers of Distinction members have been selected based upon a review and vetting process from our Selection Committee. After a thorough review of credentials, attorneys are nominated by our Selection Committee. Lawyers do not pay for this nomination. These potential candidates who meet the criteria of our screening process have demonstrated a high degree of peer recognition and professional competence

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

AVVO

TOP ATTORNEY PERSONAL INJURY
10.00
SUPERB

Avvo was founded in Seattle, Washington by tech-savvy lawyer Mark Britton to make legal easier and help people find a lawyer.

AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS

LEAD COUNSEL

LEAD COUNSEL
RATED

Since 1997, the Lead Counsel Rating has been available for free to attorneys who have demonstrated the following three requirements:

Professional Experience
Peer Recommendations
Spotless Record

See More Results