When a tree or limb comes down on a North Carolina home, the tree damage insurance claim has more parts than most owners expect. We're property damage attorneys who check the adjuster's estimate against the policy and the real repair cost, then go after the difference.
Adjusters often start with the hole in the roof. The claim should also reach the structure under it, the rooms that got wet and the costs of living somewhere else, each under its own coverage.
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 our Greensboro office, we handle tree claims across North Carolina, from mountain hardwoods loosened by saturated ground to Piedmont oaks under ice and coastal pines in tropical wind.
A roofer's patch and a few bundles of shingles won't fix a snapped truss. We look at what the tree did to the framing, the attic and the rooms below, and whether the insurer's numbers would actually pay a contractor to do the work.
People often assume the tree's owner has to pay. In most cases the faster path is your own homeowners coverage, which generally responds to a tree that lands on your house wherever it was rooted. Whether your insurer later looks to the neighbor is between the insurance companies.
"Decay" and "lack of maintenance" show up in some denial and partial-payment letters. How healthy the tree was mainly affects a neighbor's responsibility. For damage to your own house, the question is what the policy covers and excludes, and a fallen tree is usually a covered event. We check whether the reason given holds up.
Helene tore through western North Carolina on September 27, 2024 and brought trees down across the mountains and foothills. Isaias brought tornadoes to eastern and central counties on October 11, 2026. In between, Winter Storm Fern's freezing rain brought down limbs in late January 2026. Old or new, a tree claim from any of them can be reviewed.
The policy generally asks you to keep the damage from getting worse. A tarp, a temporary support or a board-up is usually reimbursable when the cost is reasonable, so save every invoice and photograph the opening first.
North Carolina's Unfair Claim Settlement Practices statute, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-63-15, lists the conduct insurers must avoid. Conduct found to be unfair or deceptive may also support a claim under § 75-1.1, the state's unfair and deceptive trade practices law, which may allow treble damages and attorney's fees.
How it works
Most North Carolina 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 and any letters from the insurer if you have them.
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 § 58-63-15(11) violations that apply. Many cases resolve here — once a carrier sees a § 75-1.1 treble-damages exposure laid out, the offer changes.
If they still won't pay fairly, we file suit in NC state court, federal court, or — for complex commercial property disputes — the NC Business Court, with the resources to take it all the way.
Common questions
In most cases your own homeowners insurer pays for the damage to your house, subject to your deductible and the policy's terms. If the neighbor knew the tree was a hazard and did nothing, your insurer may pursue the neighbor's insurer on its own. You don't have to prove fault to open your claim.
It generally does when the tree damaged a covered building, and the amount is commonly limited per tree and per storm. Removing a tree that only fell across the lawn is often not covered, though some policies make an exception when it blocks the driveway. The answer is in your policy's debris-removal section.
A dead or diseased tree doesn't automatically end the claim. The insurer has to tie its decision to actual policy language, and many policies cover a falling tree without asking about its health. If the letter relies on a maintenance or neglect exclusion, have an attorney read it before you accept the result.
Don't treat the first payment as final. Interior damage is usually owed when it flows from the same covered event, and insurers can add to an estimate after it is issued. Gather photos of every affected room and send us the estimate so we can see what was left off.
It isn't. Vehicle damage from a tree goes through your auto insurance, typically comprehensive coverage. We don't handle car or auto accident claims. We do handle the homeowners claim if the tree also damaged the house or another structure on the property.
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 North Carolina claim.
