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Damages Which Are Not Sinkhole Associated
Author : Sean Hong
Submitted : 2012-01-19 18:04:12 Word Count : 581 Popularity: 9
Tags: tampa sinkhole attorney, sarasota sinkhole attorney
Two of the common damages of sinkhole activity are settling and cracking. However, it should be noted that these two damages might or may not have been caused by a sinkhole activity. Testing and insurance companies frequently incorrectly blame the damages to non-sinkhole activities. A property owner can challenge the insurance company’s choice not to procedure the claim by hiring a lawyer and/or a qualified and experienced engineering business to test the area for sinkhole activity. Also, the homeowner can also discover relevant info on how you can tell if the cracking and settling are sinkhole related or not.
In Florida, there are laws which need insurers to include sinkhole harm coverage. A crack which happens on the insured property could be covered by insurance if it has been confirmed that such crack was caused by a sinkhole occasion. Tests need to be performed to be able to figure out if a sinkhole is developing on the property or not. If test outcomes reveal non-existence of sinkhole activity then the property owner must shoulder the repair from the damage.
Cracking and settling may also be caused by shrink swell clays. You will find some sorts of clay which can swell and shrink. The clay swells when it is drenched with water which causes the houses and soils to move slightly upward. When the clay is dry, it shrinks which causes the soils and homes to move downward slightly. Like a sinkhole, shrink swell clay may also cause serious harm to properties but in contrast to sinkhole, it's not covered by many house insurance policies. However, you will find also cases when shrink swell clay is detected with a sinkhole activity. In this case, the insurer must pay for the insurance claim. Therefore, especially for Florida residents, a property owner must seek a second opinion when the insurer denies the insurance claim by claiming that it is caused by shrink swell clay and not by sinkhole.
Compaction and settlement of loose surface soils can also cause settling and cracking. Because of the heaviness of concrete slab and the house, the soil can compact and compress causing the home to sink or settle particularly when the soil exactly where the home is built is not correctly and previously compacted. Therefore, an insurance claim could be denied if it has been found out that the settling and cracking was caused not by a sinkhole activity.
An insurance company can also deny a claim if tests reveal that the cracking and settling is caused by material shrinkage. Really, it's probably the most typical excuse by insurers who don’t want to pay insurance claims. Popular reasons include thermal contraction and expansion, and drying of concrete. Although such factors are plausible, some insurance companies do not conduct testing to figure out if material shrinkage will be the real cause of settling and cracking. They only suggest such reasons as reasonable alternatives to sinkhole development. Organic soils or organics may also trigger settling and cracking. Wood, mulch, leaves, dead tree roots, and the likes can decompose which can trigger the soil to move slightly downward. This really is also another common reason insurers utilize in order not pay insurance claims.
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