Our client, a local hotel owner, was forced to file a lawsuit against The Cincinnati Indemnity Company (Cincinnati) after its commercial property damage insurance claim was wrongfully denied under Texas law.
April 12, 2015 Wind and Rainstorm
A severe windstorm swept across Bexar County on April 12, 2015, causing damage to our client’s hotel, including the roof, exteriors, and interiors of the property. Upon realizing the damage, our client immediately filed a claim with Cincinnati to recover for the damages.
In response to the claim, Cincinnati assigned representatives, adjusters, consultants, and agents to the plaintiff’s file that were inadequately and/or improperly trained. Specifically, Cincinnati assigned an internal representative that failed to perform a thorough investigation of the property and the damage. The internal representative did not prepare any estimates or scopes of the damage, and instead retained a preferred vendor to visit the property who was not qualified to evaluate this type of claim. The plaintiff submitted its own estimate of the damage, but the internal representative refused to acknowledge it. Because of the haphazard inspection, misrepresentations, and inadequate investigation, the windstorm property damage insurance claim was denied.
The Insurance Carrier 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 promptly provide a reasonable explanation for the denial of a claim, and refusal to pay a claim without conducting a reasonable investigation, among others.
Texas Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers
If your commercial insurance carrier has denied, delayed, underpaid, or disputed a Texas commercial property damage claim, you need an experienced team of local commercial property insurance lawyers to help you get the compensation you deserve. The lawyers at Raizner Slania have extensive experience helping policyholders obtain their rightful payments from insurance companies. Contact us today for a free consultation.
