How Long Does It Take to Settle a Tornado Damage Claim?

When a tornado causes damage to your home, you count on your insurance policy to help you make repairs or rebuild. However, insurance companies often drag their feet or underpay these claims. While some claims may pay and close quickly, it could take months or even years to settle a tornado damage claim. 

If you’re dealing with a tornado damage claim, understanding how the process works and the tactics insurers may use to avoid paying you can protect your rights. In many cases, you may want to work with a Corpus Christi property damage insurance claim lawyer to ensure you get the money you deserve. 

Understanding the Tornado Damage Claims Process and Potential Delays

The tornado damage claims process typically involves several steps:

• Filing the Claim: You notify the insurance company about the damage and submit a claim.
• Inspection and Investigation: The insurer sends an adjuster to assess the damage and estimate repair costs.
• Coverage Determination: The insurance company reviews the claim, determines coverage, and makes an initial settlement offer.
• Negotiation: If you do not accept the offer, negotiations may follow. This often leads to a settlement and payout. 

All too often, roadblocks and hurdles arise during this process. These issues not only extend how long you go without a payout but can cause significant stress and lead to additional financial losses. If you run into an issue, discussing your options with an insurance claims lawyer is a good idea. They can explain your rights and options. 

How Insurance Companies Delay, Deny, and Underpay Tornado Damage Claims

Insurance companies do not like to pay out large claims, especially when many properties suffer damage from the same storm. To save money and protect their own profits, they may use strategies to delay, deny, or underpay tornado damage claims. The ways they do this could include: 

Unreasonable Delays

Insurers sometimes intentionally delay the processing of claims in hopes you will get tired of waiting and settle for the first offer they make once they proceed with the claims process. Some ways they delay claims include:

• Taking weeks to send an adjuster to assess your damage
• Repeatedly requesting more documentation
• Not providing clear instructions about what you need to do
• Ignoring follow-up calls or emails

Undervaluing the Damage

Your insurance carrier may make an offer that does not account for the true cost of your damage. They hope you do not realize how much the repairs will cost. To do this, they could: 

• Use industry software that typically undervalues repairs
• Claim you had pre-existing damage 
• Use old prices for materials or labor
• Fail to consider the increase in demand and prices after widespread damage

The initial estimate your insurer offers is generally negotiable. However, if it significantly undervalues your claim, you might want to call a property damage insurance claim lawyer to help you with negotiations.

Misinterpreting Policy Language

Some insurance companies try to avoid paying you what you deserve by misapplying or misrepresenting terms in your policy. This could include: 

• Saying your damage is not from a covered event
• Saying you have exclusions in your policy
• Saying wind damage is covered, but tornadoes are not
• Saying damage from debris or rain is not covered

Denying Claims Without Justification

In some cases, insurance carriers may unfairly deny your claim. This could occur because it says:

• The damage does not fall under your policy coverage.
• You did not submit proper documentation.
• You did not file your claim in time.

You can challenge a claim denial. Working with a Corpus Christi insurance claims lawyer can make this process easier. An attorney can fight for your payment while you return to your work and other daily activities. 

Why Do I Need to Take Aggressive Action to Settle My Tornado Damage Claim?

You cannot give up on your claim or accept an unfair settlement. You must have the money to make repairs and replace your personal property without causing significant financial hardship for your family. You have rights under Texas law. 

Texas law protects policyholders from bad-faith insurance practices. When an insurance carrier wrongfully denies or delays a claim, you can take legal action. Most people pay their insurance premiums, assuming they can get the money they need after a disaster. Most homeowners do not have the money to pay for repairs out of pocket. 

Insurance companies unfairly delay claims or make it difficult to get a fair settlement in hopes that policyholders will accept less than they deserve. Aggressive action can hold them accountable. Do not let an insurance company acting in bad faith take advantage of you.

What Can an Insurance Claims Attorney Do to Help With My Tornado Claim?

When your insurance company does not want to pay a fair settlement, having an attorney on your side can help. When you work with our team, you can expect us to: 

• Review Your Policy: Our attorney can analyze your policy to determine what coverage you have and if there are any applicable exclusions.
• Challenge Low Estimates: If the adjuster’s damage assessment is too low, our attorney could call in an independent adjuster or experts to provide more accurate repair costs.
• Fight Bad Faith Insurance Practices: If your insurer is acting in bad faith, our attorney will work to hold them accountable.
• Negotiate for Maximum Compensation: Our lawyer can negotiate with the insurer on your behalf.
• File a Lawsuit When Necessary: Sometimes, taking the insurance company to court is the only option to get the payout you need.

If you are dealing with denials or lowball offers, you do not have to fight for fair compensation alone. Working with our Corpus Christi homeowners insurance claims lawyer can help you recover all the compensation your policy should provide.

Discuss Your Tornado Damage Claim With Our Team Today

At Carrigan & Anderson, PLLC, we have been fighting insurance companies for fair payouts for more than 40 years. We are here to help you after a tornado damages your property and your insurer refuses to compensate you fairly.

You can learn how our property damage claims lawyer can help during a free consultation. Call now to learn more.