Ice, wind and tornadoes can put a tree through a Kentucky roof in seconds. We're property damage attorneys for tree damage insurance claims, and when an insurer has paid for only part of the damage or is questioning the claim, we measure its estimate against what the policy promises.
What the tree broke on the outside is the easy part to see. A complete claim follows the damage inward, through the attic and ceilings to the contents and the weeks you may spend out of the house.
Before you signA release, or a check described as full and final payment, can affect what you can still recover. Send it to us first. The review is free.
What we handle
From Louisville, we handle tree claims across Kentucky, where ice loads limbs past breaking in winter and spring storm lines and tornadoes take down whole trees.
An oak on the roof can crack framing you can't see from the ground. We ask whether the estimate includes the structure, the attic and the interior finish, and we bring in our own adjusters and engineers when the insurer's scope stops at the surface.
If the tree came from next door, start with your own policy. Homeowners coverage generally pays to repair your house after a covered tree fall, and you don't need the neighbor's cooperation to file. Any claim against the neighbor's insurance is typically something your insurer handles after it pays you.
An insurer may argue the tree was hollow, leaning or long dead. That argument goes mostly to whether someone else should have dealt with the tree. It doesn't usually cancel coverage for the hole in your roof. We compare the insurer's stated reason with the policy's actual exclusions.
From January 23 to 26, 2026, Winter Storm Fern coated southern Kentucky in ice heavy enough to snap limbs and topple trees. Storms on the night of March 15, 2026 then produced tornadoes and damaging winds in south-central Kentucky. If your claim from either one hasn't been settled, or the payment came in low, the review is free.
Covering the opening quickly is something most policies expect of the homeowner, and the reasonable cost is commonly added to the claim. Hold on to the tarp or board-up bill and note the date the work was done.
Under KRS 304.12-235, when the carrier fails to make a good-faith attempt to settle, the settlement value bears interest at 12% per year beginning after the expiration of 30 days following the carrier's receipt of formal proof of loss. Under Wittmer v. Jones (1993), a bad-faith claim requires that the policy covered the loss, that the carrier denied or refused payment without a reasonable basis, and that it knew there was no reasonable basis or acted with reckless disregard of whether there was; when those elements are met, Kentucky law may allow attorney's fees, consequential damages, and punitive damages.
How it works
Most Kentucky homeowners are surprised how little they have to do once an attorney is involved — even with carriers used to taking advantage of policyholders without representation.
Free, confidential conversation. Bring your policy, the carrier's denial letter or estimate, and any photos you took before repairs began. Western KY tornado-affected homeowners should also bring FEMA correspondence and any KY Department of Insurance complaint records.
We send our own adjusters and engineers to document the real scope of damage, often the moment things change.
We send the carrier a documented demand citing the KRS § 304.12-230 violations that apply. Many cases resolve here — once a carrier sees a Consumer Protection Act exposure under KRS § 367.220 laid out, the offer changes.
If they still won't pay fairly, we file suit in Kentucky state court or in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, with the resources to take it all the way.
Common questions
For getting your house repaired, look to your own homeowners policy first. It generally applies to a tree that falls on your home regardless of who owned the tree. Responsibility between neighbors is a separate question that insurers usually sort out among themselves after your claim is paid.
Typically yes when the tree landed on the house, a garage or a fence, and typically with a cap on the amount. A tree that came down without touching a structure is covered far less often. Policies differ, so the debris-removal wording in yours decides it.
Insurers do raise it, but rot in the tree is rarely the end of the analysis. Homeowners policies commonly insure against the sudden damage a falling tree causes, and an upkeep exclusion has to fit the facts. Before you accept a denial or a reduced payment, let us read the letter and the policy together.
It happens, and it can often be corrected. Early estimates focus on what is visible from outside. Wet insulation, stained ceilings, damaged wiring and ruined belongings can be documented and submitted as a supplement, and we can make that request for you.
That one isn't ours. Damage to a vehicle belongs under the auto policy, generally its comprehensive coverage. We don't handle car or auto accident claims. If the tree damaged your home as well, call us about the home.
No fee unless we win. We walk you through exactly how fees and case costs work before you sign anything. The first review is free.
Ready to talk?
Call (844) 776-7364 or send the form for a free review of your Kentucky claim.
