Deerfield Beach Mold Damage Claims Adjuster

If you own property in Florida, the word “mold” probably fills you with dread. No one wants a mold infestation in their home or business, with the potential health risks and damage to property it can cause.

You may think you’re protected by home or business insurance, and in many cases, these policies do cover mold—at least in theory.

Unfortunately, the reality is that getting a claim approved for mold damage can be very challenging. Many of these claims are rejected by an insurance company adjuster who says there is not enough evidence that the damage was caused by a covered event (usually water damage) rather than the owner’s neglect.

How Can a Deerfield Beach Mold Contamination Claims Adjuster Help?

Did you know you can hire your own public claims adjuster for your insurance claims, including those involving mold contamination issues?

It’s easy to assume that the insurance company’s adjuster is the only option, but that’s not the case. You have a right to hire your own public claims adjuster for a second opinion or a first look at your case.

How Is a Mold Damage Claims Adjuster Different Than the Insurance Company’s Adjuster?

A public mold damage claims adjuster works for you, not the insurance company. An insurance company’s adjuster will look for reasons to deny your claim—in the case of mold, they will often point out other ways the mold could have developed, usually involving the policyholder’s negligence.

Your public claims adjuster will carefully examine the mold and other areas of the home, documenting evidence of the water damage that started the problem. We’ll also analyze your insurance policy to learn precisely what is and isn’t covered.

Next, we’ll help you assemble a fully documented claim demonstrating exactly how water damage caused the mold. But our help doesn’t stop there.

Even if the insurance company accepts your claim, they may try to lowball you by undervaluing it. In many cases, they recommend replacing a small area or item when the mold may have already spread to surrounding areas, rendering the suggested solution useless.

We will estimate the full cost of repairs or replacements needed to clear the mold problem. You don’t want to accept the insurance company’s offer only to find the mold is back again in a few months—and this time, without an easily documented link to the earlier water damage.

For this reason, your claims adjuster will fight to get you the compensation you deserve by negotiating with the insurance carrier and explaining the need for more advanced efforts like the replacement of a larger area. 

Common Issues With Mold

Often, people want to know why mold claims are so tricky. With other types of claims, there is usually an easy path from A to B: For example, your house catches on fire, two rooms suffer structural damage, and four appliances are damaged.

You take pictures of the burned rooms and appliances and send them to your insurance company. There is still the possibility that the insurance company will reject or undervalue your claim, but it’s at least easy to see that a fire caused the damage.

But with mold, the damage may not be apparent right away. You might not realize you have a mold problem until you smell something funny, develop allergies or breathing problems, or discover a large patch of mold in a poorly trafficked area.

Now, how do you prove that the mold was caused by water damage that may have occurred weeks or months earlier? What if you’re not even sure when or where the water damage happened?

In some cases, it isn’t clear to the homeowner what triggered the mold problem. They may not have been aware of a small leak until they found the mold.

Or, they might have thought they cleaned up all the water after a pipe burst or the roof leaked several months ago.

There are several steps you can take to make things easier in the event that you have to file a claim for mold damage:

• If you have a problem involving uncontrolled water or moisture in your house—such as flooding, burst pipes, overflowing sinks, leaking roofs, plumbing leaks, or even condensation—clean and dry the area promptly. Using a cleaner that contains bleach or is intended to kill mold is recommended. Afterward, keep the area as well-ventilated as possible—if the area has poor airflow, adding a fan may help. Dehumidifying products may also be beneficial. (Please note that these steps are only helpful for prevention immediately after a water event—do not use them if you already have mold.)
• Throw away any soft items that can’t be cleaned and dried quickly, such as mattresses, blankets, and carpets.
• Even after cleaning and drying the area, check it regularly, both for signs that the leak/moisture has returned and for signs of mold.
• Take pictures of any areas that show signs of water damage, such as stains or discoloration. It’s also helpful to capture images of how the damage occurred, like a hole in your roof, for example.
• Call a claims adjuster immediately if you see signs of water or mold damage to get an accurate estimate of your damages. Don’t try to remove the mold yourself with bleach, varnish, or by painting over it—you’ll need the help of a professional mold removal specialist. Using fans or removing mold-damaged items yourself could spread the mold spores further and increase your exposure, leading to a higher risk of health problems.
• Consider staying somewhere else, like a hotel or a friend’s home, until you can get the mold professionally removed. Even if you’re not having health problems yet, you don’t know how quickly the mold spores will propagate and when it might affect you—never assume you’re immune.

What Health Problems Are Associated With Mold Exposure?

Molds release a number of allergens that may affect people in different ways. Some people are more prone to allergic reactions than others and may experience hayfever-like symptoms—sneezing, coughing, itching eyes, runny nose, skin rashes, etc.

Those with asthma or breathing problems may also be at increased risk of difficulties when inhaling mold. Even people who are not allergic to mold may develop symptoms of irritation in the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs if exposed to a high amount of mold spores.

If you start to experience allergic or respiratory symptoms you don’t normally have with no apparent explanation, it may be a good idea to look around your house for signs of water damage and mold.

What If the Insurance Company Already Rejected Your Mold Damage Claim?

This is not unusual. As we discussed earlier, insurance company adjusters are always seeking an excuse to deny any insurance claim.

When policyholders submit mold claims, they often include pictures of the mold, but the insurance adjuster doesn’t see any proof that a specific, covered incidence of water damage—such as a flood or leaking roof—caused the problem.

They reject the claim, leaving the policyholder wondering what to do.

If this happens to you, don’t call and argue with the insurance company claims adjuster. They will only pick apart what you say and look for more excuses to deny your claim.

For instance, they might seize on an offhand comment and interpret it to mean that you were negligent in caring for your home.

Instead, call a mold contamination claims adjuster for a free inspection and insurance policy review. We’ll go over the mold-affected area and surrounding spaces, seeking out the cause of the water damage and taking pictures as we go.

When we’re done, we’ll read your insurance policy, and then we’ll be in a position to help you prove that water damage caused the mold. Our knowledgeable and highly trained inspectors are experienced in presenting your claim, so it will be much harder for the adjuster to deny that the water damage caused mold damage.

Who Should You Call if You Need Help From a Mold Contamination Claims Adjuster?

Please contact Pinnacle Claim Services for a free inspection and insurance policy review. Once we’ve completed these steps, we’ll explain your options for seeking compensation or appealing a claim denial.

If you choose to move forward with our help, our inspectors can take the burden of dealing with the insurance company off your shoulders. We’ll negotiate with the insurance company reps, pushing back on lowball offers and demonstrating why more advanced mold removal remedies may be needed in your case.

If your adjuster is constantly “busy” or doesn’t make your claim a priority, we’ll keep reminding them of their obligations until they respond. Remember, we won’t charge you anything until we settle your claim.

Our claims adjusters are all educated in mold damage and removal and experienced in reading insurance policies. They regularly continue their education and stay up-to-date on the latest insurance trends.

Additionally, our adjusters have spent years working on claims involving mold, water damage, floods, burst pipes, leaks, and other situations that can lead to mold contamination. Please call 954-466-2954 today to find out how we can assist you with your mold damage claim.