Houstonians Still Struggling With Hurricane Harvey Claims

It’s been a month and a half since Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast, but many home and business owners are still grappling with the storm’s destruction. Recovery has been slow or impossible for some victims.

Homeowners and business owners are filing insurance claims for the damages caused by the storm, and discovering many insurance companies are less than fair when adjusting claims. Because Hurricane Harvey caused such widespread damage, many insurance companies are looking at millions of dollars in claims. Unfortunately, many insurers are using bad faith tactics to avoid paying out.

Homeowners in Houston and all along the Texas coast are dealing with insurance companies misrepresenting policies in an attempt to get out of paying claims. For example, many insurance companies will wrongfully claim certain damage is not covered, when in fact it is.

Unfortunately, not only are homeowners struggling with their insurance companies, but many properties flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey were also exposed to toxic chemicals. There are 13 Superfund toxic waste sites in Houston that were flooded by the storm. Floodwaters have carried the toxins from these locations for miles, contaminating property and affecting the health of residents.

For thousands of residents whose homes were flooded by the Addicks and Barker reservoir releases, the process of cleaning up only started a few weeks ago. Moving forward is very difficult because the flood damage has made the homes uninhabitable and unsalvageable.

Residents of Crosby have yet to receive answers from Arkema after its chemical plant flooded, lost electricity, and suffered massive explosions. Residents likely won’t have any answers soon as Arkema has hired a legal team to fight lawsuits filed against the company in the aftermath of the explosions.