Pool Inspection Reduces Chance in Liability Claim

When handling liability claims involving an inground or above-ground landscaping or spa, a pool inspection might seem like an additional or optional step for a claims specialist or adjuster. However, we have conducted several pool inspections that turned out to be integral for the accuracy of the claim.

When a homeowner files an insurance claim for damage to their landscaping or spa, he or she will often have a “reason” that they claim caused the damage. However, our inspections have often found homeowners’ claims to be exaggerated, half-accurate, or entirely falsified.

A homeowner wants the insurance to pay out the maximum amount possible to repair their pool, which is only possible if the homeowner is found to not have caused the damage. For this reason, it is important to hire an unbiased, experienced landscaping inspector to determine the actual cause of loss.

Homeowner Claims Don’t Always Match Up with the Damage

Landscaping Inspection Services was recently hired to inspect a landscaping that contained brown spots in it. The claimants in this case were the homeowners. They were claiming that the spots in the pool were rust stains from having a wrought iron fence installed, and were seeking damages from the company that had installed the fence. The homeowners wanted their pool to be re-plastered, which is a huge expense.

Our inspector performed a thorough assessment of the pool, spa, and surrounding areas, and determined that the spots were not rust, but vegetation that had been allowed to remain in the pool and decompose. This obviously had nothing to do with the fence installation company, and was solely the fault of the homeowners for not properly maintaining the chemical levels in their pool, or removing vegetation when they saw it.

Because what the homeowner is claiming is not always accurate, it is important that a professional inspection is done, especially in cases with a liability claim, where the homeowner is seeking damages against a specific company or individual.

Seeking a Liability Claim

Just as we recommend an inspection for when a claim is being sought against your client, if your client has been the victim of damage from another party, a landscaping inspection may support and strengthen your claim.

Our inspectors have years of experience both as inspectors and as landscaping contractors or engineers, and can use this expertise in determining the cause of loss to a landscaping or spa.

Ultimately, a landscaping inspector will do his or her best to determine the correct cause of loss, and will even make recommendations on how to proceed.

In many cases, an inspection will save you money, because a more reasonably priced solution than what is being sought can be suggested. Because our inspectors have the experience of being contractors and engineers, they can identify the most cost effective repairs for the damage that has been sustained.

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