Windstorm Damage to Businesses After Harvey

The Key Difference in Insurance Claims Is the Cause of the Damage

Damage during a hurricane is chaotic, but adjusters do their best to classify damage according to root cause. One of the secrets to filing a successful commercial claim with your adjuster is distinguishing between windstorm damage and flood damage.

For example, if the wind damaged the roof of your building and allowed the rain to damage your walls, that would still be considered windstorm damage. If the wind uprooted a massive tree and broke a water pipe that could also be wind damage.

However, because many South Texas businesses don’t pay for flood insurance, private adjusters may attempt to blame most of your damages on flooding-related causes to get out of paying you the money that you deserve. Our firm often hires independent adjusters, assessors, and engineers to inspect our clients’ businesses, giving us a better idea of what caused which losses.

For more information about predatory insurance practices, visit our FAQ pages here.

Fighting for Business Owners in the Greater Houston Area

Your company’s insurance policy probably covers damage from high winds during a hurricane. Even so, your insurer may attempt to delay, decrease, or deny payout in order to protect profits. The region’s largest insurers all have a record of delaying, decreasing, or denying claims after events like Hurricane Ike, Katrina and Sandy, using a host of tricks to keep clients in the dark.

Whistleblowers from State Farm (and a lawsuit against Allstate) revealed that their companies falsified damage reports or created new ones in order to justify denying payment. Specifically, they claimed that certain losses were due to flooding rather than windstorm damage—forcing the government to pay for it instead. To protect yourself, you’ll need to be proactive.

To save your business, you need an attorney’s help. Contact our team on our site or call us at (888) 400-2101 to understand all your legal and financial options.