Learn Ask A Question Get Help
List All Law Topics   All States   State Specific
 
 Practice Area
 Location

Free Injury
Case Evaluation
Reviewed by an Experienced Attorney
 
State where incident occurred
City where incident occurred
Please select state first.
Enter your Zip Code
 
Get A Free Case Evaluation
From An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney.
It's Fast and Free!
Personal Injury
I have a standard homeowners insurance policy (HO-3). Surely it will cover my costs related to a mold problem?

Don’t count on it. Most major homeowners insurance providers today exclude mold from standard policies, which means your pocketbook is threatened.

Whether mold contamination is covered under your policy will depend on the specific policy language and the cause of the contamination. Most insurance property policies are “specified peril” policies which means that you have to prove that the mold resulted from a covered loss (listed as a “listed peril”) (i.e., your roof was damaged and rain came in, a water pipe leaked). The costs of cleaning up mold after a fire are covered under the peril of fire, for example. But mold that is not part of a water damage claim, such as mold that has grown over years, would not be covered. If not, it is considered a home maintenance issue, like termites.

If your policy is an “all risk”, the ball is in the insurer’s court because it must show that the cause is excluded from the policy.

Most policies have a Rolodex of exclusions for damage caused by rot, pollution, wear and tear, deterioration, construction defects, and so forth. (An “exclusion" is a statement in an insurance policy which describes a condition or type of loss that is not covered by the policy.)

If the mold contamination developed because of water damage that is covered, your insurer may cover the cost. But expect a fight over identifying the most important cause of the mold contamination: is it covered or excluded? Read your policy.

HACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime. State Law Center  |  Legal Resource Directory  |  Legal Articles  |  Insurance Advice and Quotes  |  FreeAdvice Answers  |  Community Forums
Media  |  Privacy Policy  |  About Us  |  Contact Us

FreeAdvice® has been providing millions of consumers with outstanding legal and insurance information and general advice, free, since 1995. While not a substitute for personal advice from a licensed professional, FreeAdvice is available AS IS, subject to our disclaimer and conditions of use.
FreeAdvice®, AttorneyPages®, ExpertPages® are registered trademarks and units of Advice Company.
All Rights Reserved © 1995-2010