Commercial Tornado Damage Insurance Claims

Tornadoes can spread destruction over a large area, impacting countless businesses and communities. Damage often results from either a direct hit from a funnel cloud or any accompanying windstorm, rain, and hail, impacting commercial and industrial businesses of all sizes. Tornado damage can leave a business open to property loss, lost profits, business interruption, and financial hardship, among other losses.

As a business owner, you rely on your insurance company to help you restore your business so that you can recover from tornado damage and get back to being up and running, fully functional, as soon as possible. Sadly, all too often, this is not the case.

Recovering From Tornado Damage to Your Business

If an insurance company fails to promptly investigate a commercial tornado claim, delays payment, fails to cover all covered damage, or denies coverage, they could be acting in bad faith. We are insurance litigation professionals who can help your business take action against its commercial insurance carrier that has operated in bad faith.

Businesses may be subject to a variety of bad faith practices, including:

• Denied property damage claims
• Claims that the damage resulted from wear and tear, poor maintenance, or other excuses
• Failure to promptly pay claims
• Failure to properly and promptly investigate and assess tornado damage claims
• Low-ball claims assessments and settlement offers
• Accusations that your building did not meet specified code requirements

Insurance law is clear. Insurance companies are required to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying payment of your tornado claim if the damage is covered under your policy. This is true for small, medium, or large commercial tornado claims.

We Hire Independent Roofers, Contractors, and Engineers to Value Roof Damage Insurance Claims

When we handle tornado claims, we don’t just accept the estimates provided by the insurance company’s adjusters. We obtain independent evaluations from professional experts, contractors, engineers, and independent adjusters who have extensive experience dealing with commercial tornado claims. By doing so, we are able to pursue a proper and full claim on behalf of you and your business.

Free Consultation and Contingency Fee Basis

If your commercial insurance carrier has denied, delayed, or disputed your business’s tornado damage claim, the experienced insurance litigation team in commercial tornado claims at Raizner Slania can evaluate your situation and provide counsel in your time of need. Please contact us today for a free initial consultation. We handle all bad faith insurance litigation cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning your business pays us nothing unless we help you recover financially.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can a tornado impact my business?

Tornadoes can cause an immense amount of damage. Their heavy winds can not only rip through structures but can also destroy everything in their path. And, the flying debris they stir up can be catapulted straight into your business – even if you aren’t in the direct path. A roof can easily be torn off, windows shattered, and so much more. If it happens during a rainstorm, a lost or damaged roof could then lead to water damage, too.

Tornadoes can cause total destruction at your business and leave your neighbor completely untouched. Depending on how your business fares during the tornado, you may have a damaged structure, or you may be dealing with the loss of inventory, power outage, downed servers, damaged vehicles, and more.

What should I do if my business was damaged by a tornado?

If your business was damaged by a tornado, wait until it is safe to access and then begin to assess the damage. If the extent of the damage is significant, you should file a claim with your insurance company.

Take pictures and/or record videos of the damage and document everything. Be thorough. This is important for your claim and your records. If you do any minor repairs right away, document this too and keep receipts.

Do most insurance companies cover tornado damage to a business?

Yes, most insurance companies cover tornado damage to a business without it being considered special coverage. Tornadoes are often lumped into the same general category as windstorms. If your business is located in an area where tornadoes are common, be sure to review your policy carefully to confirm you are covered before it is too late.

How long do I have to file a claim if my business was damaged in a tornado?

The terms of your insurance policy dictate the amount of time that you have to file a tornado damage claim for your business. So, thoroughly read your policy so that you understand the details and don’t lose out on the coverage you’ve paid for. However, it should be noted that most policies allow one (1) year from the date the damage occurred for a claim to be filed.

Repairs and restoration cannot commence until your claim is filed, so you don’t want to delay.

What should I do if my insurance claim for tornado damage was denied?

Unfortunately, insurance companies look out for their own interests, not yours. If your claim has been denied or delayed – or if you were offered an unreasonably low settlement offer – then it is time to contact the law firm of Raizner Slania at (844) 554-9099. Your business is much too precious to allow illegitimate insurance practices to prevent you from returning to full operational status as soon as possible.

At Raizner Slania, we have a team of professionals exclusively handling bad faith insurance litigation cases.