Table

of Contents
What Should I Do Before and After A Major Storm? ___________________________________________________ 2
Filing Your Storm Damage Claim ________________________________________________________________________ 4
What Is Bad Faith? ______________________________________________________________________________________ 6
Hiring an Attorney for Your Storm Claim _______________________________________________________________ 8
Contact Moore Law Firm _______________________________________________________________________________ 10

WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE AND AFTER A MAJOR
STORM?
What Should I Do Before and After A Major Storm?

Severe thunderstorms with high wind and damaging hail are some of the most common and costly weather
hazards we face. In fact, research from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS)
indicates that more than 75 percent of U.S. cities will experience at least one significant storm each year.
Staying informed and making a plan before an emergency situation arises is your best bet for protecting
yourself, your loved ones, and your property. However, due to forces beyond our control, damage to your
home and car is sometimes unavoidable. In these cases, it is important to know what steps to take to regain
control of your life.

Before The Storm

Be sure of your homeowners insurance policy. Take the time to discuss your policy with an agent
from your insurance company to make sure you have sufficient coverage.

Create a disaster preparedness plan for you and your family. Often times, there will be a disruption
in electrical service or cell phone coverage. You may not be together when an emergency or bad
weather hits, so its important to discuss where and how to reach a safe place you can meet.

Stay informed and up-to-date with the most recent weather reports. If there is a power or cable
outage, weather radios or battery operated AM/FM radios will give you the latest information.

If there is any possibility of hail, move your vehicle into your garage or a covered area.

During the Storm

Hailstones vary greatly in size. By definition, they start at a diameter of 0.2 inches or more. They can
grow as big as golf balls, baseballs, or even soccer balls. Any hail greater than 0.75 inches is
considered enough to cause serious damage.

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WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE AND AFTER A MAJOR
STORM?
Move inside immediately and stay there. It may be tempting to try and protect your property or tie
down your patio furniture, but your safety is much more important. Even small hailstones driven by
gravity and wind pose a significant danger to anyone caught in the storm.

Every thunderstorm produces lightning. It continues to be one of the top three storm-related killers
in the United States. On average in the U.S., lightning kills 51 people and injures hundreds more. Be
aware of oncoming storms and seek shelter immediately.

Other associated dangers of thunderstorms include tornadoes, strong winds, and flash flooding.
Flash flooding is responsible for more fatalities more than 140 annually than any other
thunderstorm-associated hazard.

After the Storm

Never drive through a flooded roadway. Turn around, dont drown!

Stay away from storm-damaged areas, and continually listen for updates from local radio and TV
stations.

Steer clear of downed power lines and report them immediately.

If the unfortunate happens and your property suffers damaging effects from a severe storm, be sure your
insurance company handles your claim correctly. If it is denied, delayed, or underpaid, the experts at
the Moore Law Firm will help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today for your free initial
consultation at 800-801-4245 or use our online form to find out your deadline today.

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FILING YOUR STORM DAMAGE CLAIM

Filing Your Storm Damage Claim

The most integral step in having your claim adjusted is filing your storm damage claim as soon as possible.

Here are a few tips on what you should do prior to filing your claim:

1) GET YOUR CLAIM STARTED

Call your insurance agent or company, and get a claim number. Your insurance company needs to know your
house/business has gone through a storm.

2) EVEN IF YOU DON'T SEE DAMAGE

The insurance company must inspect your house/business. Why? Later on when you sell your
house/business, if the buyers inspector finds storm damage, you will pay for the repairs not your insurance
company. Youve paid those premiums for years; dont hesitate to get your claim moving forward.

3) WRITE A WRITTEN NOTICE

You are required to give proper notice to the carrier about your claim. Written notice is the best practice. If
you need a form, please send our office an email, and Ill send you a form. Our email address is: law@moore-
firm.com

4) KEEP REPAIR RECORDS

We cant tell you how important this is. Clean up work, temporary repairs, tarps on roofs, debris removal,
pool cleaning, etc. anything you did or purchased, may be used against your deductible or may be
reimbursable. Keep a diary with dates, times and notes of all your conversations with your adjuster.

5) TAKE PICTURES

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FILING YOUR STORM DAMAGE CLAIM

Document all your damages. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is true. A year from now
while fighting with your insurance carrier, your memory will have faded. So, pictures of your damages will
help you get reimbursed for your loss.

6) TEMPORARY REPAIRS

Make any necessary repairs so that your property damage doesnt get worse. Put tarps on roofs, boards on
windows, and remove broken tree limbs, etc. Take before and after pictures.

7) MAKE A LIST OF YOUR DAMAGES

This will help you get organized and keep track of what youve lost.

8) REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE POLICY

If you cant find it, call your agent, and they will send it to you, free of charge.

9) KEEP OFF YOUR OWN ROOF

Only let your insurance adjuster and contractor get on your roof. Each time someone walks on your roof,
more damage may likely occur.

10) SECOND OPINION

After the insurance adjuster gives you their estimate, get a second, unbiased opinion from a licensed
contractor. The insurance company may try to save money by undervaluing your claim. Get an independent
repair estimate, in a form understood by the insurance industry, so the repairs will be authorized. If you
need assistance with finding a qualified, licensed inspector, send me an email or call.

11) CLAIM PROCESS

Since this storm was declared a catastrophe, your insurance carrier will have 30 days to accept or reject
your claim. Within this period, the insurance carrier may ask for more time, and will send you written notice
why it needs this extension. Once your claim has been accepted, the carrier must pay you within 5 business
days. You need to promptly respond to any requests for information from your carrier; any hindrance will
only delay the carriers statutory requirement to timely pay you. Claims adjusters will deal with you directly
and these adjusters are highly trained and skilled negotiators. That Second Opinion will give you solid
grounds to advocate your position.

The insurance claim process will take time and likely be very frustrating. Our offices will be available to
answer any questions you may have during the claim process.

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WHAT IS BAD FAITH?

What Is Bad Faith?

Texas recognizes an implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, which means that all persons that sign a
contract must act honestly, fairly, and in good faith at all times. Bad faith is acting with dishonesty and/or
unreasonably by not complying with contractual obligations, misleading the other person, or signing the
contract with the intention of not fulfilling it.

The following are examples of bad faith conducts from insurance companies which, if proven, can subject
them to pay damages plus attorneys fees.

Misrepresenting pertinent facts about a policy provision or coverage in general to a policyholder.

E.g. insurance company tells policyholder that the event and damages are not covered under
the policy when in fact they are covered.
Failure to promptly acknowledge a claim under the insureds policy. E.g. Taking 6 months after
receiving the claim to let the policyholder know that the insurance company has received the
claim.
Failure to conduct a prompt investigation of any claim under the insureds policy. E.g. After letting
the policyholder know that they received the claim, the insurance company takes months to
send an adjuster to assess the damages.
Failure to notify the policyholder in writing of the insurance companys decision about the claim.
E.g. An insurance company agent calls the policyholder to verbally inform him that the claim
has been denied.
Denying claims without justification. E.g. The insurance company informs policyholder that the
claim was denied, but does not state the reasons why the claim was denied.

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WHAT IS BAD FAITH?

Unnecessarily delaying payment of the claim. E.g. After insurance company notifies policyholder
that they will pay for the claim, they take more than 5 business days to make the payment.
Offering to the policyholder substantially less than the claims true value. E.g. A homeowner
suffers $10,000.00 in damages to his house and the insurance company offers $4,500.00
knowing that the value of the damages is much greater than that.

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HIRING AN ATTORNEY FOR YOUR STORM CLAIM

Hiring an Attorney for Your Storm Claim

When natural disaster strikes, homeowners and business owners who sustained property damage and loss
may feel like they dont know where to turn.

While a call to your insurance provider may be the first thing you do, you might want to consider what else
you might need to do to protect yourself and receive the compensation you deserve under your insurance
policy.

Homeowners and business owners dutifully pay their insurance every year; but unfortunately that isnt
enough to ensure that every insurance company will fully honor their policy and act in their best interest.

Fortunately, you can make insurance companies live up to their obligations by hiring an attorney.

By seeking legal counsel, you will have someone experienced with the insurance claims process on your
side.

How Can an Insurance Claims Attorney Help?

Insurance policies are long, complicated legal documents. Did you sit down and read every word of your
policy?

Dont worry, almost no one does that. But when you hire an attorney to assist you with your legal claim, they
will take the time to carefully review each clause of your policy, which will equip them to handle
negotiations with insurance adjusters who may seek to avoid the companys responsibilities under the
policy.

Your attorney can also review the claims process to ensure that the insurance company kept up their end of
the responsibility to investigate the damaged property in a timely manner.

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HIRING AN ATTORNEY FOR YOUR STORM CLAIM

At times like these, insurance representatives may be overwhelmed with work. However, the insurance
company must ensure that they have enough competent staff to help all of their policy holders in a thorough
and professional manner.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire An Insurance Claim Attorney To Represent Me For My
Insurance Claim?
Most storm damage attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means that the attorney you hire will
be compensated via the settlement or award that they are able to recuperate for your matter. Our law firm,
specifically, will only be compensated if we settle or win your case; IE no cost to you if we are unable to
recuperate a settlement or award.

For more information, contact Moore Law Firm today at 1-800-801-4245.

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CONTACT MOORE LAW FIRM

Contact Moore Law Firm

With over 25 years of storm damage litigation experience, the experts at Moore Law Firm
will help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today for your free initial
consultation at 800-801-4245 or use our online form to find out your deadline today.

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