It is usually rare for a home insurance company to increase your rates or even drop coverage for your Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas home after filing a claim. This is especially true for claims out as a result of events termed as an “act of God” such as a hail storm or a tornado. In fact, the only reason you may see your rates increase is if filing your claim invalidates a discount you received for maintaining a clean claims history.
Nevertheless, there are a few scenarios where your insurer may see fit to raise rates or drop your homeowners coverage. Multiple claims in a short period of time may cause your insurer to see you as a greater risk, leading to higher rates. Some companies may even drop your policy altogether. Claims involving dog bites may also cause your insurer to refuse to renew your policy. A 2011 study conducted by the Insurance Information Institute found that dog bites made up over one-third of home insurance liability claims. In 2009, insurers paid over $412 million in liability claims due to dog bites.
In short, it is legal for your home insurance provider to raise rates or even drop coverage after you filed a homeowners claim. As mentioned before, it’s not likely that this scenario will happen unless you’ve met the following conditions outlined in the scenarios above.
If you’re in the Amarillo or Waco area, give us a call to speak to an independent agent to find out more about where you stand in regards to homeowners claims. We can also help you decrease your current rates and answer any questions you might have about your policy.
Disclaimer: The content of these blogs do not represent any type of specific coverage’s offered by the agency
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