I was told I need to mitigate further damage to my home. What does this mean?
You have a duty to protect your home from further damage, which means you need to take reasonable and practical actions to comply with your policy.
Failing to comply with your homeowner’s insurance policy’s terms can result in a full or partial claim denial. If your property sustains additional damage and you did not take reasonable actions to prevent the damage from occurring, then a claim involving that additional damage may be denied.
Mitigating damage helps protect you from getting injured and helps protect your property from further damage.
Complying with your duty to mitigate damage varies depending on the damage your home sustained. For example, if you have a broken window or door then covering the opening is a reasonable action to prevent water from entering or other types of damage from occurring. Placing a tarp on a damaged or leaky roof can also count as mitigating damage.
You are not required to compromise your safety or anyone else’s, but you are required to take action.
Document all your actions.
It’s important for you to document the actions you take to avoid the insurance company accusing you of not complying with this requirement.
- Take pictures and/or videos
- Keep receipts
- Let your insurance company know
Failing to document your actions properly can make proving you took them difficult later on. Always exercise caution and do not take any unnecessary risks. Taking out your cell phone and taking short videos and pictures is an excellent way to document your actions.
What happens when the insurance company is not reasonable?
If your insurance company behaves in an unreasonable manner, then working with an experienced property damage attorney can provide you with the legal options you need to help your insurance company be reasonable with your claim.
Valid claims deserve to be compensated appropriately.
As a property damage law firm, our goal is to provide you with a high payout so you can have the money you deserve for your damage.
Schedule a complimentary consultation today. Call us at: (855) 585-2997
