Wind Damage Claims

Wind Damage Claims

Although it often surprises visitors, people who live in Colorado are not surprised by how windy it can be here. Even the mountains cannot stop wind gusts that can exceed 100 miles per hour. Property damage due to heavy winds is practically inevitable here, so it’s important to know how to evaluate wind damage and maximize the reimbursement you receive from your insurance company.

Make Sure Everyone is Safe Before Reviewing the Damage

If you smell gas during a storm, call your local utility company or 9-1-1 right away and take shelter elsewhere. Otherwise, plan to stay indoors. Once you are certain that everyone is accounted for and uninjured, you can begin the process of determining how heavy winds damaged your commercial or residential property.

How to Evaluate Wind Damage After a Storm in Colorado

Before you start inspecting your property for wind damage, make sure you have a camera to take plenty of pictures and a notebook and pen to jot down notes. Your memory of the damage may fade in the days to come, so make sure you review your property as soon as it is safe to do so.

Damages to Look for Inside Your Home

Keep in mind that you don’t have to be the one to survey the damage caused by heavy winds inside your home if the thought of doing so makes you uncomfortable. You can always have a building inspector or contractor do the job instead. Below are several types of damage you may find in your home’s interior.

• Drywall or plaster appears cracked
• Floors and/or walls have gaps between them.
• Floors appear slanted, or you notice a difference when walking on them.
• Nails have popped out of walls or wooden beams
• Warped or bowed walls
• You cannot open doors or windows.

If you notice a situation that compromises the safety of people who live or work at the property, fix anything you can as quickly as possible. Some common examples include replacing broken windows, covering holes in walls, removing wet drywall, and/or picking up debris.

Your Home’s Exterior is Likely to Take the Brunt of Heavy Winds

The siding and roof of your home may have extensive damage after a Colorado windstorm. Even so, you should avoid climbing onto your roof to investigate the damage because it may not be structurally sound. A home inspector or a roofing contractor can give you advice on how and when to proceed with determining the damage to your roof. Below are some specific problems you may find with the exterior of your home.

• Chimney is cracked or leaning to one side

• Cracked or broken glass in your windows
• Cracks or fissures appear in the masonry or mortar
• Door frames or windows have new spaces around them.
• Roofline appears bowed
• Siding is missing or has holes in it.
• You notice gaps between the entryway, porch, and/or stairs.

While you are outdoors surveying the wind damage at your property, be sure to note the condition of the gutters, deck, and porch. You will need this information when filing your insurance claim.

Consider Hiring a Property Insurance Lawyer Before Filing a Claim

After noting the damage to the inside and outside of your home or business and documenting it with notes and pictures, the next step is to file an insurance claim for reimbursement. Your insurance agent is the best person to advise you on how to go about this. When filing your claim, keep in mind that your agent’s job is to earn a profit for the agency and one of the ways insurance companies do this is to undervalue customer losses.

In an ideal world, you would receive the amount specified in your insurance policy for the type of loss you suffered, less any deductible you are responsible for paying. Unfortunately, you need to prepare yourself for a fight just to receive what should rightfully be yours. Hiring an insurance attorney from The Morgan Law Group helps you avoid a lot of headaches and hassles from the start. Unlike your insurance company, our insurance claim lawyer prioritizes your best interests over profit.

Conveniently located in Denver, Colorado, The Morgan Group has represented people with property damage claims for more than 25 years. We take on insurance companies, big and small, that are not providing fair compensation for our clients. The earlier in the process, you retain our services, the more you can count on receiving a fair settlement offer. We are happy to send an attorney to your property when the adjuster representing the insurance company is there to allow you to see the difference between our estimation of your damages and theirs.

Suffering wind damage is stressful enough. Don’t let your insurance company pay you less than you deserve. Please contact us to request a free consultation to learn more.