Hurricane Damage: From $12,400 to $87,600

What Happened

A Category 2 hurricane made direct landfall in the Tampa Bay area, tearing sections of roofing off the home, driving rain into the attic and living spaces, and causing extensive interior damage to ceilings, walls, and flooring. The homeowner filed a claim immediately.

The insurance carrier dispatched their field adjuster within two weeks. That adjuster documented only the most visible roof damage — a handful of missing shingles and one area of blown-off decking — and produced an estimate of $12,400. The estimate did not account for the full scope of roof system damage, missed secondary water intrusion through compromised flashing and ridge vents, and applied depreciation incorrectly under the policy terms.

What Care Claims Did

The homeowner engaged Care Claims after receiving the initial offer. Our licensed adjusters conducted a comprehensive re-inspection of the entire property within 48 hours of engagement.

We brought in independent structural engineers to assess the full extent of roof system damage, including areas the carrier's adjuster never accessed. The engineers identified damage to underlayment, drip edge, multiple penetration flashings, and ridge cap that were not included in the carrier's scope.

Our team documented secondary water damage throughout the home — staining, swelling, and early mold indicators in ceiling drywall, wall cavities, and subfloor materials that the carrier's adjuster attributed to “pre-existing conditions” without evidence. We used moisture mapping, thermal imaging, and timestamped photography uploaded in real time through our ClaimPilot claims management platform.

We challenged the carrier's depreciation calculations, which violated the policy's actual cash value provisions, and submitted a fully documented supplemental claim with line-by-line Xactimate estimates.

When the carrier's desk reviewer rejected the supplement, we invoked the appraisal clause in the policy. Through the appraisal process, the independent umpire agreed with our scope and valuation, and the claim settled at $87,600.