Tampa Property Insurance Disputes Blog

As you know, Florida homes are highly likely to sustain damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. Even mild water damage can wreak havoc on your house, especially if mold begins to grow inside your walls or along the baseboards where you may not immediately notice it. Mold, wood rot and other forms of water damage could make it necessary to replace the drywall inside your home. If your home underwent renovations in the past and that included new drywall, you may want to find out if it was imported from China.

What is so bad about Chinese drywall, you may wonder? USA TODAY cautions that much of the drywall imported from China contains hydrogen sulfide, which, reports say, corrodes metal and impacts residents’ health. Chinese drywall is prevalent in homes throughout the South, especially in Florida, that sustained damages during the 2004-2005 hurricane seasons or underwent renovations between 2001 and 2009. This is because, during those times, American-manufactured drywall was in short supply. Contractors and builders had to use drywall imported from out of the country, particularly China.

The whole nation watched this year as one of the most expensive hurricane seasons in the U.S. hit Puerto Rico, Texas and right here in Florida. After the winds have died down and the dust has settled, these regions are left to clean up the damage.

This season's damage is currently estimated to be worth $202.6 billion. This is just behind the 2005 season, which reported $211.2 billion in damage, according to the National Weather Service.

Property owners in Florida are well aware of the natural hazards of hurricanes, floods and high winds. Storms that bring these disasters are especially dangerous because they often come with little warning. However, another concerning risk for landowners can come with no forecast at all. What is this unseen threat to property owners?

Sinkholes, depressions in the ground caused by a collapse of the earth's surface layer, are appearing around the country at an alarming rate. Locally, a report of sinkhole activity has down an events venue in Spring Hill as owners evaluate a solution to "the instability of the ground," according to Tampa Bay Times.

How can video evidence help my homeowners' insurance claim?

If your home has been damaged by a fire, flood, windstorm, accident, or any other disaster in Florida, it will be critical for you to provide your homeowners' insurance company with a detailed inventory of your losses. For many homeowners, this is an overwhelming task. With some advanced planning, you can make the inventory process a breeze through the use of video evidence. Our Tampa, Florida property claims lawyers provide a step-by-step guide to documenting your property with video and offer a look at how video evidence can help substantiate your homeowners' insurance claim.