When looking at the path of destruction left behind by the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, last month, it is hard to imagine that the vast splintered wreckage we see used to be thousands of homes and businesses. Each one of these properties represents a family that has been deeply affected by the disaster – families that suffered injuries and losses, families that no longer have a safe shelter, and families that feel lost, overwhelmed, and traumatized.
Rebuilding After the Devastation
For those with insurance policies that protect their homes and businesses from wind, hail, and natural disasters, their energy must now go toward rebuilding – and rebuilding requires that tornado victims successfully receive the full amount of money that they deserve from their insurance claim. While some property owners assume that their insurance company will handle their claim fairly and accurately, it is an unfortunate truth that some claims are wrongly denied, illegally delayed, or simply underpaid. In fact, insurance companies are more likely to renege on their contract or act in bad faith after a large-scale disaster results in hundreds or thousands of claims.
The tornado that struck Joplin on May 22 certainly fits the definition of a large-scale disaster. The multiple-vortex storm was up to a mile wide at times and devastated a six-mile-long segment of town with winds up to 200 miles per hour. The storm left an estimated 20 percent of homes and businesses in the city badly damaged or destroyed and thousands of cars totaled. 155 people lost their lives that day while hundreds more were seriously injured. Just over a week after the disaster, 17,000 insurance claims had been filed in relation to the tornado.
Make Sure Your Insurance Claim is Paid
Whether your home was leveled in the tornado or whether your property suffered relatively minor wind or hail damage, you deserve to receive proper payment for your related insurance claim. To make certain that you are getting the claim payment that you deserve, you may need the guidance of an experienced, knowledgeable, and aggressive insurance claim attorney.
What are some examples of bad insurance company practices?
- Your valid claim is denied.
- Your insurance claim is not properly investigated.
- Your insurance claim is not processed in a timely manner.
- Your insurance claim is not paid and you are not given a reason.
- Your insurance company refuses to negotiate your claim.
At the Voss Law Firm, we are committed to making certain that insurance companies pay the valid claims of our clients. While we may never be able to completely understand the trauma that Joplin residents have endured over the past weeks, we fully understand how important it is to get tornado victims the claim payment they need to stand up in the wake of the storm and begin to repair their homes and their lives.
Do you need to speak with a bad faith insurance lawyer about your property damage claim? Call us toll free at (866) 276-6179 or fill out our contact form to set up a meeting with one of our attorneys today.
