Another damaging wind event

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Gatto Nero

I'm interested in some opinions with regard to home insurance covering dock damage from the storm. My boat was still in the water during this past storm. We found that the lines had snapped and the boat must have bounced around like a pinball inside the U Shaped dock for hours before it finally drifted free. My insurance company is denying the claim on the dock because they say the damage was due to wave action, which apparently is not covered. The damage to the dock was caused by the boat repeatedly smashing in to it, not the waves. Did the waves cause the boat to smash into the dock? Along with the wind they certainly did but it is pretty obvious from looking at both the dock and the boat that it was the boat hitting the dock that caused the damage, not the waves themselves. Is this just wishful thinking on my part or is this something that I should be able to appeal and win?

Although I've never had occasion to use one, it'd be worth a call to a "public adjuster" for insurance claims:

A public adjuster is a professional claims handler claims adjuster who advocates for the policyholder in appraising and negotiating a claimant's insurance claim.[1] Aside from attorneys and the broker of record, public adjusters licensed by state departments of insurance are the only type of claims adjuster that can legally represent the rights of an insured during an insurance claim process. A public adjuster will be most beneficial when it is clear that the insurer will pay the claim and the only issue is the proper identification and valuation of the loss. Most public adjusters charge a percentage of the settlement. Primarily they appraise the damage, prepare an estimate and other claim documentation, read the policy of insurance to determine coverages, and negotiate with the insurance company's claims handler.[2]
—Wikipedia

Following Hurricane Andrew, many insurance companies would settle readily with such adjusters. Fees are a percentage of recovery above what insurance has offered.

Damage to Florida docks and boathouses following Hurricane Irma has policy holders wondering why they bought insurance over decades.

But remember, this is The Age of Social Media!

Good luck...

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