Proving Hail Damage Claims | Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

What happened

Public adjusters should also think ahead about whether the person who inspected the roof can authenticate the photographs, explain the inspection method, identify the storm-related damage, separate it from unrelated conditions, and support the scope and pricing. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company is a good example of a policyholder losing not because hail could never have damaged the roof, but because the policyholder failed to present admissible evidence that additional unpaid damage came from the storm at issue. Policyholders should take the case as a reminder that suspicion about an insurer’s general conduct will never replace proof about the particular property, the particular storm, and the particular unpaid damage.

Key details

• State Farm Fire and Casualty Company is a good example of a policyholder losing not because hail could never have damaged the roof, but because the policyholder failed to present admissible evidence that additional unpaid damage came from the storm at issue.
• Policyholders should take the case as a reminder that suspicion about an insurer’s general conduct will never replace proof about the particular property, the particular storm, and the particular unpaid damage.
• It treated the later supplemental payment as proof that State Farm breached the policy, but a corrected estimate does not by itself establish that benefits remained unpaid when the lawsuit was filed.

Why it matters to restoration

This belongs on an operator’s radar because insurance behavior sets the rules for documentation, scope disputes, cash flow and customer expectations. If the article points to a carrier, court or coverage trend, the practical question is what proof your next file needs before the argument starts.

What to check next

Check whether your estimates, photos, notes and customer updates would survive the same dispute described in the article.

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