Resulting water damage
The damage the discharge did to your home, generally covered when the failure was sudden and accidental rather than gradual.
Florida property damage attorneys
Appliance Leak Insurance Claim Lawyer
A failed water heater, washing machine or dishwasher can cause serious damage fast. We make sure the resulting loss is covered and fully valued. And if a defect caused the failure, we look at the manufacturer too.
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Appliance leak claims
One failed appliance. Possibly two claims.
A water heater tank rupture, a failed washing machine supply line or a dishwasher hose that gives way can flood a home in minutes.
As with plumbing, sudden appliance failures are generally covered as an accidental discharge of water, while damage from a slowly failing appliance over time is more likely to be disputed as maintenance-related and excluded.
How the unit failed is the first question, and it is answered by the evidence rather than by the adjuster. The second question is who else might owe you for it.
01
A sudden failure is a covered discharge. A slow one gets disputed.
Whether the appliance ruptured or leaked over time decides how the insurer treats the water damage, and the evidence has to be read before that label is accepted.
Right after the failure
Cut the source. Keep the appliance.
The first steps protect the house and the evidence. The failed unit itself may turn out to be the most important piece.
01 /
Shut off water and power
Stop the source safely before it causes further damage. A water heater or supply line keeps running until it is cut off.
02 /
Photograph the appliance and area
Capture the failure point and the full extent of the water spread. Where the water went is the record of how much the claim should cover.
03 /
Keep the appliance and receipts
Do not discard it until the claim is resolved, in case a defect claim applies. A known recall or defect can open a separate path to recovery.
04 /
Report the claim promptly
File quickly to avoid delay becoming part of the dispute. The sooner the leak is documented and reported, the stronger your position.
Not sure how long you have? Deadlines vary by policy, but reporting promptly after discovery is always the safer approach, since delay can itself become a reason an insurer disputes the claim.
What the claim should cover
The house, everything the water reached, and possibly the manufacturer.
The policy is built to pay for the damage the water caused. What it does not pay for may still be owed by someone else.
Water damage, mold, flooring and a defect claim are separate lines. Each one has to be raised.
Mold and flooring
Mold and flooring damage that followed the leak, included in the claim rather than treated as separate problems.
A manufacturer claim
Where the failure traces to a defect or a known recall, a separate claim against the manufacturer in addition to the property claim.
Insurer and manufacturer
The policy pays for the water. A defect may owe you more.
There is often a second angle worth pursuing too. Your property policy typically covers the resulting water damage, not the appliance itself, but if the failure traces back to a manufacturing defect or a known recall, that can open a separate claim against the manufacturer. Many homeowners never realize that second path exists.
The insurance claim and the defect claim run on different facts. We look at both before either is closed.
Two claims
What we check on every appliance leak claim
The questions that decide the insurance claim and the second one.
01
Sudden or gradual?
Whether the failure was sudden or gradual, and what the evidence shows about a tank rupture or burst supply line versus a slow drip.
Whether the failure was sudden or gradual, and what the evidence shows about a tank rupture or burst supply line versus a slow drip.
02
Was the full spread assessed?
Whether the full extent of water damage was properly assessed, since a failure that floods a home in minutes rarely stays in one room.
Whether the full extent of water damage was properly assessed, since a failure that floods a home in minutes rarely stays in one room.
03
Is a defect or recall involved?
Whether a manufacturer defect or recall is involved, which can open a separate path for recovery.
Whether a manufacturer defect or recall is involved, which can open a separate path for recovery.
04
Were mold and flooring included?
Whether resulting mold or flooring damage was included in the claim rather than left off the estimate.
Whether resulting mold or flooring damage was included in the claim rather than left off the estimate.
How the two claims fit together. Typically just the resulting water damage to your home, not the appliance itself, unless the appliance failure is separately covered under a home warranty or manufacturer defect claim. We help identify whether a product defect claim against the manufacturer is also worth pursuing. That is why the failed unit and its receipts should not be thrown out.
How we handle it
We value the water damage. Then we ask who made the appliance.
An appliance leak claim is decided on how the unit failed and how far the water went. We read both, then evaluate whether a defect or recall gives you a second claim the insurer will never mention.
Talk to us about your claim01
We read the failureRupture, burst line or slow drip. The evidence decides whether the loss is a covered discharge or a maintenance dispute.
02
We measure the whole spreadThe full extent of the water damage, including mold and flooring, so the estimate matches what happened.
03
We evaluate the manufacturerIf a defect or recall is involved, we assess the separate claim so a valid path is not left unaddressed.
Getting started
Three steps, and bring the model number.
You do not need to know whether the appliance was defective before you call. Bring the photos, the receipts, and what the insurer has said.
01
Tell us what failed
Call or send a note. We ask which appliance, how it failed, and how far the water spread.
02
Learn whether there are two claims
We tell you how the insurance claim looks and whether a defect or recall opens a second path.
03
Let us carry both
If we take the matter, we handle the insurer and evaluate the manufacturer while your home is repaired.
Told the appliance itself is not covered? That is usually true of the unit. The water damage it caused is a different question, and so is the manufacturer.
Appliance leak claim questions
Plain answers on failed appliances and coverage.
General answers. How the unit failed, what your policy covers, and whether a defect is involved decide your claim.
Ask about your appliance ↗My water heater failed and flooded my garage. Is that covered?
Sudden appliance failures, including a water heater tank rupture or a burst supply line, are generally covered as an accidental discharge of water. Gradual leaking from a slowly failing appliance over time is more likely to be disputed as maintenance-related.
Does my insurance cover replacing the appliance itself, or just the water damage?
Typically just the resulting water damage to your home, not the appliance itself, unless the appliance failure is separately covered under a home warranty or manufacturer defect claim. We help identify whether a product defect claim against the manufacturer is also worth pursuing.
The manufacturer says my appliance had a known defect. Does that change my insurance claim?
It can open a separate path for recovery against the manufacturer in addition to your property claim, particularly if the defect is the subject of a recall or known issue. We evaluate both angles so you are not leaving a valid claim unaddressed.
How long do I have to file a claim after discovering an appliance leak?
Deadlines vary by policy, but reporting promptly after discovery is always the safer approach, since delay can itself become a reason an insurer disputes the claim. The sooner the leak is documented and reported, the stronger your position.
Proof and further reading
Related case results and articles
Related case results
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