Property Damage Due to Age, Not Storm

Successfully represented a homeowner's insurance carrier in a claim for breach of contract before a federal arbitration panel in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiff husband, a former Philadelphia sports figure, and his wife claimed that a storm with strong winds "racked" their 5,000 square foot home, causing interior water damage and structural defects. The plaintiffs made a claim for repairs in almost every room of their house, including a new roof, with damages in excess of $100,000. The plaintiffs presented testimony that the damage was "sudden and accidental" within the terms of the insurance policy. The defense established, through testimony of expert witnesses, that the destruction claimed was related to the age of the home and original installation defects, and not to a wind/rain storm.