Perhaps a recent hurricane—like Hurricane Ida—left your yard with downed trees. Whether your insurance company will pay to have these trees removed depends on various issues discussed below. Not only do you have to deal with damage to your home, but you may also not even be able to get to your home because of downed trees. As with any homeowner’s insurance claim, tree removal insurance claims can be an exercise in patience. If your insurer denies your claim, it is vital that you file an appeal or speak to an attorney who can handle the process for you.
Download: 10 Steps To Take After Hurricane Property Damage
The highly experienced legal team from New Orleans Legal, LLC, is ready and able to help you. We fully understand that you may be exhausted from dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane and are anxious and stressed regarding the outcomes. Why not remove this one burden from your list of things to do? Let Attorney Peter J. Diiorio and his team fight for you. We will not allow your insurance company to pay you less than your claim is worth or to deny your claim altogether when your policy clearly states the insurer should pay. When you allow New Orleans Legal to help you with your tree damage claims, you can rest assured we will use every bit of knowledge, skill, and experience at our disposal.
Can I Claim My Expenses for Tree Removal After a Hurricane?
In most cases, following a hurricane or other type of storm, your homeowner’s insurance will pay to have downed trees removed—but not always. Whether or not your insurance will pay will depend on where the trees land, whether the trees came from your yard, and how the tree was uprooted. Generally speaking, if a tree falls on your home and results from a storm, ice, hail, fire, lightning, or hurricane, tree removal will be covered. If the tree falls on your lawn or empty space on your property and the cause is fire or lighting, your insurance should cover the cost of removal.
If the tree or trees fall on your lawn or empty space on your property, and the cause is a storm, hail, or ice, your insurance company may or may not cover the cost of removal. If a tree falls due to rot or age, falling on your home, your lawn, or empty space on your property, your insurance is unlikely to pay for the removal of the tree. Keep in mind; this is a general overview. What your insurance company will or won’t pay will depend on how your policy is worded.
As far as hurricane tree removal, if the hurricane blew a tree on your home or other structure on your property, the cost of removal is generally covered. If the hurricane blew the tree into your yard without destroying a structure or fence, it is unlikely your insurance company will pay. If the tree originated from your neighbor’s yard and blew onto your home, your insurance company might pay but might also attempt to recoup their losses from your neighbor’s insurance company.
Who Pays for Tree Removal Insurance Claims?
There is usually a cap on how much your insurer will spend on removing trees from your property. That amount is often 5 percent of your total dwelling coverage. This means if your total coverage is $300,000, you would, theoretically, be entitled to $15,000 for debris/tree removal. This might sound great at first glance, but insurers will rarely spend more than $500 per tree, so if three trees fell on your home, you would only receive a maximum of $1,500.
If tree removal is your only issue following a hurricane, then make sure to look at your deductible. It wouldn’t make sense to file a claim to remove two trees if your deductible is $1,000 or more—unless the fallen trees damaged your home, then there is a larger issue. New Orleans Legal can help you determine whether you should file a tree removal insurance claim—and what to do if your claim is denied.
What is the Process for Tree Removal Insurance Claims?
As soon as possible you should take photos of the fallen trees, and send them to your insurer, asking whether they will cover the damage. If they say the tree was already weakened and they will not pay, you may need to appeal the decision or contact a knowledgeable attorney. Next, you should contact a tree company to have the tree safely removed.
This is not a time to call your buddies and try to remove the tree yourself. You could accidentally cause additional damage to your home; then, the insurance company might justify denying your claim. The right course of action right now is to contact New Orleans Legal, LLC. We will deal with your insurance company to ensure they pay a reasonable amount to remove the trees. Contact New Orleans Legal, LLC, today!
