Residential Storm Claims

Storms and natural disasters strike with little warning. The result is devastation to your home and life. Once you have determined that your family is safe, the next step after a storm is filing an insurance claim. Residential storm claims are an important part of repairing or replacing your lost property.

Unfortunately, the storm damage insurance claim process can be tedious and slow. And then, it’s not always easy to get your insurer to pay your claim. Insurance companies often attempt to delay, underpay, or deny your claim. They don’t always have your best interests at heart.

With a storm claim lawyer from National Storm Claims on your side, however, you can rest assured that you are not being manipulated or taken advantage of. At NSC, we fight insurance companies to ensure that our clients’ legal rights are protected and that they are treated fairly.

If you are struggling with an insurance claim related to a hurricane, tornado, flooding, lightning, wind, or hail damage, contact us to find out how we can help. Call us anytime at 713-655-1405, or complete our contact form.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Storm Damage?

Homeowner’s insurance often covers certain types of storm damage. But ultimately, whether storm damage is covered will depend on the details of your policy and what state you live in. Every state has different insurance rules, so it is important to carefully review your policy and those rules before filing an insurance claim.

Some homeowner’s insurance policies will cover certain damages, or will cover a certain amount of damage. In many states, insurance for flooding, hurricanes, or other disasters must be purchased in addition to your standard policy. Where you live also determines what the deductible rules are for certain types of coverage.

Steps Required for Residential Storm Claims

If you have never filed a storm damage insurance claim before, the process can be a bit intimidating. Your best chance for obtaining a successful and fair outcome is being swift and diligent in the claim filing process.

After a devastating storm, you have a lot on your plate, and the insurance claim process can be overwhelming. That’s why National Storm Claims is here. You don’t have to wait until a claim is delayed or denied to contact us. We can help you prepare and file your claim.

As you prepare to file your claim, there are a few things you can do to protect your home and take charge of your claim:

Document the Damage

When it is safe to do so, document all the damage that you can see. Take photos and videos of the damage, and make notes about individual items. Make sure you photograph and/or video all angles of your home and the damage.

Prevent Additional Damage

The next step you should take is protecting your home from additional damage. Most insurance companies will require homeowners to make reasonable efforts to prevent additional damage. Once it is safe to go outside, do what you can to cover broken windows, tarp damaged roofing, etc. This will help prevent additional water damage.

Contact the Insurance Company

After major storms, insurance companies are overwhelmed with calls and claims. Claims are generally handled on a first-come, first-serve basis. As soon as you are able, begin trying to contact your insurance company. If you can’t get in touch with your agent, call the general customer support number and go from there.  

Every insurance company has their own rules for submitting claims, so it is important to make sure you know what the rules and processes are for your insurer and the applicable policy. Some important things to ask your insurer include:

• Is the storm damage to my home covered?
• What is my deductible?
• Is there a deadline to file a claim?
• What documentation do they need?
• What is the deadline to appeal a denied claim?

Hire an Inspector

Storm damage causes visible damage to the outside of your home, but you should never assume that the damage is all exterior. Often, there is structural damage and damage to the interior of the home, but it can be difficult to spot with an untrained eye. Hiring a professional inspector ensures that you have an adequate and complete understanding of the damage to your home. 

With residential storm claims, the insurance company may send an adjuster out to assess the damage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting the most comprehensive assessment or estimate. Insurance adjusters work for the insurer, which means they may be somewhat biased in their assessment. Having an independent assessment and inspection can help provide peace of mind that you aren’t being taken advantage of.

Filing Your Claim

Now that you have assembled documentation and evidence of the damage, an inspector report, and have taken steps to prevent additional damage, you are ready to file your storm damage claim. The filing process will follow the insurance company’s protocol. Next, your insurer may be required by state law to acknowledge they have received the claim. This happens within 15 days of receiving it.

Depending on the type of damage, you can expect an insurance adjuster to come assess the damage any time between 15-30 days. Insurance companies then have 30-40 days to accept or deny your claim.

• Claim Accepted: If your claim is accepted, you will receive a settlement offer from your insurance company. There is, unfortunately, no state or federal laws that stipulate when payouts must be made. The general estimate is a few days to a few weeks. Your insurance company can provide more information.
• Claim Denied: If your claim is denied, you can then enter the appeals process. Often, insurance companies will deny storm damage claims in bad faith. That is, they use unfair and unethical tactics to avoid paying out claims. If your claim is denied, the best thing you can do is contact National Storm Claims to find out how you can fight back and get the help you need.

Is the Insurance Company Acting in Your Best Interests?

After suffering damage to your home, of course you want to make repairs as soon as possible. But should you accept the insurance company’s first offer? How do you know that they are acting in your best interests?

An unfortunate reality is that many insurance companies will attempt to settle your claim for less than you deserve. In many cases, the settlement may not even be adequate to make repairs. If you feel like the offer is low, or that the insurance company is not taking all aspects of your claim into account, then it’s time to contact a storm damage claim lawyer.

At National Storm Claims, we know the tactics that insurance companies use. Our storm claim experts know how to investigate every aspect of your claim in order to determine the full value. If your insurance settlement offer is well below the full value, we will fight to get you the compensation that you deserve.

Insurance companies act in bad faith when they do not properly investigate your claim or when they delay, deny, or underpay your claim without a legitimate reason. At National Storm Claims, we have heard nearly every reason you can imagine for denying or underpaying a claim. Our storm damage lawyers know how to investigate and prove that the insurance company acted in bad faith.  

Some of the common bad faith scenarios we see involving storm claims include:

• Denying your claim even though you have evidence that storm damage occurred.
• Refusing to uphold payouts as detailed in your contract.
• Refusing to properly investigate your claim in a timely manner.
• Deliberately making a low offer on your claim.
• Insisting that you submit an unreasonable amount of documentation, and then denying your claim because of that.

If the insurance company acted in bad faith, then you may have more than an insurance denial appeal. You may have a case for insurance bad faith.

What to Do if the Insurance Company is Acting in Bad Faith

If your insurance company won’t negotiate or help you resolve your claim successfully, then it’s time to contact a storm damage claim lawyer. Having a lawyer on your side ensures that your legal rights are protected. Sometimes, insurance companies will decide to negotiate or correctly fulfill their contracts if they know you are serious about taking legal action.

There are also times when it is necessary to file a lawsuit against the insurance company in order to get the compensation you deserve. A bad faith claim relies on your ability to prove:

1. The insurance company withheld benefits detailed under your policy
2. The withholding of said benefits is/was unreasonable

The insurance company will, no doubt, list reasons why they denied your claim. However, they do not have the final say in a lawsuit. The jury will hear all the facts and evidence, and then will decide your case.

Preparing for a Bad Faith Claim

If you believe your insurance company is acting in bad faith, the first thing you should do is contact National Storm Claims for a free consultation with one of our storm claim lawyers. Next, start preparing to prove your case. You can do this by:

• Obtaining copies of all correspondence between you and the insurance company.
• Obtaining official claim denials or other related information.
• Taking notes on any phone calls related to the claim.
• Obtaining any documents and invoices related to your claim, including medical records, inspection or adjuster reports, and contractor estimates.

Once you and your lawyer have compiled all relevant evidence and information, you can begin to build your bad faith claim. Your lawyer will guide you through this process.

Contact National Storm Claims to Get the Compensation You Deserve

Residential storm claims can become complicated. If your claim has been denied or is being delayed or underpaid don’t wait to get the help you need. Contact National Storm Claims for a free consultation with one of our skilled storm claim lawyers. Let us help you prepare and file your claim, and overcome any obstacles on the path to storm damage recovery. Fill out our online form, or call us at 713-655-1405 to get started.