Insurance companies are legally bound by both contractual and statutory obligations under common law and the Insurance Code. These laws require them to promptly respond to, thoroughly investigate, and fairly adjust your claim. Despite these clear responsibilities, many insurers take your premiums and then resort to tactics that delay, deny, or underpay legitimate claims.
Commercial Storm Claims: Protecting Your Business Property
Commercial storm property insurance disputes differ significantly from residential claims. When severe weather events—such as hail, wind, hurricanes, or tornadoes—damage your business property, you face unique challenges that go beyond what a typical homeowner might encounter. Commercial policies are often more complex, with higher stakes and tailored coverage that demands specialized legal expertise.
Your Rights Under the Law
Don’t Settle for Lowball Offers
Business owners should not be forced to accept insufficient settlements. Insurers may gamble with your policy premiums, banking on the hope that you’ll accept a quick, lowball offer and move on. However, settling for less can jeopardize your business’s financial stability and operational continuity.
Your Insurance Policy is a Two-Way Contract
Remember, the initial determination made by your insurer isn’t the final word. Your insurance policy establishes you as an equal party, and you deserve fair treatment and full compensation under its terms. If you suspect that your claim is being handled in bad faith, our dedicated team is here to help you secure the justice and compensation your business deserves.
Experienced Legal Advocacy for Commercial Claims
When faced with these challenges, you need an attorney who understands the complexities of commercial storm claims. Our experienced legal team has a proven track record in legally navigating these disputes in Texas and other states. We work diligently to ensure that insurance companies honor their obligations, and we’re fully prepared to take your case to trial if necessary.
Contact Storm Counselors at The Corona Law Firm today for a free consultation and let us show you how our expertise can make a difference in your commercial storm claim.
Hail Claims
Texas has more hailstorms than any other state. Hailstorms can cause devastating damage to any buildings that lay in their path. Much of the damage will be obvious in the form of broken windows, torn screens, and dented roofing or siding. Other damage can be harder to spot — liked bruised roof shingles that will no longer perform as they should. This hidden damage can create larger problems down the road if it is not corrected. Following a hailstorm, it is essential to have your buildings inspected by a professional who is experienced in evaluating hail damage and to contact an attorney if their inspection does not match the insurance adjuster’s findings.
Wind Claims
While wind damage is commonly associated with hurricanes and tornadoes, any strong storm can suddenly create devastating winds or gusts without any forewarning. The damages will frequently match those of hurricanes or tornadoes: broken windows, torn roofs, trees falling onto buildings, and possible structural collapses. After a sudden weather event, it may be difficult to ascertain which insurance policy applies and exactly what damages are covered. What is clear is that a fully covered building should receive a full payout for all damages. If this does not happen soon after the storm, contact an experienced policyholder claims attorney.
Hurricane Claims
The power of hurricanes is often felt twice, with damage from both the powerful winds and torrential flooding. Hurricanes can result in extensive roof damage, collapsed buildings, or even homes being entirely washed away. Following a major storm, property owners will often face two hurdles. First, the flood insurance and hurricane insurance policy issuers will often battle it out over the cause of the property damage and who should bear responsibility. Second, the sheer amount of damage, number, and value of claims leaves many people victimized again while they are waiting on claims to be resolved. However, property owners should also take care not to resolve claims too quickly as a thorough inspection for possible hidden damage should be performed before any claim is settled.
Tornado Claims
Tornado damage can range from a few lost shingles to total devastation. Often, the difference could just be being one building over. In any tornado insurance claim, property owners should expect the insurance company to try to avoid paying the full value of the claim. Minor damage may attempted to be dismissed as normal wear and tear, or as not being proven to be caused by the tornado. Major damage may be undervalued, and the insurance company may fight paying the full replacement cost of a destroyed building. As with other major weather events, the insurance company may be looking at new claims and a heavy loss, and it may take additional steps to delay or undervalue claims.
Fire Claims
Fires typically involve both direct damage and indirect damage. Direct damage comes from the flames itself. Indirect damage comes from water from fire hoses or sprinkler systems, smoke entering heating, cooling, or ventilation systems, and electrical shortages. Insurance companies will frequently try to carve out certain damages as not covered by a policy. With few exceptions that must be expressly included in the policy, all losses created by a fire should be covered, whether they were directly caused by the flames or not. Unfortunately, many insurance companies significantly undervalue fire claims and even rely on a property owner’s short-term need for cash to try to force a lowball settlement.
Contractors, Roofers, And Public Adjusters
Are you losing business because insurance offers are too low and clients do not want to pay out of pocket? Are you forced to cut your margins again and again to try to get work, because insurance companies refuse to do right by their clients? Have a troubled claim, that insurance adjusters refuse to properly adjust? There are many other tools in the law other than appraisal that can be more effective to force insurance companies to do right by their clients. Contact our office today, and we can help your clients … consequently helping you get the work if you are a contractor, or settle the claim if you are a public adjuster.
The Houston Bar Association’s Disaster Preparedness Committee interviews policyholder litigation attorney Jesse Corona of Storm Counselors on how everyone can make sure their insurance policies are prepared for the upcoming Hurricane / storm season.
