Important Info for Homes Built Before 1975 | PipeLawsuit.com

Mark Nation: If your house was built before 1975, more likely than not you've got a cast iron pipes plumbing system. When that plumbing system was originally installed, it had the capacity to handle all of the sewage and water that comes out of your house. Unfortunately, over time, those pipes begin to corrode and they begin to leak underneath the house usually and they're unable to handle the volume they once did. This results in backups into the house or leaking behind walls or under the floors. If that's happening in your house, let me look at your insurance policy and let me have our plumbing team come out and inspect your plumbing system. You see, your homeowners insurance policy probably has a clause in it that requires the insurance company to tear out and replace the plumbing system in the event that it is corroded and causing backups. Even if it's a small backup, we've been successful where there's been a small backup into the bathroom and then that's reported to your insurance company, and the insurance company then is required to tear out the old system and then put your house back together afterwards and pay the cost for that. That's a very valuable protection that you've bought for your family. The failure to do that now, let's say you're having problems and you just ignore it. The problem is, when you go to sell your house the broker for the buyer and the mortgage company for the buyer, they all know that these old plumbing systems need to be replaced and they use that against the seller and they try to get the price, or they can, try to get the price negotiated down for the cost of replacing the plumbing system. In that circumstance, you may have to pay for that cost but right now your insurance company owes it. Another thing that's happening is insurance companies are removing this coverage because as the pipes age they know the problems and the cost involved and they don't want to pay for it anymore, and so we're seeing insurance companies remove that very valuable coverage. As long as there has been a water leak or a loss before that language gets changed, we'll be able to help you. Just so you know, some of the fixes that they've tried to implement at this point have not been successful. We've been very successful in going into court and having some of their attempted changes rejected. For instance, if your insurance company says that the most they have to pay for a water loss is $10,000 and yet now you know the plumbing system's going to have to come out and that may cost 50, 60, $70,000 or more. The insurance company may have told you, well the most they to pay is $10,000. We've been very successful in getting that defeated because that $10,000 water damage liability endorsement on your policy does not apply to the cost of tearing out and replacing the portions of the building necessary to access the plumbing system. If that's happened to you, your insurance company said the most you can get is $10,000, let us look at your insurance policy and your claim for free. If the insurance company is doing the wrong thing, we'll let you know. Speaker 2: Morgan & Morgan, for the people.