A tree or limb fell on the roof
A limb through the roof usually damages more than one layer of the house. We review whether the insurer's figures cover the structural repair, the interior and the drying, not only new shingles over the patch.
A fallen tree can open a Virginia home to the weather in a single gust. We're property damage attorneys who review what the insurer has agreed to pay on a tree damage claim, hold it up against the policy, and pursue the parts of the loss that went unpaid.
Think of the claim in layers. There is the structure the tree broke, the interior the weather reached, the belongings inside, and the cost of being displaced, and each layer has its own coverage and limit.
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
We handle tree claims across Virginia, from Hampton Roads, where tropical systems and nor'easters topple pines and oaks, to the Blue Ridge and Southwest Virginia, where wind and ice bring hardwoods down.
A limb through the roof usually damages more than one layer of the house. We review whether the insurer's figures cover the structural repair, the interior and the drying, not only new shingles over the patch.
Many owners wait on the neighbor's insurance and lose time. In general, your own homeowners policy covers your house when a tree falls on it, including a tree rooted on adjoining property. Any right to recover from the neighbor typically passes to your insurer after it pays the claim.
"Pre-existing decay" is a phrase that turns up in some tree-claim letters. The state of the tree is mostly about whether a neighbor was careless. It doesn't normally excuse your insurer from paying for damage to your own home. We examine the denial or reduction letter against the policy's terms.
The remnants of Helene brought down trees across Southwest Virginia on September 27, 2024, and coastal storms do the same in Hampton Roads. Winter ice adds weight that mature limbs can't carry. Whatever brought the tree down, we look at how the claim was handled.
Stopping further damage is part of the homeowner's side of the policy, and reasonable emergency measures are typically reimbursed. A dated photo of the opening and the invoice for the tarp or board-up are the two records to keep.
Virginia sets fair-claims standards for how insurers handle claims, and most policies carry a suit-limitation clause that sets a deadline to file suit. We check that deadline first.
How it works
Most Virginia property owners 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. If you've filed FEMA paperwork or a complaint with the Virginia State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance, bring those records too.
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 that lays out exactly what the loss is worth and where the claim handling fell short. Many cases resolve here — once a carrier sees the full exposure laid out, the offer changes.
If they still won't pay fairly, we file suit in Virginia state or federal court, with the resources to take it all the way.
Common questions
Yours, in the usual case. Homeowners insurance generally pays for damage to the insured home from a falling tree whether the tree was yours or a neighbor's. The neighbor's policy comes into it only if the neighbor was legally at fault, and that is normally pursued by your insurer, not by you.
Usually in part. When the tree struck a covered structure, policies commonly pay removal up to a specified limit. The rules are narrower for trees that fell without damaging a building. We confirm the limit and the conditions from the policy itself.
You don't have to take the first answer. Whether disease or decay in the tree affects coverage depends on the exclusions in your policy, and often it doesn't affect coverage for the house at all. Send us the letter. We'll tell you whether the stated reason matches the policy.
First inspections are often brief and exterior-only. Ceilings, insulation, wiring and contents may simply not have been written up. Those items can generally be added when they result from the same tree strike, and we handle the request and the follow-up with the insurer.
We don't. That is an auto insurance matter, ordinarily a comprehensive claim. We don't handle car or auto accident claims. If the tree also struck the house, a carport or a shed, the homeowners side of the loss is something we handle.
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 Virginia claim.