Ted A. Corless featured on Bay News 9 – Sinkhole serves as reminder to check insurance

Attorney Ted A. Corless of Corless Zinober, PLC has been featured in a cover story for Bay News 9 regarding the sinkhole occurance in the front yard of a Pasco County resident as follows:

PASCO COUNTY (Bay News 9) — Earlier this week, residents in the Beacon Woods subdivision in Hudson watched a home nearly get swallowed by a massive sinkhole. The driveway, walkway and a large part of the lawn are now gone.

The damage caused by the sinkhole could serve as a reminder to homeowners to make sure they have proper insurance coverage.

The good news for homeowners is that such damage is very uncommon. However, attorney Ted Corless, who handles a lot of sinkhole cases, said that, although most damage is more subtle, it can add up over time.

“The cost of sinkhole repair can be absolutely catastrophic,” he said.

Corless said that is why it is important for homeowners to know whether they have insurance.

In January, a bill goes into effect that allows insurance companies to automatically drop sinkhold coverage on policy renewals in Pasco and Hernando counties unless a customer specifically requests it.

“If you get a renewal notice and you notice a dramatic decrease in the premium, you had probably better discuss that with your agent to make sure you have sinkhole coverage,” Corless said.

Lawmakers said the purpose of the new rule is to bring insurance rates down, which they hope will encourage private insurers to start doing business again in Pasco and Hernando counties.

All policies will still have to cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, which will protect homeowners against major damage that leaves their homes uninhabitable. However, it doesn’t cover smaller claims.

“If you don’t have the coverage, your house is almost worthless,” Corless said.

To read the full story click the link below:
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/9/5/517309.html

To see the video coverage of this story, click the link below:
http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Sinkhole_Coverage_95

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