EDWARDSVILLE - An Edwardsville property owner is suing his insurance company for allegedly failing to cover water damage.
Joshua Lee filed a lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Erie Insurance Company and Par Restoration Services, Inc., doing business as Puroclean Emergency Restoration Services, alleging breach of contract and negligence.
According to the lawsuit, Lee claims he suffered considerable water damage to his residence and other property on Aug. 1, 2021. Erie Insurance, as the insurance provider for Lee, was obligated to provide reasonable claim adjustment services and cost to remediate the water damages to the property per policy, the suit states.
Upon requesting services, Lee claims that Erie Insurance breached its contract by failing to provide reasonable claim adjustment services to evaluate and appraise water damage and failed to provide coverage and pay for the insured damages, subcontracting an unqualified claims adjuster to perform contractually obligated damage evaluation. Lee also claims the defendant failed to properly evaluate the experience of the outside claims adjuster and relied on statements to deny the claim when the defendant should have known they were not qualified.
Lee claims he was caused to suffer expenditure of large sums of money to replace and repair property due to water damage, time and effort in an attempt to persuade defendant to pay for insured damages and arrange repairs and mental anguish.
Lee seeks a sum in excess of $50,000 plus cost of action. He is represented by Angie M. Zinzilieta of Wendler & Zinzilieta PC in Edwardsville.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 22-LA-000172