How to claim flood damages free to our home insurance?

How to claim flood damages free to our home insurance in the recent December 2021 state flood of the century. The recent Selangor state  worst flood in decades has caused widespread devastation among Selangorian. The current high inflation cost of living is a daunting task for average families with school-aged children.

However, the thump up also broke down political and religious barriers. On a lighter note, the current government and the opposition leader hugged to share the most pressing burning issue: cleaning up the aftermath. Furthermore, recent religious debates have tarnished other faith; a small mosque has opened, catering to flood victims of other faiths, regardless of religion or race.

Has Mother Earth retaliated against us for destroying the atmosphere? If the answer is yes, we must face the music of global warming consequences. Have we not yet learned our lesson?

Free claim flood damages to our home insurance

The devastation caused by the worst flood in history is far from over, but property owners in Selangor are already faced with the daunting task of rebuilding. The amount of rain that fell over a period of days was equivalent to a month’s worth of rain. The never-before-flooded area sunk up the roof of a one-story house.

Beyond the human tragedy of seven dead, the widespread flood damage caused by the flood and heavy storm serves as an important reminder to homeowners in Malaysia. It is time to wake up to know how to protect your nest home by purchasing flood extension coverage to mitigate future loss claims.
Your home is a sanctuary for your family. Do not save a penny resulting in a fortune; it is never too late to closely reexamine your home or fire insurance policy. It does not cost you an arm and a leg to have flood extension coverage for your house, and you are content with one easy plan.

Flood damages claim from our home insurance

Let us study the critical benefits covered.

• It is wise to move to protect your home and its contents.
•  The Policy covers your building and contents against fire, lightning, flood, and other natural disasters.
• The insurer will replace your damaged items with new ones with inflated cost, provided it is less than five years old.
• It covers all the accidental damage to home contents.
•  Protect your home contents, including TV, laptop, or others, against accidental damage.
• The option covers only home contents. Customize to protect just your precious belongings.
• No one loves to see wastage of water oozing like a fountain via the bursting of water tanks or pipes, thus having the coverage for the broken pipes or water tanks. The brokerage causing damages to the building and contents can revoke this clause to compensate the loss claim.
• The Policy protects your personal belongings worldwide.
•  There is 24/7 protection for your personal belongings such as jewelry and watches and camera anywhere in the world.

  

  Flood damages exclusion clause in our home insurance

The exclusion clause the Policy does not cover.

1. Purchased landslide extension to prevent damage to building due to a landslide.

 2. Extensive damage caused by termites.

 3. Jewelry over 1/3 of the total insured amount.

What is the coverage?

Essential systems in the home include electrical and plumbing systems, furnaces, water heaters, and central air conditioners. It also includes cisterns and the water in them, solar energy equipment, water tanks, and pumps.

Appliances such as refrigerators and built-in appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers are covered—no covers for the food inside refrigerators.

Carpeting and window treatments, permanently installed carpeting over an unfinished floor, or any other kinds of carpets over wooden floors, your policy should cover them. Also, include window blinds and curtains.

Permanently installed paneling, wallboard, bookcases, and cabinets; replace your cabinets and pay only for damages. You might have trouble getting cabinets that match the older ones with the ruined and undamaged ones.

 Foundation walls, anchorage systems, and staircases are attached to the building. There is an exclusion for “loss caused directly by earth movement even if it caused it to flood.”

A detached garage can be insured up to 10 percent of your house building sum insured toward your garage. For example, the sum insured for the whole building is $1 000 000.00, then the garage is $100 000.00. This amount will be minus the total sum insured. Thus the final sum insured for building is $900 000.00 and outbuilding garage is $100,000.00 = $1 000 000.00

Personal property includes clothing, furniture, and electronic equipment—covers provided that are not stored in the basement.

Certain valuables cover items such as original artwork paid according to the agreed value subject to obtaining prior approval from the underwriter with the authentic expert report.

How to claim flood damages free to our home insurance

Other coverage, some events cover even if they’re not strictly floods, like groundwater seepage and mudslides. Includes a neighbor’s above-ground swimming pool collapsing. Water flows into your home or a water main break that damages your home and at least one other in your neighborhood. However, damage caused by a sewer backup is only covered if it’s a direct result of flooding.

You could see the uprooted tree crashing the car parking along the roadside and on the car porch during the Selangor flood. Stagnant with muddy water, snake slippery through the house making a nest, a completed wash over is an urgent task for the occupant. All those unattended houses, the expensive items, is the prime target – a riot by the drug addict when the water subsided. Isn’t it a nightmare?

How shall we protect ourselves instead of waiting for the insufficient donor or government handout that takes an age to receive? Prevention is the better cure. Help ourselves. No point in crying the split milk later.!

When entering an insurance contract, the following extension clauses are highly recommended for the householder or house owner policy.

Flood extension with a rating of 0.086%, you need to pay an additional premium of $860.00 for the sum insured of $1 000 000.00. The insurer shall compensate for your flood damage to the house structure or home contents.

Flood means:

The overflowing of water or deviate from its typical path either due to heavy downpour over a long duration, storm or man make the disaster such as deforestation.

Inundation from the main public supply or flash flood water accumulation hails outside the insured building.

Exclude the loss or damage caused by subsidence or landslip.

To complement the flood cover, the insured to add the subsidence or landslip extension clause. After the heavy convention rainfall, the soil turns to soften significantly with the root of acts the fastener of the loose soil. Condominiums collapsed like a matchbox. The Malaysian Highland tower is an excellent example due to subsidence and landslip.

For the subsidence and landslip cover, we pay an additional rating of 0.081% for the standard coverage. By paying an additional premium of $810.00 for the clause with a sum insured of $ 1 000 000.00, you would have peace of mind in the event of loss or damage to your sweet home.

The standard cover exclusion clause: Loss or damage

1. It does not cover The Swimming pools, terraces, patios, drives, footpaths, walls, and gates or fences unless the building is outbuildings or garages. Flood-damaged by the exact cause and at the same time.
2. The movement of solid floor slabs unless the foundation beneath the external walls of the buildings is damaged by the exact cause and simultaneously
3. Occur or in consequence of coastal and river erosion. Demolish or alter the structure or repair defective design and poor construct foundations.
4. No liability for the insurer in respect of every loss, 5% of the total sum insured or $25 000.00 whichever is the lower, after applying the law of averages.

Flood Insurance Calculator

However, deleting the standard cover by paying an additional 25% loading for the outbuilding like fence, gate and walking path, dog kennel and parking porch, and swimming pool costs $500 000.00. The additional premium for the sum insured of $500 000.00 would be ($500 000 x 0.081% + 25% loading to delete the item 1) $506.25. Thus we derive the final total premium for the extension peril would be ($810.00 + 506.25) = $1 316.25

Flood Damages Insurance

Damage by Falling Trees or Branches and Objects

A misfortune during the recent Selangor flood, the victim’s heart bleeding with blood found the house submerged with water, and the falling branches and trees fell on the house, the car parked on the car porch causing severe damage. Generally speaking, it is customary to see an insured claim for the loss or damage only to realize that the agent did not carry out the professional duty.

A wise move to cover the building and your car in such peril. Although it is a painful lesson learned, one can ensure this peril during the next renewal with a rating of 0.01%. Pay $100.00 for your property with a sum insured of $1 000 000.00

This Policy includes loss or damage to the property or walls, gates, and fences directly damaged due to falling trees or branches. The insured shall bear the $250.00 for any loss or damage. Don’t waste to claim when the claim falls below $250.00. If the claim is $ 3 000.00, the insurer pays you $2 750.00 for the full and final settlement of the claim. You are the insurer for the first $250.00

Removal of the debris (with the separated sum insured)

After the floodwater had receded, what remained was a dirty muddy floor. It is an eyesore to see floor carpet with mud, filthy muddy, stagnant water. Life has to go on. Have you ever think the cleaning process when hiring a worker to clean? What is the cost of this trying time? The cleaning company would demand an exorbitant fee for the uphill task, which is in great demand. Do you check your Policy for the removal of debris clause?

The additional sum insured can incorporate part of the sum insured with a separated sum. To be specific, it depends on the size of the building and the number of the floor. It can easily cost $5 000.00 upward.

The insurer pays the insured for the costs and expenses necessarily incurred with prior approval from an insurance company.

 (a) removal of debris

 (b) dismantling and demolishing

 (c) shoring up or propping of the portion of property damaged or destroyed by fire or by any other peril now insured

  (Items (b) and (c) above are deemed to delete when neither Buildings nor machinery is

 insured)

If the insured does not have a separate sum insured for debris removal, the insurer will bear 10% liability for the total sum insured. In the case of the Selangor flood, the insured can claim up to $100,000 for cleaning up the mess out of the sum insured of $1 000 000.00, provided the flood extension clause is printed in the Policy.

 Additional flood damages clause to our home insurance

Rent clause – not to overlook.

a) It applies only to the owner non-occupier to the premise if the building is unfit for occupation due to fire or other insured peril. The owner for the rental loss shall not exceed the total sum insured. Let’s say a monthly rental is $2 000.00, loss of rental for six months can recover from the insurer of $12 000.00

b) Applicable to owner-occupier of the premises, if the Selangor flood destroyed the building, the insured needs to find another home for one year before a new home is ready to move in. Rental of a similar standard home costs $1000 per month. Twelve months means the underwriter will pay $12 000.00 to the insured.

How to claim flood damages free to our home insurance?

• Stay claim; the insured must first file a police report.
• Inform the agent or insurer as soon as possible by phone, followed by an email. Any unreasonable delays could jeopardize your case. If the invisible agent is unavailable during a critical moment, which is common in Malaysia, go straight to the insurer.
• Never seek or consult the fair-weather coffee shop friend for an opinion. Please don’t waste your hard-earned money to hire a lawyer, as it is a straightforward case, not a liability that needs a court hearing.
• Liaise with the independent adjuster arranged by the insurer, let them have a thorough inspection of the whole scene, and ask for their approval for any minor repair to mitigate further loss.
• Study the entire Policy closely with the insurance agent for any exclusion an excess clause. If you have any doubts, please refer to the insurer’s advice.
• Get ready to take a video clip of the damaged item for the adjuster inspection. Remember to keep all the minor repair receipts. The video clip is of utmost importance for any future claim dispute.
• Duly completed, sign the original claim form with the repair invoice to the insurer and copy it to the adjuster to expedite the claim. Get an acknowledgment of receiving the entire claim document to avoid undue delay.
• Not to sign any counteroffer by the insurer unless you are delighted with the final claim. You can read more on How to claim Hurricane damage to your property.

Whether you are confronting teething problems, remember to stay calm and not panic, has a clear mind what the next course you need to take. Please call the insurance to send the adjuster to assess the damages claim to your house structure and the content, provided you insured the content too.

I want to emphasize here is you need thoroughly understand the content of your home insurance; any omitted clauses, please contact your insurer for doubt clearance.

Please leave your comment here so that I can reply to your answer for further improvement.