Jackson, Mississippi Tornado Insurance Dispute Lawyers
Accomplished representation for home and business owners when natural disasters strike
The signature sign of a tornado is a funnel-shaped cloud. In movies, these clouds are a marvel. In real life, they’re frightening. Tornadoes often occur from nowhere, quickly cause devastation, and then disappear, leaving home and commercial property owners to pick up the pieces. Homeowners and commercial property insurance carriers are supposed to help pick up those pieces. Policyholders pay premiums so that when natural disasters strike, they’ll have the funds to live and work until the necessary repairs or rebuilding can be achieved.
At McWherter Scott Bobbitt PLC, we hold insurance companies accountable when they fail to hold up their end of the bargain. We pursue additional living expense/loss-of-use and other policy benefits, and where appropriate, advance payments—as allowed by your policy and Mississippi law. Our Jackson, Mississippi, tornado attorneys work with damage experts, local builders, appraisers, codes officials, and other professionals to fully assess the damage, your safety concerns, and your daily living needs. We help create a strategy for rebuilding your home or business.
Our lawyers negotiate settlements with the insurance companies that compensate you in full. When insurance companies fail to make reasonable settlement offers, we have the experience and working relationships to obtain justice in a local Hinds County courtroom.
Our tornado results
Our record of success includes the following:
$800,000+. John Doe v. ABC Insurance Company. Our firm represented a couple whose commercial property was damaged by a tornado. We obtained a settlement of $800,000 after their insurance company initially denied their claim.
How common are tornadoes in Mississippi?
Tornadoes in Jackson and throughout Mississippi do happen. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 22 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi on December 28, 2024. Damage reports from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) included damage to 10 homes and 1 business in Jackson.
WJTV reported that the NWS confirmed another 17 Mississippi tornadoes on March 14-15, 2025. One of the tornadoes had winds of up to 170 mph. 715 homes, 29 businesses, and 16 farms suffered damage statewide.
How are tornadoes classified?
Tornadoes in the U.S. are rated by the National Weather Service on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale (EF0–EF5) based on damage indicators, with the following estimated wind ranges:
- EF0 65–85 mph
- EF1 86–110
- EF2 111–135
- EF3 136–165
- EF4 166–200
- EF5 >200
How dangerous are tornadoes?
Even lower category tornadoes can completely destroy your home, farm, church, apartment, business, or any structure. In addition to the initial wind damage, falling trees and flying objects can damage roofs and every part of your property. In many cases, it will be better to rebuild from scratch instead of trying to make repairs.
Our Jackson, MS tornado insurance lawyers work with building contractors and other experts who will examine every type of damage to your property, including:
- The foundation of your home, farm, church, apartment, or any business structure
- The roof, siding, chimney, and shingles
- The floors, carpets, walls, windows, and screens
- Electricity, HVAC, plumbing, and telecommunications
- Driveways, porches, pools, landscaping, sheds, and the complete exterior of your property
How do your Jackson, Mississippi, tornado insurance lawyers help policyholders obtain all the proceeds they deserve?
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, our lawyers handle all types of damage due to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, wind, storms, and other natural disasters. Our Jackson, MS insurance dispute lawyers work with a team of professionals who can determine the damage, whether to repair or rebuild, the cost to repair or rebuild, and the value of your home, business, and other property.
These experts provide timelines for the work that needs to be done to restore your property to its condition before the tornado. This may include increased cost due to local code requirements (if your policy has codes coverage).
Our Jackson tornado insurance lawyers help home and business owners with the following:
Temporary advances
In most cases, a tornado will require that you relocate temporarily while the inspections take place, a settlement can be agreed to with your insurance company, and then time for the repairs to be completed.
We help you obtain any possible advances so you can move to a new home or work location, have the money you need to buy the necessities of life (many, such as your clothing, will have been destroyed), and the money to continue your business if you have business interruption insurance.
Immediate steps to protect your property
We can help you understand what you should do immediately after the tornado strikes.
- File a claim with your insurance company.
- Board up windows and doors, if you can safely to prevent further damage and theft/vandalism.
- Preserve as much of the damaged property and make it available for inspection.
- Refrain from throwing items away and/or demolishing property until they are properly documented (photos, bids, receipts, etc.).
- Document the damage by taking wide and close up pictures, and notate any missing items.
- Save receipts for any additional necessary expenses (food, clothing, lodging) and be ready to present those to your adjuster.
- Preserve all communication with your insurance company and confirm verbal confirmations with emails when possible.
Common insurance disputes
Our Jackson, MS lawyers have the skills and experience to handle the different types of disputes that may arise with your insurance company. These disputes include the following:
- We work to show that your policy covers tornado damage and that no exclusions apply
- We ensure that the correct valuation methods are used. Insurance companies often try to limit your claim by asserting:
- That only partial repairs are covered when replacement is justified; or
- That your actual cash value payment is unreasonably depreciated, unfairly reducing your recovery.
- Our lawyers work to obtain all of your business losses if you have business interruption insurance. Depending on your policy, Business Income/Extra Expense coverage can include lost net income and continuing normal operating expenses (including payroll), and necessary extra expenses (e.g., temporary relocation) during the policy’s period of restoration; specific items vary by policy language.
- We review with the contractors how much time is necessary to completely restore your buildings, land, and personal property. The contractors should also set a timeline for repairs, establish the materials to be used, and identify who is responsible for the phase of the restoration.
Do you have a Jackson, MS tornado insurance lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet Jackson, Mississippi, clients at our office located at 460 Briarwood Drive, Suite 400-101.
Our lawyers also consult with clients by phone and through online video platforms like Zoom. We can work with investigators and contractors who visit and inspect the damage to your home or business in person.
We’re here to answer your questions and explain how the claims process works.
Contact our Jackson, Mississippi, tornado insurance lawyers now
At McWherter Scott Bobbitt PLC, we understand the strategies and techniques insurance adjusters use to deny or reduce the value of your claim. When tornadoes occur, they often completely destroy your home or property and all your possessions. We fight to make an accurate determination of the damage, what construction work should be done, and the time you’ll be out of your home or property. We fight to get you all the coverage you paid for down to the last detail.
Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We also have offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.