Commercial Hail Damage Lawyers Pursuing Fair Compensation for Claims
Thanks to natural disasters like hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and other severe storms, Texas’s residents and business owners are all too familiar with how storm damage can wreck and ravage a piece of residential or commercial property. Texas storms have the ability to create high winds, heavy rains, and sometimes hail. Hail damage to commercial properties can include broken windows, siding damage, roof damage, and more. If you have legitimate claims of large dents and other hail damage to your commercial building, you understandably expect your insurance company to honor your hailstorm damage claims. However, the insurance industry often finds ways to avoid paying many policyholders what they are allowed. In such instances where an insurance company denies your health claim, it may be necessary to seek legal counsel from experienced attorneys who will aggressively fight to represent your best interests.
Our San Antonio law firm is dedicated to helping property owners and policyholders recover fair compensation from their insurance carriers. As your legal representatives, our lawyers will negotiate with your insurance carrier, build a strong case for your commercial hail damage claim, and help you recover more money for your case.
Stormlex Law Group offers free, no-obligation case evaluations to prospective new clients. To learn more about our legal services and how we can assist you during this difficult time as a business owner, please contact our law office to schedule your free insurance policy and case review.
What to Do After Your Commercial Property Suffered Hail Damage?
Hail can severely damage a building or structure. If your commercial properties have been damaged by hail or any other type of natural disaster, it is essential that you take certain steps to safeguard your hailstorm damage claim, as well as protect your commercial building from suffering further damage.
After the storm has passed and it is safe to inspect your property, attempt to assess the damage for large dents and more damage caused by the storm. Do not forget to inspect the roof for hail damage as well.
Document your losses as thoroughly as possible. This will include taking photos and videos of the damage done to your commercial property by the hailstorm. If possible, keep a hold of all receipts for the damaged property.
You must protect your commercial building and any other property from further damage. This may include covering any holes in the roof or window damage to prevent water from getting in or theft.
You may be allowed to make necessary temporary repairs to prevent additional damage or endanger those on the property. You must keep all records and receipts related to any temporary repairs completed.
Before filing a claim and seeking additional repairs, review your insurance policy. It is essential that you have a thorough understanding of what damages are covered by your insurance policy so that you can know what to expect when you file your hail damage claim.
Finally, it is time to file your claim with your commercial insurance company. If you haven’t already, we advise you to retain legal representation from experienced attorneys in this practice area. Our legal team has extensive experience representing clients in complex commercial property damage claims, and we would be proud to represent your best interests in the pursuit of financial compensation.
What Are Different Types of Hail Damage?
Hail damage can range in severity between minor damage and severe damage. In some cases, it may not be possible to understand the full extent of the damage done to your commercial building until not much later after a comprehensive investigation. Hail damage can beget more damage, including damage, wind damage, and other unfortunate damages that can result from the dents and holes created by hail.
Common types of hail damage after a severe storm include the following:
- Air conditioner damage
- Broken mirrors
- Broken window frames and shutters
- Cracked roof tiles
- Damage to equipment, machinery, and assets
- Damaged hardscaping
- Damaged landscaping
- Dented garage doors
- Dented roof flashing
- Dented, scratched, and broken company vehicles
- Granule loss in asphalt shingles
- Holes in screens
- Injuries to employees and customers
- Large dents, tears, holes, and cracks in the roofing
- Paint damage
- Severe damage to outdoor furniture
- Shattered windows
- Siding damage
- Split and missing roof shingles
- And more
The high winds and heavy rains that typically accompany severe storms can cause additional damage to your commercial property. Some of the damage caused by severe storms can be very costly, and we understand the property owners and policyholders being concerned about repair costs, not to mention the cost of a new roof. That is why it is essential for an insurance company to respect and honor your claim. If your insurance carrier wants to avoid paying what you deserve, we can help you take legal action.
Should You Repair Your Commercial Roof Damage After a Hailstorm?
We encourage our clients to file an insurance claim but only do so with the understanding that it may take time for an insurance adjuster and their employers to render a decision regarding your claims.
If your roof was damaged in a hailstorm, it may be necessary to make temporary repairs immediately. You might not be able to wait until the insurance agent accepts or denies your claim. If you are forced to make temporary repairs to your rooftop, be sure to document everything and keep all receipts. Submit all copies of receipts and documentation related to your repairs to the insurance company as part of your hail damage claim.
Is Hail Damage Covered by Homeowners’ or Commercial Insurance Coverage?
In commercial property damage claims, insurance companies require an investigation into causation before deciding whether to cover your claim. For your sake, it may also be helpful to get second opinions from unbiased parties to look at the damage as well.
To ensure that your hail damage claim will be covered, carefully check your insurance policy to guarantee that you have enough coverage. In some cases, if hail damages the roof and leads to damage to the building’s interior, you may be liable for the damage suffered by the tenant.
Most policyholders must consider paying a higher deductible when businesses reside in areas with high storm risks, such as along the Gulf Coast.
How to File Hail Damage Insurance Claims?
If your commercial building has been damaged in a hailstorm, you must first assess the damage and determine whether it is necessary to file a claim with your insurance provider. While most insurance policies typically cover a certain amount of storm damage, it is necessary that you familiarize yourself with the benefits and limitations of your insurance policy before filing your claim.
Every insurance company has its own process for policyholders filing claims. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to initiate the claims process. When you do so, be sure to inform your insurer whether the damage is severe.
After you begin the claims process, an insurance adjuster will visit the commercial property to investigate.
What is the Commercial Hail Damage Insurance Claims Process?
During the hail damage claims process, insurance adjusters arrive at the property to assess the extent of the damage. We recommend hiring your own public adjuster to investigate the damage during this time. Your independently hired public adjuster works on your behalf and not for the insurance company, meaning that you can use their second opinion to negotiate.
After the investigation, an insurance company will make its decision. If the company denies your claim, you do not need to accept this denial. Rather, you can fight back and attempt to make what you believe your claim to be worth. Our legal staff would be proud to represent you in these matters.
Should You Accept the Initial Settlement Offer from Your Insurance Provider?
Quick answer: no.
The investigation conducted by insurance adjusters is often quick, especially if other properties are damaged from the same storm. As a result, it is fair to expect a lowball offer to settle things from the insurance company. You do not need to take the initial offer from the insurance company provider. You are allowed and, in fact, encouraged to negotiate for better terms.
Why Might the Insurance Company Deny Your Hail Damage Claims?
Some of the common reasons that insurance companies sometimes deny or undervalue hail damage claims include the following:
- Arguments of preexisting damage to the roof or property
- Damage was caused by flooding, not hail
- Damages are deemed insignificant, while your insurance claim amount is excessive
- Investigators find no structural damage
- Poor maintenance was performed to upkeep the building
- The only detectable damage includes a few missing shingles
- The possessions and assets damaged do not match the value you have claimed
- The roof is too old and, as such, is exempt from your insurance coverage
What Are Bad Faith Tactics That Many Insurance Companies Employ?
It’s also not uncommon to hear of insurance companies engaging in bad faith practices to deny policyholders the compensation they deserve. When done correctly, it is legal to potentially undervalue a claim, but it may be considered bad faith in some situations.
Examples of bad faith tactics include:
- Biased engineering reports from their consultants
- Claims that the commercial building does not meet the requirements of building codes
- Delaying payments without cause
- Denying insurance coverage based on policy exclusions, such as construction defects
- Denying legitimate claims without cause or explanation
- Making unreasonably low offers for hail damage settlements
- Misapplication of coinsurance penalties
- Misrepresentation of the insurance policy
- The application of excessive depreciation amounts to commercial property values
- The insurer enforces higher deductible rates after the government declares a state of emergency
What is the Time Limit for Filing a Property Damage Claim in Texas?
The time limit for filing your hail damage claim varies depending on your insurance policy.
Many policyholders have one year from the date of the damage to file their claim with their providers. But do not delay in reading your insurance policy to learn how long you must file your claim.
Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation to Discuss Your Commercial Hail Damage Insurance Claim Today
If you need the legal representation of a San Antonio hail damage attorney, look no further than our law offices. Stormlex Law Group has extensive legal experience representing clients in complicated storm and hail damage cases. As your lawyers, we can help you negotiate better terms as you seek what you are rightfully owed from the insurance company provider.
To learn more about our legal services, we encourage prospective new clients to contact our law office to schedule a free initial consultation today. Call us at 877-890-6372
