Commercial Wind Damage Insurance Claims

Your home or place of business may well be your single biggest investment, and the catastrophic consequences of a windstorm can justify a very sizable insurance claim for the costs of repair or rebuilding. Straight line winds, major wind gusts and other strong windstorms can cause extensive damage to your business and the property inside. These storms involve gusts of wind so strong that they can knock down trees, power lines, lift roofs, and tear off parts of a building.

Our attorneys have taken action to address many serious violations of client trust and insurance law by insurers, such as:

• Failure to investigate and assess damage promptly such as wind damage to roofs and more completely
• Hiring biased adjusters, engineers, and other “experts” who are motivated to under-assess property damages or focus on potential causes other than the windstorm
• False claims that the damage resulted from wear and tear, manufacturing defects or poor maintenance
• Excessive depreciation in insurance estimates or the improper application of a “co-insurance” penalty
• Making low-ball settlement offers or payments that cannot approach the true costs of repairing or rebuilding windstorm-damaged property

Holding insurers accountable

Profit-focused insurers have many strategies for denying, delaying, and “low-balling” such high-value wind damage to roof claims.

We are prepared to take decisive action against insurance companies, including:

• Sending independent engineers, contractors, and other experts to find and bring forth clear, specific evidence that your loss was caused by the windstorm
• Disproving an insurer’s given excuses for denying a wind damage to roof insurance claim or inadequate settlement offer, such as allegations that the damage resulted from wear and tear or that you failed to maintain the roof properly
• Ensuring that the actual cash value and the replacement cost value of your property damage is fair and accurate

Property Damage Claim Attorneys Targeting Fair, Just Compensation for Windstorm Victims

In many cases, windstorm insurance companies go beyond violating a contract when they deny your valid wind damage insurance claim. Unfair denials, extreme delays, and major under-valuations can constitute insurance bad faith, enabling recovery of other additional damages that you suffered because of bad faith conduct. If you are seeking a wind damage to roof insurance claim dispute lawyer with a track record of success, please contact Raizner Slania today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wind Damage

What is considered “wind damage”?

Wind damage is usually caused by winds that are over 50 to 60 mph. But keep in mind that these winds can be much, much greater. Wind damage stems from tornadoes and tropical events like hurricanes, but can also occur as the result of random, everyday weather events.

Wind damage may be any damage that is caused by heavy winds, including loss of shingles or siding, roof damage, blown-out windows, fallen trees on your commercial building, and so forth. Every insurance company – and policy – will vary so it is best to review your coverage for a thorough understanding.

What steps should I take if my commercial property has suffered wind damage?

If high winds – or storms producing high winds – come through your area, be sure to inspect the property thoroughly. Even if you don’t see any damage or very little damage, there could be deeper issues that are not always visible to the untrained eye. If necessary, call in a professional to assess the situation and identify any problem areas.

Review the coverage of your insurance policy – as well as the steps you need to take to submit a claim. Then, file your claim.

If necessary, make any temporary repairs to protect your assets under the roof until the insurance adjuster arrives. It is always a good idea to take pictures of the damage and document any temporary fix you make.

How long do I have to file a claim for wind damage on my commercial property?

While many insurance companies allow 1 to 2 years to file a claim, you want to refer specifically to your insurance policy as any limits of time will be listed there. However, you should act as soon as possible. Not only does this allow you to get the damage taken care of quickly, but it also makes it easier for adjusters and other experts to do their job since the damage is fresh.

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

Insurance companies use many different tactics in an attempt to make your claim invalid – or convince you to take a lower amount of compensation based on shady adjusters and falsified reports. And, it is not uncommon for insurance companies to deny your claim in its entirety.

If you feel as though you are not getting the compensation you deserve from your insurance company, contact Raizner Slania, LLP at (844) 554-9099 before you discuss your claim any further with the insurance company. We have our own team of experts that can investigate your claim and present your loss as clearly as possible to get you the money you deserve.