Jackson, Mississippi Lawyers for Wind Damage Insurance Disputes
Ensuring that insurance companies provide all the proceeds you deserve when a windstorm rips through your home or business
Some winds can be a refreshing summer breeze. High winds can be a nightmare. When branches bend, leaves fall, and trees sway, these powerful winds can make it hard to walk. In extreme cases, high winds can crash through windows, knock down electrical power lines, lift cars in the air, damage heating systems, and rip the shingles off your home. They can also cause consequential damage, such as when trees fall on homes and rain enters through broken windows.
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we help homeowners and business owners obtain the full compensation they’re entitled to when wind damage causes harm to your property, landscaping, cars, and personal possessions. Our Jackson, MS wind damage insurance lawyers use their expertise to find applicable coverage, navigate potential exclusions, and advocate for temporary advances to protect your property, family, and business if available through your policy. We want you to receive the insurance proceeds you are entitled to in order to restore your property.
Significant case results
Here are a few of our successful settlements and verdicts in wind damage cases:
- $3.3+ Million. We obtained this arbitration award (after a four-day trial) for the owners of two apartment complexes that suffered windstorm damage. Their insurance company had denied the claim.
- $1,600,000+. We represented a condo association in their wind and hail damage claim against QBE Ins. Co. QBE originally offered only $150,000. We resolved the claim for $1,785,000, an increase of more than $1.6 million.
- Substantial increases in value. We obtained numerous increases in windstorm damage claims against QBE Ins. Co and Community Association Underwriters. Our recoveries included the following increases:
- $175,483 compared to the initial offer of $5,483
- $226,369 compared to the initial offer of $51,369
- $292,529 compared to the initial offer of $42,231
- $644,997 compared to the initial offer of $484,997
- $1,339,999 compared to the initial offer of $742,913
- $947,248+. We obtained this jury verdict for damage to the roof of our client’s manufacturing facility during a windstorm. Before the trial, State Auto paid approximately $11,000 for the roof damage. The jury awarded $757,798.78 in compensatory damages against State Auto, plus $189,449.70 for negotiating in bad faith.
- $750,000. Our firm obtained this amount for a church that suffered hail and wind damage, over and above the insurance carriers’ initial payment.
How can we help?
- What insurance policies cover wind damage in Jackson, Mississippi?
- What steps should property owners take after wind damage occurs?
- How can home and business owners protect their property from wind damage before the wind arrives?
- What types of wind damage insurance disputes do you handle in Jackson, MS?
- Do you have a Jackson, MS wind damage insurance lawyer near me?
What insurance policies cover wind damage in Jackson, Mississippi?
Many homeowner or commercial property insurance policies cover wind damage. You may also be entitled to insurance proceeds if you have an umbrella policy, or an excess insurance policy.
What steps should property owners take after wind damage occurs?
We work with professionals and various utility services who can help explain what steps you should take as soon as wind damage occurs. These steps include:
- Contacting your utilities companies to turn off your electricity, natural gas, and/or propane tanks. Keeping these services/items on could cause a fire, electrocution, or an explosion. Gas and electrical leaks are very dangerous.
- Boarding up or covering broken windows and doors. Rainwater and other objects can’t enter your home or building.
- Taking photos of the damage. If you can in a safe manner, take pictures of any damage you notice. The pictures should show wide views of the property as well as close ups of the damage.
- Having professional inspections. You should wait until the insurance company and the professionals that our lawyers recommend have a chance to inspect your property before doing any repairs. In cases of strong wind damage, you will likely need to hire professionals to clean up the debris and clear any tree damage. Our lawyers work to help you obtain advances (where available) to keep your property safe.
- Contact our Jackson, MS wind damage insurance lawyers. We can explain your rights, answer your questions, have contractors and appraisers examine your property and assess your damages, and fight for all the insurance proceeds you deserve.
How can home and business owners protect their property from wind damage before the wind arrives?
If you have time, based on the weather forecasts for high winds and storms, there are certain steps you can take to protect your property. Some of these suggestions apply year-round. Others apply when the winds are forecast to arrive.
- Move anything that is outside your property that could be lifted or moved due to the winds.
- Board up your windows with plywood.
- Check the condition of your roof, making sure there are no obvious openings or penetrations where rain can enter.
- Use shredded bark and mulch, instead of gravel and rock, for your landscaping.
- Trim your trees and bushes.
- Have backup power plans, such as a generator, in case your electricity fails.
- Consider using storm shutters.
If very high winds are expected, consider hiring a professional to provide other suggestions.
What types of wind damage insurance disputes do you handle in Jackson, MS?
Our Jackson, MS wind damage insurance lawyers have more than a decade of experience and working relationships with building contractors and appraisers to handle every part of your insurance claim. Some of the issues and disputes we handle include the following:
- Showing that your homeowner’s or commercial property insurance covers wind damage.
- Confirming that wind is the cause of the damage to your home, commercial structures, landscaping, and personal property.
- Obtaining reliable estimates for the cost to repair the wind damage or to rebuild or replace the damaged property if the wind damage is too severe.
- Determining the timeline for the repairs and what materials will be used for the repairs.
- Obtaining advances (where available) so that you can relocate until the work can be completed.
- Reviewing your policy to determine whether your loss is settled on an Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cost basis.
- Contesting any attempts by your insurance carrier to deny or reduce your claim, delay negotiations, or take unreasonable legal and factual positions.
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we also seek the following damages if you have business interruption insurance:
- The cost to relocate
- Overhead, payroll, and marketing expenses while the repairs are completed
- IT expenses due to the wind damage
- Lost profits
- Any other business losses, such as the inability to lease apartments, while wind damage repairs take place.
Do you have a Jackson, MS wind damage insurance lawyer near me?
Yes. Our insurance dispute attorneys meet clients at our office located at 460 Briarwood Drive, Suite 400-101 in Jackson, Mississippi. Our attorneys also speak with clients by phone and through Zoom and other online video platforms. We arrange for investigators, building professionals, roofers, and other experts to assess the damage to your property and the expenses you’ll have to rebuild or start over.
We’ve helped many insurance policyholders obtain strong recoveries when natural disasters happen.
Get help from our respected Jackson, Mississippi, wind insurance lawyers now
At McWherter Scott Bobbitt PLC, we work quickly to obtain temporary advances and the compensation property owners need to make repairs or rebuild. We’re able to settle many claims because insurance companies understand our record of success in the courtroom. Please call us or submit our contact form to schedule an appointment. We also have offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.