The damage from the Green and White River levee failures isn’t just storm-related. It’s an infrastructure failure, and you have the right to seek accountability.
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When rising waters threaten your home or business, the stability you’ve worked so hard to build can feel like it’s being washed away. Recent atmospheric rivers have caused significant flooding across Washington, with levee breaches along the Green River impacting communities from Tukwila and Auburn to Maple Valley and Puyallup. If your property has been damaged, you may be facing a complex insurance claim process and an uncertain financial future.
Seeking guidance from a flood damage attorney in Washington can be a critical step in protecting your rights and your property. At Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess, we focus on developing practical strategies to resolve complex property and insurance challenges.
When you have a lot at risk, you need a legal team that is motivated by your best interests. We built our firm on the principle of providing intelligent and wise counsel, helping you understand not only what you can do, but what you should do. Our attorneys are dedicated problem-solvers who devise tailored solutions to protect your financial interests. We believe that integrity still matters, and our advice is driven by our values, not our bottom line.
Here’s how our team stands ready to assist you:
Decades of Focused Experience. With over 100 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys possess a deep understanding of real estate, property damage, and insurance law in Washington.
A Commitment to Puget Sound. For more than 25 years, we have served individuals and businesses throughout our communities, with offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia.
Aligned Incentives. We structure our teams so our goals match yours, balancing strong advocacy with thoughtful guidance when it serves your best interests.
Our mission is clear: we solve problems. When you work with us, you gain an unwavering ally focused on achieving the best possible resolution for you.
Ask Your QuestionThe relentless series of atmospheric rivers has left many communities in a dire situation. We are seeing the direct impact on our neighbors as record rainfall leads to major flooding, levee breaches, and landslide risks across the Puget Sound region. From the Green River levee failure affecting Tukwila and Auburn to the White River flooding in Pacific, property owners are facing unprecedented challenges.
The consequences of these weather events are extensive and create complex problems for residents and business owners, including:
Structural Damage: Significant damage to homes and commercial buildings caused by rising floodwaters.
Infrastructure Failures: Losses directly tied to the failure of levees, flood barriers, and other public infrastructure.
Landslides and Soil Erosion: Damage resulting from saturated ground conditions, which often creates unique insurance and liability challenges.
These events often raise difficult questions about insurance coverage, the responsibility for maintaining public infrastructure , and the best path toward financial recovery.
If your home or business has been affected by flooding and you need guidance navigating insurance claims or property damage issues, get the experienced legal support you need from our Washington property damage attorneys. Call us today at (206) 621-1110 .
After floodwaters recede, property owners often face the difficult task of assessing the damage and beginning the recovery process. This period can be filled with challenges, especially when it comes to insurance coverage.
Coverage for this type of event typically comes from a separate policy, often through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) , which is administered by FEMA.
A property damage lawyer for flood can help you review your policies to determine the extent of your coverage and identify the responsible parties. This is particularly important in situations involving infrastructure failures. For example, if your property was damaged due to a levee failure or issues with a municipal drainage system, the path to financial recovery can be intricate.
Filing an insurance claim should be a straightforward process, but sometimes it isn’t. You may find your claim is unfairly delayed, undervalued, or denied altogether.
Common reasons for an insurance claim dispute over flood damage include:
Scope Disputes: Disagreements over the extent of damage or the cost of necessary repairs.
Coverage Denials: Claims that the damage resulted from a non-covered cause.
Documentation Issues: Allegations that required information or proof was not properly submitted.
In some cases, an insurer’s conduct may rise to the level of bad faith. A bad-faith insurance property claim attorney can assess whether your insurer has handled your claim properly and advocate for the full compensation you are owed.
The recent flooding in King and Pierce counties has highlighted the serious consequences of infrastructure failure. When publicly maintained structures fail, the resulting damage can be catastrophic.
In these situations, a government entity may bear responsibility. One important legal concept is inverse condemnation.
Inverse condemnation flooding in Washington occurs when government action or inaction results in damage to private property without fair compensation. A levee failure property damage attorney can help determine accountability.
If your property has sustained damage, taking clear and immediate steps can help support your claim:
Document Everything: Take extensive photos and videos of all damaged areas and belongings before cleanup.
Report the Claim Promptly: Contact your insurance company quickly and keep a detailed communication log.
Mitigate Further Damage: Take reasonable steps to prevent additional harm and save receipts for temporary repairs.
These actions can provide a strong foundation for your claim and help you move toward recovery.
Sewer backups can cause significant water damage and may be covered under specific provisions in your homeowner’s insurance policy or through a separate endorsement. In some cases, if the backup was caused by the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system, the municipality could be held responsible.
The statute of limitations varies depending on the type of claim. It is crucial to act quickly to avoid missing important deadlines that could limit your ability to recover compensation.
Helpful evidence includes photos and videos of the damage, a detailed inventory of losses, repair estimates and receipts, and correspondence with insurance companies or government officials.
Landslides and earth movement are often excluded from standard insurance policies and may require separate coverage. Determining how your policy classifies this type of damage is an important first step.
Coverage depends on the terms of your policy. If the flood is a covered cause of loss, related business interruption losses may also be covered, but policy language varies.
When facing the challenging process of recovering from a flood, you need straightforward advice and a dedicated advocate. The attorneys at Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess are here to help you understand your options and protect your financial interests.
We are problem-solvers committed to finding practical solutions for property owners in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and throughout the Puget Sound region. Contact us through our website or call (206) 621-1110 for a consultation.
