Our client, a commercial building owner, was forced to file a lawsuit against American National Property and Casualty Company (“American National”) after its hail damage insurance claim was wrongfully denied under Texas law.
April 2016 San Antonio Hail Storm
On April 12, 2016, a severe hail storm swept through Bexar County. As a result, the plaintiff’s business sustained significant damage to the roof, exteriors, and interiors of the property. Immediately upon discovering the damage, the plaintiff filed an insurance claim with American National for damages caused by the storm. The plaintiff asked for the cost of the repairs to be covered pursuant to the policy.
In response to the claim, American National assigned representatives, adjusters, consultants, and agents to the plaintiff’s file that were inadequately and improperly trained to handle this type of claim. Specifically, American National assigned the claim to an internal representative charged with assessing the damage.
The internal representative performed a substandard inspection of the property and did not prepare any estimates or scopes of damages. Instead, the internal representative retained a preferred vendor who was not qualified to evaluate this type of loss to inspect the damage. The internal representative refused to retain appropriate consultants to evaluate the claim.
American National relied solely on the internal representative’s substandard investigation to determine what amounts, if any, to pay on the plaintiff’s claim. As a result of the haphazard investigation, American National wrongfully denied the plaintiff’s insurance claim.
Because of American National’s refusal to pay the claim, the plaintiff has not been able to make necessary repairs and the property has suffered further damage to the interior, roof, and other areas.
American National Violated The Texas Insurance Code
Our client cites numerous violations of the Texas Insurance Code, including failure to effectuate a prompt, fair, and equitable settlement of a claim, failure to implement reasonable standards for the investigation of a claim, and refusal to pay a claim without conducting a reasonable investigation.
Raizner Slania: Hail Damage Claim Attorneys
If your insurance carrier denied, delayed, underpaid, or disputed a Texas hail damage claim, you need an experienced team of insurance lawyers to help you get the compensation you deserve. The attorneys at Raizner Slania are extremely successful in obtaining fair compensation for victims of bad faith insurance practices. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case.
