Windstorm Damage from Hurricane Harvey

Recover the Money You Need to Rebuild from Hurricane Wind Damage

Most private homeowner’s insurance policies exclusively cover damage from high winds during a hurricane. That means flooding damage is not covered under your home’s policy. In fact, your insurer may attempt to deny your claim outright due to evidence of flood damage. The secret to filing a successful claim with your insurance adjuster is distinguishing between wind damage and flood damage. Of course, with 27 trillion gallons of water dropped on Texas, that might seem like too fine a distinction. For places like Corpus Christi, Rockport, or Port Aransas (where the wind damage was the worst), windstorm claims will mean the difference between starting fresh...and starting over.

Our firm is here to help. File a claim through us online, or call (888) 400-2101 to learn about your legal and financial options.

Definition of Windstorm Damage

Windstorm damage, as defined by most insurance policies, is any damage caused or made worse by high winds. However, it is not limited to the direct effects of high winds. If the wind ripped the roof off of your home, allowing your walls to be destroyed by the downpour, that’s covered under windstorm damage. If the wind uprooted a tree and broke open the main water line (flooding your home), that’s still windstorm damage. What matters is the root cause of the losses, not just the event that directly precedes it.

Where It Gets Complicated

If your home was one of thousands that experienced both wind and flood damage, you will have trouble getting your insurer to pay a claim. Thanks to something called an “anti-concurrent causation” clause, your insurance company is allowed to deny coverage for damage caused by both a covered event (high winds) and an excluded event (flooding). Unless your damages were clearly the result of windstorm damage, the insurer will make it difficult (and costly) for you to get the compensation you need. They may even use a small amount of flooding damage to excuse themselves from paying any part of your claim.

Delaying Claims to Preserve Profits

If you're on your fourth or fifth adjuster or your claim has been denied or ignored, you already know how insurance companies operate. With hundreds of millions in residential losses, insurers are fighting tooth-and-nail to limit your recovery—no matter how deserving your claim. Their philosophy is cruel but simple: if you "really want it," then you'll spend months of your life fighting for what you need. Even then, they'll only give you a fraction of what you need.

There's no reason for it other than greed, but it's nearly impossible to fight a billion-dollar company alone. That's why every homeowner needs to call a lawyer. Arnold & Itkin forces insurance companies into the one place where their money doesn't mean anything: in front of a jury. Our clients have recovered billions in verdicts and settlements because we know what insurance companies fear most—your voice in court.

Arnold & Itkin is dedicated to speeding up your recovery in every way possible, including holding insurance companies accountable for wrongfully delaying or denying claims. Call (888) 400-2101 for a free case review!