Month: January 2021
What auto insurance is required in Florida
When you own a car, it comes with some responsibilities to carry auto insurance. What exactly those responsibilities depend on the state you live in. Insurance requirements are determined on a state level, so if you move, never assume the requirements you had in your previous state are the requirement in the state you have moved to. At Atlantis Insurance Inc. in West Palm Beach, FL, we have decades of experience, and we make sure our customers know the Florida auto insurance requirements and are in compliance.
Florida is a no-fault state. This adds another dimension to required auto insurance. The required coverage is PIP (Personal Injury Protection) and PDL (Property Damage Liability). PIP coverage protects you personally in the event of an accident, and it doesn’t matter who is at fault. Keep this in mind when determining what amount you feel comfortable with. PDL pays for damage caused by you to someone else’s property. Florida residents require these two insurances before they can register a vehicle with four wheels.
The minimum amount of PIP you must carry is $10,000. Keep in mind this insurance only pays 80% of any injuries, so you would still be responsible for $2,000. PDL coverage must also be a minimum of $10,000. Before you accept this as reasonable, consider the average cost of auto repairs or replacement, especially if it is a newer vehicle you damage. You must maintain this coverage even if your vehicle is stored and not being driven or inoperable. Failure to do this could result in your driving privilege and your registration being suspended for as much as three years, and you could be fined up to $500 to reinstate your driver’s license or registration.
Contact Atlantis Insurance Inc. in West Palm Beach, FL for all your insurance needs. We are independent agents and can offer you more choices and the best deals.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage?
One of the major causes of destruction to homes and personal belongings is water damage. Water damage is recently becoming a common threat. That is why homeowners are seeking ways to remedy it. To achieve protection, homeowners look to home insurance.
However, having home insurance doesn’t mean that you have cover for all forms of water damage. People often ask does homeowner insurance cover water damage? The answer is both yes and no.
Most standard home insurance policies have the same regulations when it comes to water damage. They do not cover all types of water damage. You need to know how to handle issues concerning water damage before you can get your claims.
You should have a better knowledge of the type of water damage that your policy covers. Knowing this will help you to put up ways to protect your home from water damage, says RentSmartUSA. Homeowners who are unaware of this usually find it disappointing when their insurance doesn’t pay for the damages.
Often, your insurance may not pay because that water damage is not in the standard policy.
Criteria for water damage cover
To qualify for water damage coverage under a standard policy, you have to meet the following criteria:
- The water damage should not be from sources outside the home.
- Poor maintenance or negligence should not be the cause of water damage.
- It should not be a case of flooding from water bodies or oversaturated ground.
- The water damage should not be from a gradual issue, for example, a leaking sink.
- It should be from sudden and internal causes such as burst pipe.
What type of damage does home insurance cover?
To get water damage coverage under the standard insurance policy, the cause must be immediate, internal, unforeseen, and accidental. Thus, standard home insurance covers water damage from the following cause:
Pipe leaks
Your standard home insurance will cover water damage that results from a sudden burst pipe. Such pipes must have previously been in good condition. It should not be from a pipe that had a poor maintenance status.
When frozen pipes lead to a burst and water damage, your home insurance policy will cover it. But there should be proof that during the burst, your home had adequate heating.
Water damage from storms
Your home insurance will provide coverage if water enters your home through a broken window during a rainstorm. However, if water enters through a broken window, it shouldn’t be because you did not replace broken windows before the rainstorm.
Water damage while trying to extinguishing a fire
In the event of a fire, your sprinklers or firefighters will spray water into your home to extinguish it. The fire extinguishing process can cause water damage to your home and properties.
Your standard policy will cover this type of damage. However, it will not cover it if the fire outbreak was due to your carelessness.
Leaking appliances
Some appliances that make use of water can break down and cause water damage to your home. For instance, a piece of cloth can block the overflow hose of your washing machine. Such an incident can lead to flooding of the property. Your standard home insurance will cover the damage after excluding that it wasn’t from your negligence or carelessness.
Water damage from sudden roof leaks
If your roof develops sudden leaks that result in water damage, your insurance will cover this damage.
Vandalism
If there is water damage to your property due to vandalism by other people, standard home insurance will provide coverage.
Types of water damage that your home insurance doesn’t cover
Below are the types of water damage that you should not expect coverage from standard home insurance:
- Water damage resulting from swimming pool leakage or similar structures.
- Damages from intentional acts.
- Poor maintenance issues that lead to water damage.
- Backed-up sewers or drains.
- Flooding from natural disasters like tsunami or hurricanes.
- Earth movements that cause water damage, for example, mudslide, landslide, and earthquakes.
- Sump pump failure or related appliances causing water damage.
- Water damage from leaks or seepage through the property’s foundation.
It is also necessary to note that the cost of fixing or replacing the source of water damage is not under coverage by your standard home insurance.
For cases that are not under the coverage of standard home insurance, we recommend that you pay the premium to obtain additional coverage. The additional premium will cover cases such as flooding, ground seepage, sewer backup, natural disasters, and so on.
In a nutshell: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage?
Homeowner’s insurance will only cover water damage depending on the type and cause. Standard home insurance does not cover all forms of water damage. However, if you need additional coverage for water damages, paying a premium will be beneficial.
