Unfortunately, there are many reasons why your insurance company may be able to rightfully deny your storm damage claim. However, there are also invalid tactics that your insurance company may try to use to wrongfully deny you compensation.

To protect your rights to compensation, check out the top reasons why home insurance companies deny storm damage claims, and reach out to a storm damage attorney for help if you feel your insurance company is acting in bad faith.

Policyholder Missed Payments

Insurance policies are a kind of agreement: you agree to pay your premiums, and in return, your insurance company offers some level of coverage for damage. This means that one valid way for your insurance company to deny your claim is by showing that you failed to make the required payment on your policy. 

Make sure to keep careful documentation of all payments to your insurer to ensure your rights are protected.

Policyholder Filed Too Late

Similar to failing to make payments, failing to file within your policy’s specified timeframe is also a valid reason for your insurance company to deny your claim. 

In your policy, there will be details regarding how long you have to file a claim after damage occurs. Be sure to carefully review your policy, and be sure to file your claim in time. 

If you’re having trouble finding the information you need, you can call an attorney or your insurance adjuster for more information.

Not Enough Evidence

In order to make a successful storm damage home insurance claim, you will need to have sufficient evidence showing several things:

• When the damage occurred

• What caused the damage

• The extent of the damage

• Proof of ownership of damaged property
  

The specifics of what information you need will vary from case to case, but it’s important to keep careful documentation of all the damage on your property. You may also need to get quotes from contractors and repairmen to provide stronger proof for your claims.

Not Enough Damage

Before your insurance company will begin paying for storm damage, you will first need to meet your deductible. A deductible is the amount of money you have to pay out-of-pocket for repairs before your insurance coverage kicks in. 

Deductibles on home insurance policies vary, and your deductible may be a flat rate or a percentage of the value of the property prior to the damage. The normal range for home insurance deductibles is between $500 and $2,000 or between 1% and 10% of the home’s undamaged value.

Policy Exclusions

Another common reason storm damage claims are denied is policy exclusions. For example, some policies cover damage done to houses but not their patios and sidewalks. Your policy also might not cover damage done to structures other than your house, like sheds or detached garages. Before making a claim, carefully review your policy to determine what storm damage is covered.

If your storm damage claim was denied due to an exclusion, carefully review your policy to check both that the exclusion is included and that it does disqualify your claim. An insurance attorney can help you determine what damage should and should not be covered.

Redirecting Blame

Finally, your insurance company may try to deny your claim by arguing about the cause of the damage. Your insurance company may try to argue that you caused the damage yourself, or they may say it was caused by some other force not covered by your policy. This is why maintaining careful documentation and a timeline of all damage is so essential: it can help you prove not only that the damage occurred, but also why.

Talk to an Attorney for Help With Your Storm Damage Claim

If your insurance claim has been denied for any of the reasons above, and you feel your insurance company is misrepresenting your claim or case, reach out to a bad faith insurance attorney for help.

A bad faith insurance attorney can help you determine what damage is covered by your policy, the best tactics for filing, and strategies for negotiating a higher settlement. Reach out today to get help with your claim.

Get help with your claim from an experienced storm damage attorney. Reach out for a consultation.

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