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Storm Damage Claims

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Storm Damage Claims

You Need Storm Damage Claims Expertise.

Truck wreck legal services – Mostyn Law firm helping victims of commercial vehicle accidents

Mostyn Law has represented more than 20,000 individuals, businesses, and churches across the country for damage suffered as a result of a catastrophic storm.

Our storm damage insurance claim lawyer in Houston is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of their claims.


As a Houston-based firm, we’re intimately familiar with extreme weather events that wreak havoc along the Texas Gulf Coast. And unfortunately, our entire staff knows firsthand what it is like to personally deal with these storms—from preparing for the storm, fearing for your family’s safety, and then dealing with the aftermath.  

When Hurricane Harvey devastated the Gulf Coast in 2017, our hometown faced the storm and banded together to do everything we could to restore our city, uplift one another, and be compassionate to those around us. Yet even today, many are still struggling to recover from Harvey, and communities across the United States go through similar circumstances each year. Since 2020, there have been more than 100 subtropical and tropical storms, tropical depressions, and hurricanes along the US coasts. The 2021 Texas Freeze and subsequent power crises still linger in our memories.

At Mostyn Law, we help our clients deal with the aftermath of hurricanes, tornados, tropical storms, hail storms, and floods. If your insurance company is refusing to pay what you’re owed for property damage after a storm, call us today. We will send our team of expert storm damage attorneys to your home or business and conduct a complete evaluation of your interior and exterior damages. We’ll document the damage with pictures and videos and submit a report with our findings to your insurance company.  We will make sure you fully understand what you’re entitled to under your insurance policy, including contents coverage, other structures, additional living expenses, and recoverable depreciation. Together, we can help you file.

Protect your home or business before the storm with our preparedness checklists

Hurricane damage aftermath – Mostyn Law helps homeowners with storm insurance claims.

1) What to do during a tropical storm, tornado, or hurricane

  • Stay indoors. Remain inside at all times, even if the storm seems calm. Storm conditions can change or worsen quickly. Shut all interior doors and stay away from windows and glass doors. During tornado warnings or tornado watches, seek shelter in an interior hallway, bathroom, or closet on the lowest level of your house or under something sturdy, like a well-constructed table. 

  • Use flashlights, NOT candles. It’s better to use flashlights instead of candles to avoid fires during a storm when harmful and potentially invisible flammable agents could be in the air and in your home. If you have to use a candle, keep a fire extinguisher nearby, and never let either item out of your sight or reach.

  • Wash your hands with clean water. After a storm, it’s vital to stay hygienic amidst the slew of health concerns and dangers. Do not use tap water until notified of its safety and instead clean with bottled water. Boil and disinfect the water before using. Throw out old food that may be contaminated or that wasn’t stored at the proper temperature throughout the storm. Even if it seems normal or safe to consume, it’s best to avoid it completely. Use best practices for keeping your food and water safe.

  • Avoid damaged buildings. During a natural disaster, structures can degrade quickly, presenting a danger for anyone still left inside. You should leave your home or business immediately if you start to hear strange, shifting noises.  If that is not an option, move to the smallest room in the house or seek safety under a sturdy object like a table or desk.

  • Avoid wet electronics. Using wet electronics can cause electrocution and should be avoided at all costs. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

  • Protect yourself against flood water. Do whatever you can to avoid exposing your body to contaminated flood water. A flood can carry several toxic bacteria and diseases, not to mention the risk of drowning. Do not walk or drive in flood waters. If you must, grab some tall rain boots or waders and a life jacket. If you are exposed to the water, wash off after the exposure. Take extra care washing your hands.  

  • Protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning. Leave your house and call 911 if your CO detector starts beeping, and never use any fuel-burning, gas-powered, or coal-burning equipment inside or within 20 feet of your home.

  • Protect yourself from unknown animals and insects. Humans can pick up diseases from both animals and insects. During a natural disaster, proceed with caution when coming across stray animals. Stay away, and arm yourself with bug spray to protect yourself from insects, as well.

  • Stay clear of fallen or hanging power lines. Stay away from debris and downed power lines. If you can, report any fallen or hanging power lines to your local municipality to take action.

  • Treat wounds and injuries to protect against infection. If there is bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound. Contact medical professionals immediately if an injury worsens via swelling, oozing, or increased pain.

  • Do not return to your home until it’s safe. Once you have evacuated your home during a storm, do not return until you have been told it is safe to do so. Listen to local officials for updates and instructions. Check in with family and friends by texting or using social media, like Facebook’s disaster safety tool. Returning too early could mean entering a building that is subject to collapse, or entering back into the eye of the storm. 

  • Clean your home safely after the storm. Once the storm has subsided and it is safe to enter your home, thoroughly clean it. Open up all the windows and throw away anything that is beyond saving to clear the air and remove harmful aromas and residue. 

2) How to file an insurance claim after a storm

  • Document all losses. Take pictures and videos of all damage.  If contents within your home or business are damaged, photograph each item and take note of the purchase date and the value of each item so you can provide an inventory to the insurance company. 

  • File a claim.  Contact your insurance provider, provide your policy number, landline or cell phone number, and email address, and give an accurate portrayal of your property damage.  File a claim with your insurance company for damages caused by the storm and submit all documents, evidence, photographs, and receipts. 

  • Wait to throw damaged items away. Do not discard damaged items until your insurance company has had an opportunity to inspect the damaged items and be sure that everything is documented and properly reported before discarding.

  • Stay organized with your claim. Keep track of the claim process, noting every time you speak to someone about your claim. Write down the relevant names of anyone you spoke with, as well as the date and time you spoke with them so you have those records in case your attorneys need them during potential litigation.

Do not hire a contractor until you file an insurance claim. If you are considering hiring a contractor, read our 10 Tips for Hiring a Contractor guide.

3) Storm Damage FAQs

How do I file a storm damage claim?

Document, document, document. The biggest piece of advice we give storm damage victims is to keep documenting everything about their claims. Take pictures and videos of any and all damage to the interior and exterior of your home. Keep thorough records of all communications with the insurance company including phone calls. If you purchase anything or make repairs document with before and after pictures and be sure to make copies of all receipts and invoices and submit them to the insurance company.

Once the insurance company has denied or unpaid you an amount, we will assess whether or not they underpaid you. Sometimes our clients were paid only a fraction of what they stand to receive under their coverage. Then, we consult experts. To help us assess, we consult our own contractors, structural engineers, and other experts who we will send out to your home or business to verify the scope of the damages and to counter the insurance company adjuster’s report with their own itemized contractor bid. And finally, if you qualify, we will take your case.


How hard is it to win storm damage claims against insurance companies?

Insurance companies will fight your claim. The company’s job is to undermine your claim and hedge back against any potentially unverified damages where proof has not been provided. That’s why we insist that you provide exhaustive proof, and we can help you strengthen your claim before filing.

Exhaustive preparation is beneficial in litigation against insurance companies for several reasons. Unfortunately, many people do not know what they are entitled to under their policy. If you don’t read your insurance policy, you won’t know what’s covered and what isn’t. Or if there are portions or certain words or phrases you don’t understand, do some research or ask one of our attorneys. Sometimes, your policy will have clauses for additional living expenses (i.e., if you need an apartment in the meantime pending a storm, the policy allows a sum for rent). We always dissect your current policy to learn the intricacies and implications of your coverage because everyone’s policy has unique coverage stipulations.


Why You Need a Storm Damage Insurance Claim Lawyer in Houston

Fire damage claims

Fire insurance is typically included in most homeowner insurance policies. Some companies will reimburse their clients based on replacement-cost or actual cash value. If your policy limit is unpaid, Mostyn Law will qualify your fire damage case.


Earthquake damage claims

Land movement and landslides are not typically covered by most standard homeowner insurance policies because they are so costly. As a result, if your home damage does not exceed your deductible, you would not receive compensation. Most earthquake insurance generally covers you at a pure loss, meaning that they will pay specific amounts for specific items lost or damaged.


Testimonials


When somebody else can fight for you, it means everything. We can’t thank the Mostyn Law firm enough.

– Client, Hurricane Insurance Claim Case


Great people here and very driven to serve! I had an issue with my case, a legal formality, so I went to Mostyn to see what could be done and they were not only super prompt in their response but were able to resolve my issue the same day! My case was closed days later, as opposed to the months it would’ve been pending had I not made that phone call. They made me feel like my case was their most important and top priority, even though I know it was low level compared to other clients. Couldn’t have asked for a better result or better service. Thank you, Mostyn Law!

– Joseph Badger

Meet Our Team

Fierce Advocates Who Will Fight Aggressively For You.

Molly Bowen Attornet at Mostynlaw

Molly K. Bowen

Attorney
Michael A. Burns – Attorney, Of Counsel at Mostyn Law

MICHAEL A. BURNS

Attorney, Of Counsel
Grace M. Clavell – Attorney at Mostyn Law

GRACE M. CLAVELL

Attorney
Gregory F. Cox – Experienced attorney at Mostyn Law, serving clients across Texas

GREGORY F. COX

Attorney
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