Filing A Commercial Property Damage Insurance Claim For Hail Damage To Your Roof

Hail has proven to be a formidable threat to commercial property owners in Texas. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), more than 1.5 million Texas houses sustained hail damage in 2021. This accounted for approximately a quarter of all damaged properties in the United States, with roof damage being a common consequence.

Despite the vast number of hail-damaged buildings in Texas, individuals may be ignorant of the dangers associated with roof hail damage that has not been fixed. Businesses relocated to Texas in recent years may be particularly vulnerable, especially if they are inexperienced with our state's variable climate. In addition, the longer a policyholder waits to file a claim for commercial property damage, the more difficult it may be for the insurer to approve the claim.

There are numerous reasons why unrepaired hail-damaged roof systems pose significant threats to businesses if an insurance claim is not lodged. Particularly, promptly reporting claims eliminates the possibility of an insurance company denying a claim for not being filed closer to the date of the event. However, insurers may still argue that the damage was caused by regular wear and tear or was the result of pre-hailstorm damage that was not addressed. In addition, even if the insurer agrees to cover the roof damage, they can cite late reporting as a reason to only pay a percentage of the claim costs instead of the total amount. Additionally, the state of Texas imposes severe deadlines for filing a lawsuit in the event that a valid claim for property damage is wrongfully refused. Particularly, the state has a two-year statute of limitations from the date of the event, during which a lawsuit must be filed for hail damage. After two years, policyholders forfeit their right to legal remedies.

If roof hail damage is not carefully evaluated, it can take weeks or months to determine the entire amount of the damage. This is another reason business policyholders should soon file roof hail damage claims. In some instances, business owners may not discover the problem until water has already entered the facility through the damaged roof and caused more interior damage. This is yet another reason why property owners must be attentive in locating and reporting damage as soon as possible to prevent more property damage, business interruptions, and insurance claims complications.

A hailstorm will also affect many properties. Similar hail damage is anticipated to occur to neighboring properties in the vicinity. Consequently, carriers are likely to receive many claims that must be processed. This might result in lengthy delays for insureds before their property damage is evaluated or even repaired. In these cases, contractors can quickly become overburdened with demands, which can delay repairs and eventually increase the entire cost of a claim if it is not filed promptly.