Missouri City Man Sues Farmers Insurance for Breach of Contract

Our client recently filed a lawsuit against Texas Farmers Insurance Company and its adjuster. The man’s home was seriously damaged in a thunderstorm that bombarded Fort Bend County, Texas in May 2015. Farmers and its adjuster conducted a substandard and improper inspection of our client’s property, grossly undervaluing the cost of repairs and deliberately yielding an unrealistic amount to underpay coverage.

May 13, 2015 Storm

On May 13, 2015, a severe storm tore through Missouri City, striking our client’s home with lightning. His house suffered severe damage to the roof and exterior, as well as several electronics inside the home. After the storm, our client quickly submitted a claim to Farmers, hoping his insurance company would help him get his life back in order.

Texas Farmers Insurance Company Home Insurance Claim

Farmers assigned one of its adjusters to inspect the property and adjust the claim. The adjuster knowingly conducted a subpar investigation, refusing full coverage and estimating damages to total about $6,200. After the deductible, this left our client without the necessary recovery to make repairs to his home.

The third-party expert hired after the insurance company’s fraudulent inspection found a litany of damages that were either conveniently absent or undervalued in Farmers’s estimate.

The damage to our client’s property is currently estimated at $38,300.

Farmers’s adjuster intentionally undervalued our client’s claims in order to maintain his job. He misrepresented the amount of damage hoping our client would simply rely on his expertise and fraudulent estimate as a true representation of the property’s damages.

Because of Farmers’s fraud, our client could not complete any meaningful repairs to his home, resulting in even more damage. Farmers’s inadequacies forced him to retain an attorney to pursue his claim for insurance benefits. On October 4, 2016, the Chad T. Wilson Law Firm filed suit, on behalf of our client, against Texas Farmers Insurance Company for fraud, breach of contract, and violations of the Texas Insurance Code and the Texas DTPA.

Texas Property Insurance Lawyers

If your homeowner insurance carrier has denied your insurance claim, then we can help. The experienced attorneys at Chad T. Wilson Law Firm have represented more than 1,000 clients in cases against insurance companies. Our property insurance lawyers aggressively protect the rights of insurance policyholders. Our consultations are free, and you owe us nothing until your case is won. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Geovera Plays Games; Homeowners Not Amused

In early May, 2015, hailstorms and thunderstorms ripped through southeastern Texas, leaving behind destroyed homes and damaged lives in their wake. Our clients, a couple in Harris County, Texas, and their home were no exception. Geovera Insurance denied our client’s damage claims.

After the hailstorm, they immediately filed a claim with their homeowner’s insurance company, Geovera, asking them to pay for the damages so that they could make repairs and start getting their lives back in order.

Geovera hired an adjuster to inspect our clients’ home and assess the damage. The inspector found that there were no covered damages to our clients’ home, therefore denying their claim and leaving them with no recovery to make repairs to their home.

So, our clients hired a public adjuster, who conducted an unbiased inspection and found a litany of damages that Geovera’s adjuster had left off, resulting in more than $13,500 worth of damages to the home. Seeing that they were owed much more than Geovera suggested, the clients promptly sought out the Chad T. Wilson Law Firm to help them obtain the recovery they had, essentially, already paid for through the purchase of their insurance policy.

On Tuesday, July 26, 2016, the Chad T. Wilson Law Firm filed suit against Geovera insurance company in Harris County, Texas for fraud, breach of contract, violations of the Texas Insurance Code and Texas DTPA, and wrongfully denying our clients coverage under their policy.

Through its adjuster, Geovera conducted a substandard and improper inspection of the clients’ home, which grossly undervalued the cost of repairs in its estimate and yielded an unrealistic amount to underpay coverage. Geovera unreasonably adjusted our clients’ claim, misrepresenting the cause of, scope of, and cost to repair damages to their property.

Because of Geovera’s misrepresentations, our clients were forced to hire an attorney to file a lawsuit for insurance benefits.

If your homeowner insurance carrier has denied your insurance claim, we can help. The experienced property insurance attorneys at Chad T. Wilson Law Firm have represented more than 1,000 clients in cases against insurance companies and aggressively protect the rights of insurance policyholders. Our consultations are free, and you owe us nothing until your case is won. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Was your Insurance Claim denied?

It’s a safe haven. It’s where you can unwind at the end of a long day. It’s where the heart is.

It’s home.

But suddenly, the oasis that you’ve worked hard to own is ravaged by a hail storm, or hurricane, or freeze. Then, your insurance company decides that there wasn’t that much damage caused by that storm, and they’re not going to cover the gaping hole in your roof because it was caused by “wear and tear”— who knew that simply having a roof was a pre-existing condition? You thought that was the point of having homeowner’s insurance, right?

You’re absolutely right. But often, insurance companies hire insurance adjusters that will low-ball the estimate of repairs just so they can deny a claim. So, how do you fight back when your claim was denied?

1. Review your policy. Before you go any farther, you’ll want to educate yourself and make sure that the policy does include the type of damage your home received. This step should be done before you file a claim if you’re unsure of your coverage, but after the denial works, too. If your copy of your policy was destroyed in the incident, your insurance company can provide another.
2. Collect your facts. When you’re looking to refute a denial, you’ll want to ensure you have all of the information you need so that you’re as prepared as possible. Thousands of dollars could be at stake.
   –  Know the facts of the event itself — dates, extent of damage, parties involved, and steps you took to prevent the incident are vital.
   –  Photograph the damages.
   –  Gather records of steps you took and purchases you made to protect your home, such as maintenance (before and after the incident), repair or home fire safety alarms.
   –  Record and document all conversations you’ve had with your insurance company.
   –  Find witnesses who may be willing to speak on your behalf.
   –  Show any and all evidence that you’re a responsible homeowner and not negligent.
   –  And if you have had a prior claim on your house, make sure you can provide proof that it has been fully repaired; we weren’t joking about pre-existing conditions.
3. Hire a public adjuster. Don’t take your insurance company’s word for it. Hire a public adjuster to come evaluate the damage to your property. Often, you’ll find their estimates of damages much higher than the insurance company’s adjuster.
4. Get help. Whether you need assistance with filing an appeal, or you’re ready to take legal action, an insurance attorney is your best chance at getting the payment you deserve for being a dutiful homeowner. Let them handle the footwork, the legalese and the arguing on your behalf, so that you can get the protection you’re owed.

Have any other questions about insurance claims? Contact us for a FREE consultation.