LIGHTNING STRIKE

Florida is known for its thunderstorms and they cause a lot of property damage throughout the Sunshine State. When it comes time to make an insurance claim, they are perfect opportunities for insurance companies to create a lot of hoops for you to jump through.

Contents Claims

Much like claims for Break-in, theft, and vandalism, contents claims from lightning strike can be complicated and voluminous. The difference though is that all of the items are likely still in your possession. With contents claims related to lightning strikes, your insurance company expects you to compile a list of the damaged items, citing the make and model, as well as the place you purchased it, the price you purchased it for, and the approximate replacement cost.

That's just the start.

After that, they may send an engineer to test all of the items (either to confirm what we already know, or with the intent of claiming it was broken/damaged before the lightning strike). Or worse, they may require you retain your own expert, at your own expense.

With lightning strikes, you may also have damages that present themselves down the road and be required to make a supplemental claim. If that happens, you can bet the insurance company is going to try to claim the item failed on its own and was unrelated to the prior lightning strike!

Dwelling Damages

Regularly missed in lightning strike claims are damages to the electrical system in your home, and this can be costly. It's usually the result of either damage to specific wiring, voltage that exceeds the limits of your current wiring, or repairs requiring replacement pursuant to a change in building codes. Either way, it should be covered, but likely not without a fight.

The repairs for this are pretty comprehensive and often require significant replacement throughout the home, which in turn requires removal of drywall at various locations. 

Again, these damages may present themselves down the road, at which point you are likely in for a lot of questions from your insurance company about causation and any prior issues in the home.