What Does My Texas Homeowner's Insurance Cover?

You might know that you are paying a premium for homeowner’s insurance (HOI) but, if you are like most people in Texas, you probably don’t know what is covered, exactly. In your defense, this is not your fault. Insurance companies like to use either vague language to keep you wondering, or overly-complex legalese to deter you from reading your policy contract at all. If you are running into trouble with your insurance company now, or if you are just worried about hitting major snags in the future, you should know now what is usually covered in homeowner’s insurance in the state of Texas.

What Payments Can I Collect?

The average homeowner’s insurance policy will pay you for damage done to your home, adjacent structures (like a garage), and personal property, such as appliances, clothing, and large pieces of furniture. They also usually compensate you for basic living expenses and shelter if your home is deemed unsafe or unlivable while it is being repaired. Lastly, your HOI probably helps you in case someone sues with a premises liability claim, meaning they get hurt on your property. If they win their case, your HOI will cover up to a certain percentage of their winnings, as well as some of their medical bills.

What Events Trigger Coverage?

Not everything is covered under a standard homeowner’s insurance plan, such as damage caused by your own behavior; you can’t throw a rock through the window and expect them to pay for it. However, most common occurrences are, or if they are not, you can add them to your policy for an additional cost.

Most homeowner’s insurance policies will cover losses caused by:

• Fire and explosions
• Lightning
• Theft, vandalism, or criminal mischief
• Vehicular crashes
• Windstorms
• Hurricanes
• Hail (may be excluded due to geographic location)
• Unexpected water damage

One of the biggest sources of contention with insurance plans is damaged caused by water. The average plan will cover “unexpected” water damage but will not include water damage caused by burst plumbing or seasonal flooding. Although common sources of water damage, they generally need to be added onto HOIs, if they can be purchased at all.

Are you butting heads with your insurance provider? Do you think they should reasonably cover the damages to your home? You don’t have to concede just because they are a big company. Get an attorney who is just as stubborn as they are on your side! Call833-7RIGHTS today to retain the services of our Houston insurance bad faith lawyer, Mr. Eric Dick. With our team in your corner, compensation and recover after a disaster could be on the way!