Filing a Damage Claim With a Retail Store? The Process May be More Difficult Than You Think.

8/17/2020 (Permalink)

Faulty installation of dishwasher leads to water damages in Covington home

You will probably experience a water damage event at your home at least once in your lifetime. According to the Insurance Information Institute, “about one in 50 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing each year”. The most common causes of water damage include broken pipes and malfunctioning appliances. Oftentimes, a water supply line to a refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine will disconnect and leak water throughout the home.

In the past month, our water damage restoration team has helped two homeowners who suffered a water damage loss due to the faulty installation of a dishwasher. Both homeowners had purchased their dishwashers from national retail stores and paid for installation. Typically, large box retail stores will subcontract the installation process to a local company. In each account, the dishwashers’ water supply lines were not connected correctly and caused water damages in each homeowners’ kitchen and dining room. The damages were not significant for either homeowner, but the claims process proved to be the most stressful.

So, what do you do when a subcontractor’s negligence leads to damages in your home? You can file a claim with the retail store’s claims department. The claims department will review the claim and determine if compensation will be rewarded. Keep in mind, regardless of if the claim is approved or not, you have the responsibility as a homeowner to begin mitigation as soon as possible. Homeowner’s insurance policies clearly state this, and future damages could be denied if you do not attempt to mitigate damages in a timely manner. Despite whom takes responsibility for the incident, the damages still need to be taken care of. Therefore, your first step should be to call our team to initiate mitigation promptly. Then, begin the claims process with the retail store.

National retail stores use third-party claims management companies like Sedgwick to manage their claims. And the subcontractors that install appliances often use third-party claims management companies as well. At the end of the day, you could end up with multiple claim numbers, adjusters, and little concrete information about your claim. Remember to take notes of each phone call with a claim representative or adjuster. Record the date, person’s name, and information discussed.

After the restoration process is complete, you will be required to send all documents, pictures, and mitigation invoices to the claims department for review. Our water damage restoration team documents every step of the restoration process for our customers. By choosing SERVPRO of Greater Covington and Mandeville, you will have everything you need to prove losses to the retail store and third-party subcontractor. However, in our experience, each retail stores’ claims process is slow and troublesome. You may wait months for any resolution. We will help as best we can to walk with you through this process, reaching out to claims departments and following up with adjusters often.

Please call our office if you have any questions regarding our water restoration process or need assistance filing a claim. Our office phone number is 985-871-5375.