Water damage is one of the most common kinds of damage a property owner can expect to encounter. That’s because there are many potential causes: weather-related flooding, sewage backups, busted pipes, broken windows, faulty appliances, leaky roofs, and many others.

Some property owners assume that their insurance policies cover all of these kinds of water damage, but that is often not the case. Insurance companies often insert fine print that allows them to not cover some specific and common causes of water damage, such as flooding due to storms.

Many other types of water damage are covered in the contract, but insurance companies will sometimes try to get out of paying those in full, too. Common tactics include trying to drown you in paperwork, asking for excessive damage assessments, offering lowball settlements, and outright denying claims based on technicalities.

In these situations, it’s best to contact an experienced attorney who can handle the insurance company on your behalf, so you can focus on repairing or rebuilding your property.