Tornado Damage Insurance Claim Lawyer in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Tornadoes can be devastating for homeowners whose houses get caught in the storm. Even the sturdiest homes can suffer extensive damage if a tornado comes near. If a tornado damaged your home, you should be reimbursed fairly for your loss under your homeowner’s insurance policy.
However, filing an insurance claim for tornado damage can be complex. Hiring an insurance claim lawyer is your best bet at recovering full and fair compensation. At Lawrence & Associates, we have decades of experience successfully assisting clients in Ohio and Kentucky with tornado damage claims. Let us do the same for you. Call (513) 434-6698 in Ohio or (859) 251-3591 in Kentucky for a free consultation, and let us help your family recover with peace of mind.
table of contents
- Types of Tornado Damage Covered by Insurance Claims
- Common Issues with Tornado Damage Claims
- How an Insurance Dispute Lawyer Can Help With a Tornado Claim
- What Is Insurance Bad Faith in Tornado Damage Claims?
- How Long Do I Have to File an Insurance Claim After a Tornado?
- Can I File a Claim if My Policy Doesn’t Cover Tornados?
- How Lawrence & Associates is Different From Other Firms
- Contact Our Tornado Damage Insurance Dispute Lawyers Serving Cincinnati, Ohio & Northern Kentucky
Types of Tornado Damage Covered by Insurance Claims
Homeowner’s coverage provides financial protection against losses due to disasters, including tornados and wind damage. Standard policies often include coverage for the structure of your home, your personal belongings, and additional living expenses, and some policies will reimburse claimants for loss of use of their home.
- Property Damage: Personal property coverage protects the structure of your home, business, or other property and any damaged personal belongings.
- Loss of Use: Some policies allow policyholders to claim losses from being unable to use their property after tornado damage.
- Additional Living Expenses: Many homeowner’s insurance policies offer coverage for temporary housing during repairs after a tornado.
Common Issues with Tornado Damage Claims
When it comes to tornado damage insurance claims, claimants may face a number of obstacles, such as lack of coverage, misclassification of damages, and bad faith insurance practices like delays or denials of valid claims.
- Underinsurance: Being underinsured or having inadequate coverage will affect how much you can receive through a claim.
- Misclassification of Damage: Insurers may attempt to categorize tornado damage as something else.
- Delays and Bad Faith Insurance Practices: Insurance companies may try to protect their bottom lines by unfairly delaying or denying valid claims.
How an Insurance Dispute Lawyer Can Help With a Tornado Claim
When dealing with an insurance claim after a tornado has damaged your home, recovering compensation for your losses can be complex, confusing, and frustrating. With an experienced lawyer with local knowledge of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky by your side, you can maximize and accelerate the settlement of your claim. At Lawrence & Associates, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for our clients. Our attorneys can help with:
- Case Evaluation: Outline your options and next steps in a no-cost initial consultation.
- Claim Filing Assistance: Guide you through the paperwork, deadlines, and necessary steps.
- Claim Denials & Disputes: Represent you if your claim is denied or undervalued.
- Negotiation with Insurance Companies: Aggressively negotiate a fair settlement with insurers.
- Litigation: Represent you in court if necessary to secure full and fair compensation.
Taking Property Damage Insurance Claims Personally
Meagan Tate, a partner at Lawrence & Associates and the leader of our Property and Casualty Insurance Claim Team, joined the firm in 2021 after working in insurance defense for nearly a decade. This experience gave her a deep knowledge of the tactics insurance companies use to deny valid claims. Meagan now uses her unique skills and background to help plaintiffs secure fair compensation in their hour of need.
“Insurance companies are in the business of evaluating and balancing risk. If your insurance company is not fairly evaluating your claim, you should hire an aggressive attorney with a winning record that can demonstrate to the insurance company that the financial risk of litigation outweighs the potential financial reward of undervaluing your claim.” – Meagan Tate, Partner, Lawrence & Associates
What Is Insurance Bad Faith in Tornado Damage Claims?
Often, insurance companies use unscrupulous tactics to avoid paying valid tornado damage claims. Luckily, every state has laws strictly regulating insurers and how they handle claims. If an insurer acts in bad faith by unfairly delaying, denying, or underpaying a claim, you may be able to seek compensation through a lawsuit or a remedy through your state’s insurance regulator.
Meagan Tate
Partner
Contact us as soon as possible to determine whether the insurance company breached its contract or committed bad faith. Most insurance policies have provisions that require any breach of contract case against the insurer to be filed within a certain period of time, usually one year or two years from the date of loss. Depending on the reason for denial, we may attempt to resolve the dispute through direct negotiation, invoking the appraisal process, or litigation.
How Long Do I Have to File an Insurance Claim After a Tornado?
When filing a claim for tornado damage in Ohio and Kentucky, it’s a good idea to report the damage to your home or property as soon as possible after the disaster. Every policy sets a deadline for filing a claim. If a reasonable amount of time (about three days) has passed since you contacted your insurance adjuster after a major disaster, you can contact the Kentucky Department of Insurance for help.
Can I File a Claim if My Policy Doesn’t Cover Tornados?
In Ohio and Kentucky, most homeowner’s insurance policies cover tornado damage as part of windstorm peril coverage. Standard policies do not usually cover damage from floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes. If your policy has a wind or hail exclusion, you may need add-on tornado coverage to increase your policy limits. However, if your policy doesn’t cover tornado damage and it’s too late to add more coverage, our attorneys can help you evaluate your options.
How Lawrence & Associates is Different From Other Firms
Because we respect and value our clients and their time, Lawrence & Associates makes certain guarantees in our Client Bill of Rights, including:
- The Right to Full Analysis – At the beginning of your case, meet with a specialist who can evaluate all aspects and ensure you’re filing the right claim.
- The Right to Efficiency – Lawsuits take time but should be resolved as quickly as possible. We will strive to resolve your case quickly and efficiently.
- The Right to Updates – Your attorney will provide regular updates so you know what’s happening when it happens and that everything is moving forward normally, even during less active times.
- The Right to Specialization – At Lawrence & Associates, our attorneys are limited to a maximum of two practice areas to avoid becoming “jacks of all trades” but masters of none.
- The Right to Authority – Our legal team understands that you call the final shots. We will ensure you are fully informed and comfortable with decisions regarding your case.
Our compassionate and experienced trial attorneys are here to give you a measure of justice and financial relief for what you’ve been through.
Our Case Results
Contact Our Tornado Damage Insurance Dispute Lawyers Serving Cincinnati, Ohio & Northern Kentucky
At Lawrence & Associates, we’re committed to fighting for fair compensation for Ohio and Kentucky residents. Tornado damage can be devastating, but you don’t have to face the insurance process alone. Whether your claim has been delayed, denied, or undervalued, our experienced attorneys in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are here to help.
Call (513) 434-6698 to reach us in Ohio or (859) 251-3591 to reach us in Kentucky. You can also contact us online to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Lawrence & Associates can help answer all of your questions about property and casualty claims
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