I have handled many cases where the roof on a business or home has been damaged by wind or hail.
Storm damage to your roof is covered under your homeowners and business owners property insurance policy.
Many times, the insurance company will do the right thing. Some times they don’t. Common strategies to deny claims that I have seen include:
- Sending out an engineer who writes a report that says there is no or little damage.
- Agreeing to pay for only a portion of the roof. Florida law requires that if 25% or more of the roof is damaged, then the insurance company must pay to replace the entire roof.
- Saying that the roof has deteriorated because of age when, in fact, the roof never leaked until a severe wind or hail storm. Most shingle roofs in Florida should last at least 20 years.
- Saying that the problems are due to installation, design or construction errors.
I have litigated each of these issues many, many times against some of the world’s largest insurance companies.
In most cases, if I win, the insurance company has to pay my fees and costs, and if I lose, I’ll work for free.