Hurricane Hanna Insurance Claims

Hurricane Hanna made landfall on the south coast of Texas in late July 2020 as a Category 1 storm, which severely impacted the coast and inland communities along south Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, and Northern Mexico. The Hurricane caused over 15 inches of rainfall and windspeeds of up to 90 miles per hour, resulting in mass amounts of flooding and damage to homes and businesses in the area.

In the event property is damaged due to a natural disaster, property owners typically file a claim with their insurance companies to address the loss and be made whole.

Unfortunately, insurance carriers often do all they can to avoid paying claims, leaving policyholders who paid their premiums to suffer further during their time of need.

Hurricane Hanna Causes Widespread Damage in South Texas

Hurricane Hanna heavily impacted communities in South Texas and surrounding areas after it made landfall on Padre Island on July 25, 2020. The storm’s torrential rain and heavy winds affected several counties, including Cameron, Hidalgo, Kleberg, Nueces, and Willacy County, before weakening to a tropical storm and moving into Northern Mexico. In total, Hurricane Hanna unleashed over 15 inches of rain, causing multiple flash floods across the region.

On Padre Island, both the National Seashore and Laguna Madre were impacted by Hurricane Hanna. On the north part of the island,  the sea level rose, causing portions of the area’s popular Bob Hall Pier to collapse. The resulting storm surge caused massive waves and floodwaters to breach the seawall and overtake Corpus Christi, flooding multiple Texas businesses. Personal and commercial boats at the local marina were also scattered and destroyed. Areas in Harlingen, Texas were inundated with 12 inches of rain, resulting in flash floods, downed trees and power lines, and multiple road closures. In McAllen, Texas, there was 4.13 inches of rain—the highest in 20 years.

Hurricane Hanna Commercial Property Claims

While any damage caused during a hurricane can be devastating, the damage to commercial properties from Hurricane Hanna were exacerbated, as many of the businesses impacted by the storm were already struggling due to COVID-19 pandemic closures. Despite being a Category 1 hurricane, Hanna’s massive storm surge caused widespread damage to many commercial properties in its wake. Early on, property damages to residential, commercial and industrial properties, and automobiles were estimated to be $350 million, with another $366 million in agriculture damage.

Hurricanes can cause damage to a property’s building’s structure, including the roof, siding, and exterior walls, a building’s foundation, window systems, signs, and outdoor fixtures as well as the interior. Business operations may come to a screeching halt due to commercial property damage. This often results in lost revenue, lost wages for employees, and costly repairs.

Commercial Wind Damage

Hurricane Hanna made landfall in Padre Island on July 25, 2020, as a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of up to 90 miles per hour. Hanna’s winds downed trees and power lines, leaving thousands of residents without power. The winds were so forceful that multiple 18-wheelers in the area were knocked over and  the nearby sugarcane fields flattened. Hanna’s winds also caused substantial damage to multiple businesses in the area.

Commercial Flood Damage

Hurricane Hanna’s heavy rains and massive storm surge resulted in the widespread flooding of businesses and commercial properties in the area. When business owners purchase flood insurance, they have peace of mind that their property will be financially protected in the event of a natural weather event like Hurricane Hanna. Despite this, many insurance companies choose to utilize bad faith tactics to wrongfully deny or grossly underpay flood claims to turn a profit for themselves. Policyholders need to be diligent in their efforts to fight these deceptive practices and ensure they receive the full amount they are owed under their policy.

Insurance Claim Denials

Policyholders need to remember that insurance companies are for-profit businesses. These entities are ultimately financially successful when they choose to avoid or delay paying out valid claims.

Often, an insurance company will utilize strategies and tricks to mitigate losses. This often leads to bad faith tactics like offering a low-ball settlement or flat out denying a claim. In doing this, insurance companies can categorize the property damage from the storm as exceeding the scope of the policy or falling within an exclusion to the policy coverage.

Even though insurance companies should honor valid insurance claims, our law firm has witnessed multiple instances of companies underpaying or denying valid claims to avoid the responsibility to pay.

Experience Handling Hurricane Insurance Claims

The lawyers at Raizner Law are leaders in bad faith insurance litigation and have worked together on property coverage cases for several years. Founding partner Jeff Raizner was co-liaison counsel on the Hurricane Ike litigation in Houston and has been selected by courts and his peers to serve on several steering committees established to manage and guide litigation involving insurance and other disputes. He is a recognized leader nationwide in complex commercial property insurance litigation and leads a team of experienced insurance trial lawyers who have handled thousands of cases, combined, against some of the largest insurance companies in the world.

We have a reputation for delivering positive results for our clients and holding insurance companies accountable for utilizing bad faith tactics. Our lawyers have successfully handled large, complex insurance disputes against most major insurance providers.

Contact Raizner Law to Discuss Your Hurricane Hanna Insurance Claim

Hurricane Hanna caused extensive damage to properties in Corpus Christi and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, insurance companies have failed to honor their contractual commitments to pay legitimate, covered claims. If your Hurricane Hanna insurance claim has been underpaid or denied by an insurance company, you may be entitled to pursue litigation to receive full monetary compensation and additional financial damages. Contact the experienced insurance coverage attorneys at Raizner Law today to start building your case.