How can you Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing During a Winter Storm in the future?

What to do if your pipes freeze during a winter storm: 2024 Update

Even interior pipes can freeze in subzero conditions.

The likelihood of your pipes freezing and rupturing increases dramatically when the weather drops. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, burst pipes are one of the most frequent reasons for property loss during extremely cold weather. They can quickly result in thousands of dollars worth of water damage, or even more. If you experience frozen pipes at your home or business after a winter storm, continue reading this article.

Here are several steps you can take if your pipes freeze during a winter storm this 2024:

• Activate the faucet and leave it running. In the future, a burst pipe can be avoided by letting the faucet drip, even a little bit.
• Use a hair dryer to gently apply heat to the frozen spot. Air should be directed toward the faucet end of the pipe and progressively moved toward the coldest part. Take caution not to blow a fuse or overheat the hair dryer. Avoid using a propane torch since it might cause damage to the pipe and increase the risk of a fire.
• Don’t stop heating until the water pressure is fully restored. Keep applying heat. Even so, after the pipe has thawed, it’s a good idea to leave the faucet open for a few minutes. This will allow the ice to get far enough away from the line.
• Examine every faucet in your house to look for any further frozen pipes and prevent pipes from freezing in the future. It’s possible that other pipes have been impacted by one frozen pipe.

The pipes will probably take half an hour to thaw. This might change, though, based on the temperature, the length of time the pipe has been frozen, and its location. If none of the aforementioned actions work for you, you should contact a plumber for help.

How urgent is a burst pipe?

Put an end to the leaky pipes as soon as possible!

Even over brief periods of time, undetected burst pipes can result in significant property damage and higher water costs. Known as “water damage,” this problem can lead to flooding, damage walls and furniture, and ruin existing flooring.

Will homeowner insurance cover damage from frozen pipes?

Most homeowner and commercial property insurance policies, in general, will cover damage from a frozen pipe that bursts.

What to do if your insurance claim is denied or underpaid after a pipe burst causes water damage?

You might be able to file a lawsuit against your insurance provider if a burst pipe caused damage to your property and they either rejected your claim or paid you significantly less than the true cost of the damage. A pipe damage attorney can assist you in determining what to do next. Allow The Chad T. Wilson Law Firm insurance lawyers in Houston to defend your rights to justice and recompense. For a free consultation, reach out to us today. If your lawsuit is unsuccessful, there will be no payment due.

How can you Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing During a Winter Storm in the future?

The pipes in unheated interior spaces, such as garages, attics, and basements, are the most vulnerable. However, pipes that pass through external walls or cupboards may also freeze. The good news is that you can maintain dry conditions in your home and running water by taking a few easy steps.

The American Red Cross, which deals with emergency preparedness, and the IBHS both offer helpful tips on how to keep your pipes from freezing and how to thaw them if they do.

Why Pipe Freezing is Such a Serious Problem:

One peculiar characteristic of water is that it expands when it freezes. Anything holding it in place, such as metal or plastic pipes, is under extreme pressure from this expansion. Expanding water has the potential to shatter pipes, regardless of how sturdy the container is.

The most commonly freezing pipes are:

• Pipes that are subjected to extreme cold, such as sprinkler lines, swimming pool supply lines, and outdoor hose bibs.
• Water supply pipes in unheated interior places such basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets.
• Pipes that run against exterior walls that have minimal or no insulation.

Here are some tips to help avoid frozen pipelines in the future:

• In frigid weather, set your home’s thermostat above 55 degrees.
• Pour cold water into the faucet that is furthest away from your main valve. Water in motion prevents pipes from freezing.
• Find emergency shut-off valves.
• In locations without heat, insulate pipes.
• To warm the pipes, open the cabinets and vanities.
• Shut off the internal water supply valves.
• Open the outside spigots to allow to drain water out.
• Keep the outside valve open to allow any leftover water in the pipe to expand without rupturing.
• Turn off the water at outside spigots and remove all water from the line when freezing weather is predicted.

Water utilities are responsible for water mains and pipe lines that connect to your home, but not pipes located on your property. If a pipe bursts on your property, call a plumber immediately for repairs. Help protect your pipes from potential damage and avoid costly repairs by following these steps.

Why It’s Important To Take Your Time When Purchasing Property Insurance

While a fast settlement offer from an insurer might seem like a stroke of luck, you should keep in mind that the amount being offered may be well below what you are actually entitled to. Here are 3 reasons to think twice before accepting a fast settlement offer.

When your home or property has suffered damage, your insurance company should be there to help with repairs to get the situation remedied. Unfortunately, not all insurance companies see it that way. It’s in their best financial interest to avoid paying claims where possible even when the claims are legitimate. They will use tactics like denying, delaying, or undervaluing claims in the hopes that the policyholder will just be quiet and go away. This can include offering to cut a check right away for a quick, no-hassle settlement. Here are 3 reasons to think twice before accepting a fast settlement offer.

1. Adjusters Want The Best Outcome For Their Employer (not you) – Your insurance adjuster might seem like he’s looking out for you and maybe he/she is to a certain extent, but remember they work for your insurer and not you. They may misrepresent or intentionally misinterpret your policy to save their employer money.

2. You May Not Know The Full Extent Of The Damage – When property damage is suffered and you first file a claim you may not fully understand the extent of the damage. Things like hidden structural damage can be present without you realizing it and only later after you’ve accepted the settlement does it come to light. Situations like this can end up costing you much more than what the insurance company paid out.

3. First Offers Are Often Deliberately Low – The first settlement offer is by design a low one. The least amount they can give a policyholder to make them go away the better. If your adjuster gives you a fast settlement offer it could be a sign they know the claim is worth more.

Get A FREE Case Review

If you have recently had home or property damage and already accepted a settlement offer, but now realize it was significantly undervalued you may have a case. If your insurer acted in bad faith you may be entitled to compensation. Contact us today for a free case review.

Twice Denied Homeowners Insurance Claim Leads to New Roof

Property damage may include damage to your home, your patio furniture, your fence, your mailbox, or any other belonging to your property. How much you may be able to recover for your property damage can be determined by proof of replacement value, repair costs, the inability of use until fixed or replaced.

Having a roof insurance claim denied is common. Luckily, a roof damage claim denial does not have to be the last word. Understanding the insurance claim process and how to challenge an insurance denial is a valuable skill for every homeowner. In most situations, your homeowner’s insurance covers roof damages due to a storm. You can expect a claim rejection letter if the peril is excluded by your homeowner’s insurance policy. Knowing what your homeowner’s insurance policy excludes is very important. Some standard homeowners insurance policies (HO-3) cover common disasters, but not everything. Some insurance policies have separate wind and hail damage deductibles. Make sure to read your policy carefully to understand what damage is covered.

It Was the Other Storm’s Fault

In the spring of 2016, the Spring, Texas area experienced a wind and hail storm that damaged the roof and exterior of our clients’ home. Our clients, one a 40-year plus emergency room nurse, filed a homeowners insurance claim with their insurer who sent out an adjuster who wrote the damage off as minimal and failed to cover the damage to the roof. The adjuster claimed the roof damage was less than $1000 and under the deductible, even though other houses in the neighborhood received new roofs due to the wind and hail damage. Our clients trusted the results the insurance company provided them with and did not pursue any action after the initial insurance claim denial.

Then came Hurricane Harvey a year later and the roof leaks that followed. Our clients filed another homeowners insurance claim to which their insurance company responded by sending out another adjuster, who came back telling them the roof leaks were a result of previous damage and/or wear and tear, not the storm. That meant the insurance company most likely misrepresented the scope of damages during the first claim back in 2016. Having experience with one denied homeowners insurance claim already, our clients called us to take their case. Our own third-party adjuster concluded the damage from the hailstorm in 2016 that went unrepaired was exacerbated by Hurricane Harvey and ultimately the fault of the insurance company for not fixing the repairs before the hurricane’s impact.

Bad Faith Insurance Claim Seeks Redemption

If the insurance company had fixed the repairs to the home from the initial claim, the damages inflicted during Hurricane Harvey would have been reduced or less severe. We filed suit and sent a demand letter to the insurance company, who settled at mediation with us and provided the funds for the repairs to the exterior of the home as well as a brand new roof for our clients.

Because an insurance company has an obligation of good faith and fairness with the people it insures, those who believe an insurance company has not acted fairly and in good faith also can have a claim for common law bad faith and statutory violations. The Texas Insurance Code also provides the rules for how insurers must behave towards policyholders.

Houston Property Insurance Lawyers

Has your homeowner’s or commercial business insurance claim been denied? We can help. Representing thousands of clients against big insurance companies, our insurance claims attorneys aggressively protect the rights of the policyholder. Our consultations are free, and you owe us nothing until we win your case. Contact us today.

Any Which Way the Wind Blows in Georgia

In the path of the storm was our client, a nursing home. Wind-blown debris brought on extensive roof damage along with exterior property damage to the siding, gutters, and HVAC units. This region has a history of property damage going back as far as 1845, so for the residents of the area getting used to property damage has become routine. What is also routine is how our client’s insurer responded to the commercial business insurance claim.

Insurance Policies Versus State Laws

Some insurance companies are allowed by the state to have shorter deadlines than the state’s law allows if the parties involved can agree. Georgia’s laws have a general two-year statute of limitations, but per our client’s insurance policy they were only allowed one year to file a lawsuit.

Thirteen days after the one-year limitations period, the insurance company sent our client a claim determination letter stating they had completed their review and determined there was no coverage. Later, we filed suit on behalf of our client. The insurance company responded with a motion to dismiss – claiming we filed suit more than a year after the date of loss. Our response to the court was that we did not have the right to sue until after the determination letter was received by our client and therefore excused from the one-year statute of limitation and the court should disregard the one-year statute of limitations.

On September 30th of this year, the court dismissed the motion to dismiss citing case law, that if the insurance company continues to adjust the claim with the insured and indicates the insurance company is continuing its investigation then the insured is excused from the one-year statute of limitations.

Professional Property Insurance Lawyers

If your commercial business or homeowner insurance claim has been denied, delayed, or underpaid your insurance claim, then we can help. The experienced attorneys at Chad T. Wilson Law Firm have represented more than a thousand clients in cases against insurance companies. Our property insurance lawyers aggressively protect the rights of insurance policyholders. Our consultations are free, and you owe us nothing until your case is won. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Homeowner’s Insurance Claim Gets Back On Track

Have you had storm damage and are now struggling with a homeowner’s insurance claim?

Storm damage hits Mineola, Texas, a small community in Wood County about 80 miles east of Dallas. Mineola is a railroad town and can trace its roots back as far as 1873. With a population just under five-thousand, life in this small Texas town tends to move at a slower pace. Some insurance companies prey on these areas. Such was the case for our clients, whose home was savagely beaten by the hailstorm the night of June 19, 2019 when their home was damaged. The homeowner’s insurance claim was initially denied.

We Will Not Be Railroaded

That night hail pounded Wood County, dropping hail the size of golf balls in some areas. The roof damage to our client’s home was so severe that rainwater had penetrated through the damaged portions of the roof and saturated sheetrock and carpeting throughout the home.

After completing a homeowner’s insurance claim with their insurer, our clients’ claim was denied. Refusing to accept a denial as the outcome, our clients’ pleaded with their insurer. The insurance company in turn sent out an engineer to inspect the roof damage. The engineer’s assessment was that the property damage should be covered under the homeowner’s insurance claim, but the amount of the damage was under the deductible.

Insurance Company Has One Track Mind

Knowing that they were in for a hard fight if they wanted any form of recovery, our clients hired us to represent them. The Chad T. Wilson Law Firm sent our clients’ insurer a demand letter that let the insurer know our client’s were serious about their claim. Upon receiving the demand letter, the insurer reversed course and agreed to pay for the roof and interior damage.

Homeowner’s Insurance Claim Gets Approved

From start to finish, this case was resolved in 30 days. There was no need for mediation or court.

Texas Property Insurance Lawyers

Has your homeowner’s or commercial business insurance claim been denied? We can help. Representing thousands of client’s against big insurance companies, our insurance claims attorneys aggressively protect the rights of the policyholder. Our consultations are free, and you owe us nothing until we win your case. Contact us today.

Windstorm Rips Through Plano

June 9th, 2019 was a rough day in North Dallas. The region experienced powerful windstorms that toppled a crane, caused extensive damage to crops, and killed a young woman in Dallas. The massive amounts of ping pong ball-sized hail caused considerable roof damage to numerous properties and left thousands without power. Our client, a longtime resident of Plano, Texas was one of the many homeowners impacted by the storm.

Up, Up, And Away…

Weather reports show average wind speeds during the daylight hours at a whopping 70 miles per hour. Plano saw many of its power poles and large trees knocked down by the winds. Large tree limbs with a circumference of 6 inches are larger broke under the tremendous winds, creating considerable damage on their way down. At our client’s property, the windstorm built up enough pressure to tear the chimney off the roof, ultimately smashing down onto the cab of our client’s neighbors’ truck. Some minor water damage did occur due to the hole in the roof where the chimney used to be. The bulk of the windstorm damage happened to the outside of the home.

Experience Makes Satisfied Clients

Our client was compelled to hire us to represent them and mitigate the property damages that happened to the roof and interior of the home. We were able to hold the insurance company accountable for their role in processing our client’s claim and made them honor their contract with the insured. With a new chimney shroud and no water leaks through the roof, our satisfied client is now enjoying the closure and payout that comes from hiring one of our experienced insurance claims attorneys.

Houston Property Insurance Lawyers

We can help with your homeowner’s insurance claim denial. Our experienced property insurance attorneys have represented more than 1,000 clients in cases against insurance companies and aggressively protect the rights of insurance policyholders. Consultations are free. Contact us today.

A Houston client was forced to sue her insurance company, Allstate, because of the mismanagement of her claim and the actions of Allstate’s engineer and two of their adjusters. Allstate underpaid the claim after our client was initially told that all storm damages would be covered. Allstate then had a second inspection and hired an engineer to try to underpay our client and blame her for the interior damage to the property.

Thunderstorm Brings Violent Storm Damage

On February 25, 2018, a swath of thunderstorms pummeled the Houston area, filling the sky with lightning and torrential rains. Many residents experience power loss for several hours as a result of the high winds. The windstorm tore shingles from our client’s roof, which resulted in a leak that developed into pools of water on the kitchen floor. The water damaged the walls and flooring of her home.

Double Talk And The Run Around

At the initial inspection, Allstate’s representative told the insured that the damages were storm-related and would be covered under the policy. Instead of issuing payment, Allstate sent out a second adjuster who reviewed the damage and pinned the interior damage completely on our client. This second adjuster stated that there was damage to the roof,  but none of the interior damage was a result of the storm.  After months of no response from Allstate, they hired an engineer to justify the findings of the second adjuster.

Our third-party adjuster reviewed the damage just as Allstate had and determined there were some $12,000 in damages that Allstate had missed. Through our efforts, our client was able to replace the roof and repair all of the interior storm damage.

Houston Property Insurance Lawyers

Has your homeowner’s insurance claim been denied? We can help. Representing thousands of clients against big insurance companies, our home insurance claims attorneys aggressively protect the rights of the policyholder. Our consultations are free, and you owe us nothing until we win your case. Contact us today.