Category: Property Damage

Coverage Denied: Residence Premises Requirement Bars Claim Despite Premiums and Initial Payment

Kelly Phan | Marshall Dennehey Two years prior to Evelyn Pitts’ death, she placed her property in a revocable living trust, entered an assisted living facility and then rented her property to tenants. After Evelyn’s passing, her son reported water damage to the property to Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company. Universal initially extended coverage… Continue reading Coverage Denied: Residence Premises Requirement Bars Claim Despite Premiums and Initial Payment

Dents Don’t Count: Court Clarifies Hail Damage Coverage

Joshua Tumen | Property Insurance Law Observer In Cannon Falls Area Schools v. Hanover American Insurance Company (2025 WL 2976533 (D. Minn. 2025)), the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota held that a property insurer properly denied coverage pursuant to a cosmetic damage exclusion because hail indentations to roofs affected only their appearance, not… Continue reading Dents Don’t Count: Court Clarifies Hail Damage Coverage

Smaller Hail May Be More Damaging to Roofs Than Once Believed, Study Shows

William Rabb | Claims Journal A study by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety found roof damage from smaller hailstones may be much more significant than previously believed. It’s a finding that one plaintiffs’ lawyer has already cited as potential support for roof claims. “This data challenges long-standing opinions by insurance company experts… Continue reading Smaller Hail May Be More Damaging to Roofs Than Once Believed, Study Shows

Torrential Rains and Insurance Claims: When Exclusions and Limitations On ‘Flood’ Coverage May Not Apply

Micah Skidmore | Haynes Boone With five months to go, 2025 is already the year of the flash flood in the United States. To date, the National Weather Service has issued more than 3,600 flash flood warnings across the United States in 20251—more than any other year on record since 1986.2 Extreme precipitation events have resulted… Continue reading Torrential Rains and Insurance Claims: When Exclusions and Limitations On ‘Flood’ Coverage May Not Apply

Is Smoke or Ash Considered Direct Physical Damage for Coverage Purposes Under California Property Insurance Policy?

Michele L. Levinson | Frost Brown Todd In past years, carriers in states most affected by wildfires, notably California, have seen a significant increase in claims where the property sustains no significant “direct physical damage.” Meaning, the property itself was not directly impacted by the fire, yet the owner presented a claim for fire-related damages… Continue reading Is Smoke or Ash Considered Direct Physical Damage for Coverage Purposes Under California Property Insurance Policy?