In March 2024, a powerful spring storm swept through southeastern Indiana, bringing 2-inch hail and winds exceeding 65 mph. The storm caused widespread damage across multiple school properties within a local public school district—including roofing systems, athletic facilities, and outbuildings.
Two months later, the carrier’s engineer inspection focused solely on the main educational buildings, overlooking numerous covered assets and structural components across the campus. For more than five months, the district received no payments—stalling essential recovery work and leaving facilities exposed to additional weather-related damage.
Loss Type: Hail & Wind Damage
Location: Southeastern Indiana
Date of Loss: March 2024
Challenges for the Public School’s Hail Damage Claim
The district faced a complex and frustrating situation. Despite the storm’s extensive impact, the insurance carrier:
- Conducted a limited inspection that excluded several covered assets.
- Failed to issue any payments for more than five months.
- Narrowly interpreted policy coverage, limiting the scope to the main buildings.
The prolonged delay created operational risk, disrupted scheduled facility maintenance, and impacted staff and student safety until repairs could begin.
Our Approach
Once engaged, Premier Claims conducted a full review of the existing claim file and policy language to uncover overlooked coverage and unaddressed damages.
- Comprehensive Policy & Claim Review: Our analysts identified numerous insured assets that were not included in the carrier’s original assessment.
- Expanded Field Inspections: Additional inspections documented significant storm-related damage to athletic structures, outdoor facilities, and administrative buildings—including bleachers, stadium lighting, dugouts, garages, and concession areas.
- Strategic Claim Reconstruction: We rebuilt the claim with detailed documentation, imagery, and reports to establish a complete, evidence-based valuation of the loss.
- Advocacy Against Payment Delays: When carrier payment delays persisted, our team collaborated with outside legal counsel to apply appropriate pressure—ensuring funds were released promptly so the district could move forward with reconstruction.
Results for the Public School’s Hail Claim
Within Five Months of Engagement: $4.7 million released to begin rebuilding.
Final Settlement: $5.3 million secured for full restoration.
Ongoing Coordination: Work continued alongside the district’s contractor to pursue supplemental coverage for remaining items uncovered during the rebuild.
Through structured communication and consistent documentation, the district was able to begin repairs while maintaining accountability for every phase of the recovery process.
This successful resolution provided the district with the financial means to restore facilities safely and efficiently—allowing academic, athletic, and administrative operations to resume without long-term disruption.