Mississippi Wind Damage Claim Lawyers
Strong advocacy when winds damage homes, businesses, trees/landscaping, and personal property
High winds can cause extensive damage to structures, including windows, doors, roofs, and entire homes and businesses. Office buildings, landscaping, and personal property can suffer severe damage, too. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we’re skilled at holding insurance companies liable for your damage. We’re skilled at anticipating the defenses these carriers will use to try to deny or limit your claim. Our Mississippi wind damage lawyers have helped our insurance policy clients obtain more than $100 million in recoveries. We can help you determine whether wind alone caused your damage or if the damage was due to wind, rain, or other natural disasters.
How can we help?
- What types of winds cause property damage in Mississippi?
- What type of damage can strong winds cause in Mississippi?
- What types of insurance issues are involved with wind damage insurance claims in Mississippi?
- How do your wind damage insurance claims lawyers advocate for policyholders in Mississippi?
- What steps can be taken to reduce the severity of wind damage in Mississippi?
- Do you have a Mississippi wind damage insurance claim lawyer near me?
What types of winds cause property damage in Mississippi?
Generally, the stronger the wind and the longer the duration of the wind, the more damage the wind will cause. But that is not always the case. For instance, short bursts of strong winds can be just as damaging. There are many different types of winds:
According to The Weather Channel,
Straight-line winds are a significant push of air in one direction usually associated with thunderstorms. These winds don't swirl like a tornado does, but can still cause significant damage to trees, signage, canopies, and in some cases, homes…
Damage and debris from straight-line winds are often found in a straight line — hence the name. Straight-line winds usually either outflow from strong to severe thunderstorms (downbursts or microbursts) or occur along a line of thunderstorms (Derechos).
Straight-line winds can cause severe damage to homes, buildings, and vehicles. Straight-line wind damage is more common than damage from tornadoes.
A tornado is “a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris.”
There are also gale winds, hurricane winds, and other types of winds.
What type of damage can strong winds cause in Mississippi?
Winds can cause the following types of damage:
- Downed trees
- Downed power lines
- Structural damage to buildings
- Water damage
- Window damage
- Roof damage
- Damage to landscaping
- Vehicle damage
Mobile homes generally cannot handle as much wind as homes built with a strong foundation.
What types of insurance issues are involved with wind damage insurance claims in Mississippi?
The first issue that our Mississippi wind insurance claim lawyers handle for you is determining which insurance policy protects your property.
- Normally, your homeowner’s or property owner’s insurance should cover any damage due to winds.
- Other policies, such as umbrella policies, may provide additional coverage.
Some of the other issues our insurance loss lawyers handle include:
- Contesting any effort by the insurance companies to argue that your claim is “excluded” or that the amount of your damages is less than it actually is
- Verifying that your damage is due to wind damage
- Verifying the source of the wind damage – thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, or other environmental causes
- Determining what repairs need to be done and the timelines for those repairs
- Showing that part or all of your property needs to be rebuilt
- Obtaining advance payments for temporary lodgings
- Reviewing what laws, building code requirements, and ordinances require compliance
For business clients, we work to obtain compensation for your lost income, fixed overhead costs, payroll, marketing, IT, and other business expenses.
Our Mississippi wind damage lawyers are skilled at working with professionals to value the full cost of repairing or rebuilding your property. We also work with appraisers to value the damage to your personal property. The repair and rebuild costs should include using materials of “like kind and quality” as before the damage occurred.
We quickly file legal claims when it’s clear that the insurance carriers are bargaining in bad faith, such as taking unwarranted positions and delaying your claim.
How do your wind damage insurance claims lawyers advocate for policyholders in Mississippi?
Our Mississippi insurance loss attorneys have obtained numerous recoveries, including these wind damage claims:
- $3.3+ million. We obtained this amount for a client, after four days of arbitration, for windstorm damage to two apartment complexes.
- $1.6+ million recovery. We obtained this sum on behalf of a condo association that suffered damage due to wind and hail damage.
- $947,248. McWherter Scott & Bobbitt obtained this sum after a jury verdict in federal court against State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance Company. The verdict for damage to our client’s manufacturing facility due to a windstorm included $757,798.78 in compensatory damages and $189,449.70 for bad-faith negotiations.
- $750,000. We obtained an additional payment of $750,000 for a church that suffered hail and wind damage.
Our Mississippi wind damage lawyers are skilled at representing insurance claims in arbitration and before judges and juries. Many insurance claims are required to go through arbitration due to the insurance policy contract. Many claims that we handle include additional payments – claims where the insurance company has made some payment but not nearly as much as they should.
We work with many different professionals to verify that your damage was due to windstorms and to show the full cost of repairing your property, restoring your property, or obtaining a new property. These professionals include meteorologists, engineers, architects, roofing experts, building consultants, contractors, and other professionals. We also work with financial experts if you have a business interruption claim due to wind damage.
What steps can be taken to reduce the severity of wind damage in Mississippi?
There are some strategies homeowners should consider if they have advance notice of oncoming winds. Some precautions to consider before high winds damage your property include:
- Make sure to take anything that the wind can pick and blow around inside and properly secure those items.
- Have professional help to reinforce doors and windows (such as installing storm shutters) and other parts of your home that wind can easily damage.
- Examine your landscaping for parts that can be secured or trimmed.
Some precautions to take after the winds stop include:
- Covering up openings to prevent additional water intrusion
- Hiring a professional to help reduce the risk of further damage and make temporary repairs
- Waiting until the inspectors/contractors can view the damage, document your damage, and make recommendations – before starting any permanent repairs
- Taking pictures or videos of the damage as quickly as possible to verify the damage and the cause
Do you have a Mississippi wind damage insurance claim lawyer near me?
Our Mississippi insurance loss lawyers consult with policyholders at our offices located at 600 Main St., Suite 301 in Tupelo and 4780 I-55 N, Suite 100 in Jackson. We also speak with clients by phone and through video. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we’ll answer all your questions and guide you through this anxious time.
Get help now. Speak with our experienced Mississippi insurance lawyers today
The insurance companies will do everything they can after wind damage to deny your claim or minimize the amount they’ll pay. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, our team will thoroughly prepare your claim by assessing the damage and the work that must be done to restore your property and replace damaged possessions. We’ve obtained just verdicts and strong settlements for many home and business owners. To assert your right to your insurance proceeds, call us or use our contact form today to schedule a free consultation.