Friends, as the Gatlinburg area rebuilds please be careful. I have dealt with claims and been around mudslides in the past, this can be a scary time. Below are a few things learned from these experiences:
- Pay attention to where you are as the rain falls and you are assessing damage. Be aware that a mudslide can happen at anytime after a fire, it could occur weeks, months, even years from the actual fire occurrence. Also pay attention to where your family, friends, and clients are while on your premise. From a liability standpoint don’t be caught putting people in bad situations where you are found negligent.
- The ISO Property insurance policy does not cover claims defined as “Mudslide.” In most cases, to insure coverage for a mudslide properly, you must have a flood insurance policy. To complicate things even more, here is one instance where property insurance paid for a mudslide claim after a forest fire due to Direct Causation. To maintain proper coverage from mudslide, I highly recommend the purchase of a flood policy in this scenario.
It is our intention to lend help in identifying risk. With that said every situation is different. Please contact your insurance agent, or you can contact John Bailey Company for more information.