Grappling with Roof Damage Claims
“A roof over your head” is a powerful phrase with weight and a whole lot of meaning. It evokes thoughts and feelings about shelter, home and safety. It’s fair to say that the roof is the most essential piece of your home because it prevents rain, wind, hail and life-threatening weather from threatening your livelihood. Because of this, the roof endures the most abuse of all the house’s components, making roof maintenance an essential upkeep to preserve the foundations of your property.
If you live in Florida, you’ll find that the number once cause of roof damage is from heavy winds from the 4pm tropical storm that occurs every day. When hurricane season rolls around, you’ll start paying attention to your roof again.
Once wind speed goes over 40 miles per hour, it’s common for roof shingles to be blown off. If the hurricane is strong enough, the entire roof itself can be pried open like a can of tuna. These are scenarios where you qualify for an insurance claim. It must be a scenario where the damage could not have been prevented by the owner.
Here are some scenarios where roof damage claims would not get approved:
- Your roof is older than ten years and has not been renovated or maintained properly.
- Your roof had preexisting damaged that was left unrepaired.
- You fail to notify your insurance company about the roof damage in a timely manner.
- You attempt to repair the roof damage yourself without filing a claim first.
Insurance companies want to urge and promote homeowners to take care of their homes, so by covering damage that they self-inflicted on their roofs, it sets a bad precedent. Even if wind was the catalyst to damage an already decayed roof that wasn’t kept.
Here are some reasons where your claim would be approved:
- A tree branch falls on your roof and causes significant damage to it.
- A wild animal chews or destroys parts of your roof.
- Heavy winds blow away several of your shingles and cause other kinds of damage to your roof.
- An unexpected fire damages your roof.
- A burglar or vandal damages your roof.
These are scenarios that could not have been avoided. If you find yourself getting denied of a claim during one of these scenarios, you have the right to fight back and get what you are owed. With a roof damage claim lawyer, you can take on these insurance companies. And the more evidence and documentation you equip you and your lawyer with, the higher chance you have of winning your case.
Need help with your roof claim? Call us at 954-520-0970. We can help!