Allstate faces suit from homeowner who alleges it refuses to pay water damage claim

A Chicago woman is suing her insurance company, claiming it has refused to pay for damages sustained when a pipe broke in her kitchen.

Leola King filed a breach of contract lawsuit Aug. 4 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Allstate Property and Casualty Co.

According to the complaint, King discovered a gas leak in her home on South Sangamon Street on Dec. 17, and People's Gas came to turn off the gas leading to the stove and left the gas for the furnace operational.

King claims she called her grandson on Jan. 4 because her furnace was not working, and  when he could not repair it, he removed her from her home due to the extreme cold and turned the water on in the kitchen so the pipes would drain.

The next day, the suit states, King discovered a pipe had broken, causing extensive water damage. King says she submitted a claim to her insurer, Allstate, later learning that the  malfunctioning furnace was casually connected to the broken pipe.

The suit states Allstate sent two separate adjusters to King's home but failed to come up with an estimate, before eventually denying her claim on Jan. 31 under the pretense the heat was not maintained and the water not drained from the pipes.

When King attempted to explain the heat had been operational until Jan. 4, as well as refute other evidence, she claims that Allstate refused to accept the information and closed her claim.

King says she has been unable to repair the damage to the property and forced to accrue damages related to alternative living arrangements. She accuses Allstate of breach of contract, unreasonable delay in settling claim, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violating the Consumer Fraud Act.

She is seeking more than $52,500 in damages and is being represented in the case by attorney Suzanne M. Ganier of Alexi Professional Services Inc. in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L008105.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.