San Antonio Storm Damage Attorney
Residents of San Antonio and surrounding areas have seen their fair share of severe and extreme weather. Just recently you would have witnessed some pretty harsh weather when a hailstorm caused baseball sized hail to hit our cars and homes.
When a storm hits, it can cause immense property damage to the area, which often results in hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars worth of damage to residential and commercial properties and vehicles. Hail storms can cause all sorts of damage, including broken windows and dented cars, due to the density of the hail. The damage is often enough to require compensation.
The real issue for homeowners is that it isn’t always easy to get the help you need from your insurance company. Not only are you left to pick up the pieces, but the insurance company that you have paid regular premiums to will often deny valid claims for coverage or prolong the review process.
That’s when a storm damage attorney can help. We help home, and business owners recover from the devastating impacts of a hail storm by expediting payment from your insurance company.
Acting Quickly in the Case of Property Damage
If your property has been damaged as the result of a storm, you know how important it is to act fast. The last thing you want is to incur further damage to your property, which can sometimes occur if you have a caved-in wall or a ripped-off roof, and it then begins to rain.
With the amount of damage that can take place in a single area, roofers and other contractors will often be fully booked for months on end. This makes it even more important for homeowners to be able to respond quickly, so you don’t end up having to wait for several weeks for work to get done. After a major hailstorm, you usually have up to a year to file an insurance claim, after which it will no longer be valid. If your property has been affected, don’t delay.
If you suffered damage from this devastating hailstorm, we suggest the following:
- Note the date and time of the storm as your insurance claims manager will require these details from you
- Make sure you take photos of any and all damage that may have been caused to your home and vehicles in order to document it
- Make a list of all personal property destroyed or damaged as a result of the storm
- If your car requires hail damage repairs, make sure you clean the exterior of the vehicle so that the best estimate can be given. Dust and dirt can often mask damage, leading to inaccurate claims and delays in the repair process
- Check your roof for obvious signs of roof damage such as torn or missing shingles. We recommend contacting a reputable roofing contractor to inspect the roof of your home for possible damage caused by the hail as soon as possible. Roof inspection is typically free
- To avoid further damage to the property, make sure any holes in your roof and broken windows in your home or car are covered
- Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to file your claim. The sooner you call, the quicker an agent will be able to come by and assess the damage. Make sure you take note of the name of each person you talk to, as well as the date and time of the call
To protect your property from further loss or damage, it is often recommended to make temporary repairs. In this case, always ensure you keep receipts for all materials and labor, to submit those to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Taking Legal Action for Insurance Claim Problems
People expect insurance companies to respond as quickly as possible to assess the damage to the property and settle the claims. This is vital in order for a homeowner to be able to take the next steps and commence repair work on their home. Sometimes a policyholder won’t be able to afford repair work, which is why it is crucial for the claim to be settled speedily.
Unfortunately, even when a homeowner does everything right, insurance companies can still cause problems. Many claims are delayed, wrongly denied or underpaid. We often come across insurance companies that try to change the meaning of a policy’s language after the fact in order to suit their needs.
This often leaves property owners stunned. They do not expect insurers to work so hard to avoid making good on policy terms. Delays and denials cause a great number of problems, not just for homeowners, but also for small-business owners.
It can be incredibly frustrating when it seems like your insurance policy is filled with loopholes designed to keep you from receiving the right compensation. There are countless pieces of insurance text that are in the fine print, and with our thorough understanding of these areas, we can find a way to help you. Our experienced storm damage attorneys will protect your interests and demand full coverage.
Contact Storm Damage Insurance Claim Attorneys
When a claim denial occurs, it often forces a property owner to take legal action. The next step is to have an in-depth conversation with an experienced San Antonio lawyer. Our storm damage attorneys have the necessary experience and extensive understanding of how local laws work.
It is crucial that you act quickly and get in touch with an experienced lawyer the moment you realize your insurance company is not acting in good faith. This is because you only have two years from the moment the damage occurs or is discovered to file a bad faith claim.
Our aim is to assist you during this difficult and often stressful process by communicating with your insurance company and ensuring you obtain the necessary compensation. We make it our mission to ensure you are not left finding yourself on the short end of the stick. If you feel your insurance claim was handled in bad faith, then you can count on us to fight for a fair settlement.