Hail Damage Investigation

In every roof damage claim I pursue, I, and my experts, perform a forensic examination of the roof.  A forensic roof inspection includes photographs and a video inspection of the roof.  In hail damage cases we look for hail impact marks on the shingles, the soft metals on the roof, and screen enclosures.

In a recent case, our client submitted a hail damage claim to his homeowners insurer.  The insurer hired an engineering firm to inspect the roof.  Not surprisingly, the insurance company’s engineer wrote a report that said there was no hail damage.

My examination of the roof revealed some of the most significant hail damage I’ve ever seen.  Often, we simply see impact marks on the top of the shingles.  This is sufficient to warrant a new roof.

However, on this roof we the hail impacts that go through to the underside of the shingle.  Below are just a couple of photographs showing how strong the impacts to this roof were:











This damage is throughout the roof.

If there is one message I want to get across to policy holders, it is this:  A denial letter is not the end of the inquiry, it is just the beginning!  Do not be intimidated by a denial letter no matter how strong you think it is. 

Don’t evaluate your insurance denial on your own. Let me review it for free. And, in most of my insurance cases, if I win, the insurance company must pay my attorney’s fees and costs; and if I lose, I’ll work for free.


Insurance Blog

Lawsuit Filed on Roof Damage Case

My client was at home during a severe hail and wind storm which occurred on March 24, 2013.  She even has pictures large pieces of hail in her hand.  Her roof sustained significant hail and wind damage.  She promptly called her homeowners insurance company to report the claim, and it promptly denied the claim – saying they were unaware of any storm, and did not see any storm damage.

I promptly filed a lawsuit against the insurance company for breach of contract.  Over the years, I’ve handled more than 1,000 roof damage cases against homeowners insurance companies.

As with most of my insurance cases:  If I win, the insurance company must pay my attorney’s fees and costs; and if I lose, I’ll work for free.

Remember, the denial of your claim is not the end of the inquiry, it’s just the beginning.  Almost every insurance case I’ve ever won all have one thing in common.  They all started with “no.”

Florida Insurance Blog