What to Do If Your Tornado Damage Claim Is Underpaid

If the insurance company underpaid your tornado damage claim, go revisit your policy. Pay attention to your coverage, terms, conditions, and limits.

Then, go back to the insurer’s payment statement and see how they categorized your tornado damages. It’s possible that they missed something or failed to take care of a loss that they should have covered.

It’s not always easy to spot and understand why your claim was underpaid, so you may want to hire legal assistance. A Corpus Christi tornado damage insurance claim lawyer can review the payment and fight for a fair offer that covers all your losses within your policy terms.

Taking Action After Your Tornado Damage Claim Is Underpaid

After underpayment of your tornado damage claim, go back to your policy. Make sure you have a solid understanding of what it entails. Learn your coverage, limits, deductibles, terms, and other conditions.

From there, review the insurance company’s explanation for their underpayment, especially how they categorized your losses. Common tornado damages include the following:

• Roof damage, like broken, missing, or lifting shingles
• Broken or shattered windows
• Uprooted or debarked tree
• Vehicle damage
• Water damage
• Structural damage

Take photos and videos of all the damage the tornado caused, giving the insurance company a totally objective view of the situation. If you made any temporary repairs, include documentation of them, too. Hire a professional to come out to the property for an inspection. They’ll write up a report of the damages and the costs to repair or, in some cases, replace them. Consider getting a second opinion to better support your claims.

Write a letter or email your dispute to the insurance company. Just make sure this communication is in writing. Explain why you think they failed to pay you a fair amount.

Attach the estimates from the inspector, in addition to other relevant invoices or receipts. A Corpus Christi insurance claims lawyer can help you compose this dispute so that you can receive appropriate compensation.

How Tornado Damage Insurance Claims Lawyers Can Assist You

The Insurance Information Institute (III) states that Texas ranked number one in the nation with 169 tornados in 2024. These events can cause severe damage and upend people’s livelihoods. If a tornado has damaged your property, you should be focused on getting your life back to normal, not fighting the insurance company for a fair payout.

When seeking legal help, look for a firm that is not afraid to stand up and take action against the largest homeowners insurance companies, like State Farm and Allstate.

Property damage cases can be tough and require patience and familiarity with processes. You may want to leave this to a lawyer because they can:

• Review your policy limits and coverage
• Analyze the insurance company’s reasoning for underpaying your tornado damage claim
• Gather documentation of the tornado damage and associated costs
• Manage all correspondence with the insurance company, including your written dispute for your underpayment
• Fight for a settlement that accounts for your covered losses with your policy terms and conditions
• Take the tornado damage claim to court, if necessary

You have enough to worry about right now. A lawyer can manage your underpaid claim so you don’t have to do it alone.

Help With Tornado Damage Claims Should Be Affordable

At our firm, we believe in transparency from start to finish. You won’t have to worry about any surprise or hidden fees during the process.

Our Corpus Christi property insurance claims lawyers represent tornado damage clients on contingency, meaning there are no out-of-pocket or upfront costs required when we work together.

Instead, we will receive our payment if and when the insurance company pays out your claim. 

Why the Insurance Company Could Have Underpaid Your Tornado Damage Claim

It’s common for insurance companies to undervalue their policyholders’ claims. One reason for this decision is policy exclusions. Maybe the tornado caused water damage on your property, including flooding.

In that case, the insurance company, if they carry your homeowners insurance, wouldn’t cover flooding, as that’s a separate policy. Our Corpus Christi flood damage claims lawyers can review all of your insurance policies and figure out if you qualify for flood insurance.

Other reasons the insurance company chose to underpay your claim could be the following:

• Missed deadlines
• Pre-existing damage
• Insufficient coverage
• Lack of evidence
• Unmet deductible
• Negligence
• Misrepresentation
• Failing to make temporary repairs

One of our attorneys can review the insurer’s reasoning for underpayment, collect additional documentation, and file your claim for an appeal so that you can get the coverage you deserve.

Bad Faith Insurance in a Tornado Damage Claim

Sometimes, the insurance company may fail to justify the underpayment, delay responses, send out a biased insurance adjuster, falsely report the severity of the damages, or make unreasonable requests for documentation, which could constitute bad faith practices.

If they continue in this way, you may bring a lawsuit against them. Act fast, though. Texas Insurance Code § 541.162 gives most people two years to file.

Failing to adhere to the deadline could prohibit you from pursuing the insurance company altogether. This means you could be left dealing with your expenses and repairs without any help from your insurer. The sooner you can reach out to a law firm, the sooner they can get to work on your case.

Appealing a Denied vs. Underpaid Claim

It’s important to understand the difference between a denied claim and an underpaid claim because the strategy for challenging each one varies.

An underpaid claim means your insurance company agrees your damage is covered but didn’t offer enough to fully repair it. You can dispute their valuation by submitting additional documentation like photos, repair estimates, or expert reports.

A denied claim means the insurer refuses to pay anything, often citing exclusions, missed deadlines, or policy limitations. Appealing a denial requires challenging their reasoning with strong evidence and a clear understanding of your policy.

In both cases, written communication is key. Whether your claim was underpaid or denied, an attorney can help gather the right documentation, build your appeal, and fight for the compensation you deserve.

We Can Help If Your Tornado Damage Claim Was Underpaid

Don’t think you have to accept the insurance company’s underpayment of your tornado damage claim as final. Our team can review your policy and pursue compensation within your policy limits.

Reach out to Carrigan & Anderson, PLLC, today. Whatever your situation, we are here for you.