Property damage High costs of Hurricane Ike - Amy Witherite

Tag : witherite

Dallas Property damage lawyer, Amy Witherite, states Texas has thehighest home insurance rates in the U.S. Now, even more homes willnow be uninsured as companies refuse to pay for Ike’sdamages.
Concerned insurance litigation attorney, Witherite with Ebersteinand Witherite, LLP, indicates the high costs after Hurricane Ikeand the cold shoulder the citizens are receiving from largeinsurance companies. Witherite comments, The situation is similarto what happened in 2001 and 2002 when insurance companysinvestments took a hard hit, therefore residents see a naturalrefusal to pay claims because the companys investments are down.Witherite continues to note, With high numbers of uninsuredresidents and companys refusal to pay, homeowners are forced toenter the Texas Wind Pool, which is already under- funded. All thewhile the insurance industry continues to have record profits.
The report by the Harris County Housing Authority indicates thatIke will far surpasses other Houston-area storms in terms of costs.Reports found the residential damage assessment will cost about$771,000 and the county expects the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency to reimburse it for the entire cost.
Property damage lawyer, Amy Witherite explores the damages caused:
" Hurricane Ike caused about $8.5 billion in damage to HarrisCounty houses, apartments and mobile homes
" Total residential and commercial damage from Hurricane Alicia in1983 was estimated at $2 billion  about $4.11 billion adjusted forinflation
" Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 caused an estimated $1.76 billionin residential damage, about $2.1 billion adjusted for inflation.
The Dallas Texas property damage litigation firm of Eberstein andWitherite, LLP, recommends homeowners contact a property damagelawyer to assess damages incurred after the storm. Especially whenDallas, Galveston and Houston officials believe the total damageestimates are always higher than insured loss estimates becausesome property is uninsured or underinsured, and mosthomeowners’ policies don’t cover damage from stormsurges.
Contributor: Amy K. Witherite, leading Dallas property damageattorney experienced in the practice areas of property damage andinsurance claims, personal injury lawsuits and negligence cases.
Law Office of Eberstein & Witherite
3100 Monticello, Suite 500
Dallas, Texas 75205
Toll Free: (888) 407-6669