Filing an Insurance Claim for Hail Damage in Illinois

When you are the victim of a serious hailstorm, the damage to your property can be significant. It can be worse when you consider that some insurance companies resist paying out for these “acts of God.” In order to be sure that you are able to pay for the necessary repairs for your home, there are steps you should take immediately so that you have everything in order. When the insurance adjuster comes calling, you will be ready to address any concerns they may have.

Documentation
Immediately after the hail storm ends, you need to document everything you can. Using a digital camera or your smartphone, walk around your entire property and photograph any and all roof hail damage. This includes hailstones that still cover your yard, patio, driveway, and even the sidewalk. Measure the hailstones and get a photo of the measurement. This will be important—the size of the hailstone may determine the size of your claim.

Climb a ladder and photograph your roof, focusing on any significant and obvious damage like cracked, torn or missing shingles. Also check for damage to external equipment like your air conditioning unit and photograph that. Finally, take a walk around your attic and get photos of any leaks that have arisen.

Prior to speaking to your insurance company, download the following document. Have it filled out and ready before contacting ATJ’s Home Improvement. This will speed up the evaluation process.

The Formal Inspection
If you do not notice any serious damage right away, but are concerned there may be invisible problems, call a qualified roof inspector. ATJ’s Home Improvement will always perform such an inspection at no cost.

Filing the Claim
You will need your insurance policy information including the deductible and policy number. This information should be readily available in your policy paperwork. Get all of your records together as well as any facts about the storm. Provide this information to your insurance carrier, who will give you a claim number.

As soon as you are assigned a claims representative, send them all of the information you have, including photos.

The Claims Adjuster
You will next be assigned a claims adjuster who will visit your home to personally inspect the damage. Feel free to share your photos and information with the adjuster as well; this can help to strengthen your claim. You can also have your roofing inspector present to discuss his report with the adjuster.

The adjuster will take photos, mark off areas where hail stones struck and closely examine your roof, then write a report that details their findings. They will then write a repair estimate and send the report to your claims rep, who will talk with you about a decision.

In some cases, the claim will be refused, if the insurance company does not think the damage is severe enough or there are other extenuating factors. If this happens, your insurance company may have an appeals process.

If you need a hail damage inspection to back up an insurance claim, we are here to help.