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Austin Texas resident Scott Glover in February 2021 had 60 gallons of water pumped from his bedroom floor as a result of broken water pipes during the Winter Storm Uri. "My bed, my clothes, and many of my personal belongings were all flooded with brown contaminated water that came through my walls during the freeze. We were under a county water ban so all of this water was bad or moldy" says Glover. The resident immediately contacted his renters insurance company, RVOS Insurance to make a damage claim on his current policy.
"RVOS adjuster Brian McMurray contacted me and went over my property damages that I had submitted to them. McMurray made several aggressive comments such as 'you need to take a real good look at these damages you have listed because during my visit I WILL take your guns (listed), your guitars (listed) and your computers (listed) to salvage so that RVOS can recoup any expenses that we may have to pay' " says Glover. "I was appalled at these statements during a time of crisis. A time when an insurance company that I have been paying premiums for, for over 12 years made towards me in regards to my claim. I felt like I was doing something wrong by making a damage claim, when I indeed just watched my apartment maintenance team drain 60 gallons of water out of my residence at 1 am in the morning while it was 9 degrees outside. The thought of my insurance company coming into my water damaged residence and proceeding to take my personal property that they wanted to sell, was ludicrous".
Glover contacted Houston home insurance lawyer Eric Dick at Dick Law Firm who then immediately began representing him with his case vs RVOS. "Eric Dick confidently informed me that it is illegal for any insurance adjuster to come onto your property and take your belongings from you. If RVOS did attempt to take my belongings for salvage, for me to call the local police department. Dick stated that this was a scare tactic that insurance companies use to discourage customers from pursuing a damage claim and that I can aggressively fight this for the damages that were due."
Under representation of Dick Law Firm in 2021, RVOS paid Glover the full policy limit of his property water damage claim due to frozen pipes. "It's sad to think of how many people go through this without someone to fight for their rights as a customer and who are too intimidated to pursue a case against a company whose proprietary service is to make sure that you are adequately compensated for home damages due to a natural disaster" states Glover.
When filing an insurance claim, Texas law puts a "good faith and fair dealing" obligation on the insurance provider during the claims review. Too often, though, insurance providers continue to profit from negotiating with their insured in bad faith from refusing, delaying, or underpaid benefits without a fair basis. If your insurance provider has handled you unfairly and refused to meet its legal obligations, it is necessary to consult with an experienced bad faith attorney.