Spring brings a clash of cold air and warm air and the result on these colliding air masses is usually severe weather. Praedictix has assisted many law firms with cases that revolve around these circumstances. The following case dealt primarily with extensive property damage caused by severe hail.
The Challenge
A Minnesota rural stables property was severely impacted by strong storms in June of 2012. The property was impacted by hail which was estimated to have caused nearly $250,000 in damage. Due to inconsistencies in the damage patterns throughout the property, the insurance company denied the claim and refused to cover any of the damage. They claimed that the damage on site had been caused by a previous hail event and that not all of the buildings on the property had been impacted. The property owners tried unsuccesfully to settle the loss for two years.
The Solution
The Praedictix forensics team reviewed the weather conditions that produced the damage and were able to confirm that large hail did in fact occur during the time frame in question. The inconsistencies in damage that the insurance company cited were generally due to construction differences between the individual buildings on the property. The storm and associated hail moved across the entire property, so hail did likely impact each building. A thorough written report and video presentation explaining the weather events of the day were provided to the client.
The Result
After rigorous research of past weather data, storm reports, weather observations, and more, Praedictix came to the conclusion that the insurance company’s claims were unfounded. After a detailed presentation of the report constructed by Praedictix, the insurance company settled the claim for $225,000. The law firm Praedictix worked with was very satisfied with the results and stated that Praedictix’s report and video were “crucial in proving causation.”
“Praedictix’s written report and video analysis were crucial in proving causation.”