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Legal help for flood affected

Date : 18 Jan 2011

Those affected by the recent Victorian floods should lodge an insurance claim even if they think they may not be covered for flood.

'Many insurance policies exclude flood but will cover other water related damage so people should lodge a claim regardless,' said Victoria Legal Aid senior lawyer, Ms Jenny Lawton.

'Even if your insurer rejects a claim, it may be possible for the decision to be independently reviewed for free by the Financial Ombudsman Service,' she said.

Ms Lawton said that even if people had received a verbal ‘no’ when claiming for flood damage, they should still lodge a claim.

'When there is a  major flood, the Financial Ombudsman Service will often ask for a report from an independent water expert to establish if the damage was caused by rainwater or stormwater.

'Many Australians are not aware of their rights when dealing with insurance companies and can face a difficult time proving the cause of their loss,' said Ms Lawton.

Victoria Legal Aid can assist people affected by the recent floods in Victoria by providing legal information about insurance and related issues.

Victoria Legal Aid staff can provide free telephone information and help with:

  • insurance claims processes and disputes
  • renegotiating credit commitments due to loss of income
  • dealing with your insurance company
  • the Insurance Code of Practice
  • tenants and landlords obligations where the property is quite damaged or unfit to live in
  • general guidance on safety and liability matters.

Contact us

Victoria Legal Aid provides free legal information by specially trained staff to flood affected people across the state via its Legal Information Service on (03) 9269 0120 or 1800 677 402 (rural callers). Its hours of operation are 8.45 am to 5.15 pm and access to telephone interpreters can be arranged.

Victoria Legal Aid also has a number of resources on its website including fact sheets available below.

Flood recovery contact list - PDF, 66.0kb Services that can help people affected by floods
Storms, floods, insurance and you: getting your insurance paid - PDF, 270.0kb Information about your insurance in relation to storms and floods.