If you try to file a claim with your insurance company pertaining to a mold problem in your home, get ready for a hassle! First of all, you are going to have to wait for your insurance adjuster to assess the damage before you can repair it. And in the meantime, broken homes with torn roofs and other leaks are vulnerable to excessive rainwater that can make the situation much worse – the growth of toxic mold.
It happened to a Virginia family after Hurricane Isabelle. Sandra Grant had to wait six weeks for an insurance adjuster to visit her house and assess the damage. This was plenty of time for toxic mold to begin growing, forcing the Grants to abandon their condemned mobile home.
Augusta Mutual of Staunton did not have the staff to quickly handle the 2,000 claims that resulted from the storm. This was more claims than the company receives all year on average.
Grant sought damages for her home ($50,000) and for her two children who developed health complications due to the mold ($125,000 for Sheila and $300,000 for Isaac).
Grant took responsible action to mitigate the damage by putting a tarp over her roof and boarding up the windows – but it proved futile. Her hands were tied from paying for proper repairs until the tardy insurance adjuster could visit the home.
During the 11 day trial, both sides of the case paraded their own mold experts and physicians to provide testimony about the dangers or harmlessness of mold. This is a typical scene for such high stakes cases.
It seems odd that having insurance seemed to work against the Grant family rather than help them in a time of need. If they had no insurance at all then they would have immediately paid for repairs, which would have prevented mold from ever growing. Then her autistic son would not be struggling with headaches, stomach aches, and 14 different kinds of medication when he previously used none.
If you live in an area susceptible to natural disaster you should look into your insurance provider to see if they are capable of handling speedy adjustments if one should ever strike.
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