A tornado leaves an unpredictable swath of damage, often devastating one property while the property next door is nearly untouched. When you're responsible for a large commercial property, storm damage to your business is not a joke. Your immediate action matters when severe weather strikes one of your locations, and must include decisive problem-solving and careful management in order to maximize your claim and recover as fully as possible.
Attorney Bill Voss has seen the extensive damage tornados cause to many types of properties, and he understands how important it is for businesses to get the most out of their claims for commercial property losses. Unfortunately, mistakes made within days of the storm damage can have a long-term impact on your insurance claims and your property. If you've been affected by severe weather, don’t wait to take action. Here are three people you should talk to right away.
Immediate Action to Take After Storm Damage to a Commercial Property
If a tornado strikes, and you receive word that your business location sustained damage, here are three of the first calls you should make:
- Contact emergency authorities. If there's an emergency at one of your locations, immediately contact the appropriate authorities, such as the police, fire department, or ambulance service. Even if emergency assistance isn’t necessary, you should still report the incident to these agencies as soon as possible.
- Speak to your commercial insurance provider. Report the incident to your business insurance provider immediately. Any communication delay could cause problems later on in the claims process and affect your company’s recovery. After the call, you may want to follow up with written notification of the damages. Keep copies of any correspondence regarding your tornado losses, and keep records of any phone contact with the insurance company.
- Talk with an attorney who has experience with commercial insurance claims. If you’ve suffered a large loss after a tornado, it may be especially important to work with an attorney to manage the commercial insurance claim process and develop a recovery plan. You may have a limited time to file, so it’s important to get informed about your options as soon as possible. An attorney can help you manage this process and connect you with the resources and assessments you need for a successful and timely claim.
What to Do About Disputes and Denials in Commercial Tornado Insurance Claims
The immediate aftermath of severe tornado damage is stressful, but the process isn’t over after you’ve made all the necessary emergency calls. The process of resolving the insurance claims that follow can be an arduous task, especially for large commercial properties. If you overlook damages, fail to mitigate losses, miss time limits, or do not follow through with your policyholder responsibilities, it could negatively affect your claim and the future of your commercial property.
In some cases, even when the insured has done everything right, disputes can occur with the insurance company. Because business and manufacturing sites are complex—and often costly—properties, it isn’t unusual for issues to come up in the claims process. If you feel the insurance company has denied a claim unfairly or is fighting payment of the coverage you paid for, it is extremely important to pursue legal counsel. Find out more about the benefits of working with an attorney on a commercial claim denial.
Before you take a step that could negatively impact your business, take the time to get informed. The attorneys with the Voss Law Firm have extensive experience helping policyholders recover from tornados and severe weather damage, and we would be happy to listen to your concerns. To get started, call our law office today, start a Live Chat, or fill out our confidential online contact form.
|
RELATED LINKS |
