Is Poor Workmanship Covered By My Property Insurance Policy?
Posted December 15, 2017At The Bennett Law Firm, our dedicated Oklahoma property insurance dispute lawyers want to make sure that all Oklahoma property owners fully understand their rights and responsibilities under their insurance policy. As a homeowner, you should be sure to read the specific terms of your own policy. You need to know the policy limits and you need to know what types of damages are excluded from coverage.
For the most part, damage related to poor workmanship is not covered by a standard homeowners’ insurance policy. However, there are certainly some exceptions to that general rule. Additionally, even if your property insurance policy does not cover poor workmanship, you may still have a path available to you to recover financial compensation for your damages. Here, we highlight some of the most important things that you need to know about recovering compensation for damages related to poor workmanship.
Your Homeowners’ Insurance Policy May Cover Certain Consequential Damages
While it is true that the majority of Oklahoma homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover the damages that are caused directly by the poor workmanship, these policies may still offer coverage for consequential losses. This is because many policies have ensuing loss provisions. What does this mean in practice?
Imagine that contractor put in a relatively expensive new shower system into your Oklahoma City home. In the process, the contractor installed many new pipes to support the advanced shower system set up. Unfortunately, the workmanship on this pipe work was substandard. A few weeks later, the new pipes burst. Not only are those pipes destroyed, but your floor has also sustained some major water damage. While the pipe damage would likely be excluded (as it was a direct loss caused by poor workmanship), the consequential damage, the floor damage, might actually be covered as an ensuing loss.
The Contractor Might Also Be Liable for Your Damages
Even if your property insurance does not offer coverage for your workmanship damages, you are not necessary going to be on the hook for your property losses. Indeed, you may be able to bring a viable third party claim against your contractor and/or their commercial insurance company. A contractor that caused damage to your property through their negligence should be held financially responsible for your losses. If you have questions about when and how you can hold a contractor liable for your property insurance damage, you should consult with a qualified Oklahoma property insurance lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer will be able to help you determine the action you need to take to best protect your interests.
Was Your Property Insurance Claim Denied?
We can help. At The Bennett Law Firm, our dedicated Oklahoma property insurance team has extensive experience handling complex claims, including those that involve damages related to poor workmanship. To schedule a free, no obligation review of your property insurance claim, please call the The Bennett Law Firm at 405-272-0303.