/
ABOUT THE CLAIM
Following a recent storm, the Guardian/YA engineering team received a call from one of the nation’s leading property insurance carriers. One of their insureds, the owner of a sizable home, had reported roof damage and was claiming that hail was the cause of that damage. Hail claims pose unique challenges and risks so the adjuster on the claim thought it most prudent to bring in the experts. The residence is two-story, wood-framed, founded on concrete slab-on-grade, with an attached garage. The exterior is clad with brick veneer and planks. The main roof is covered with laminate shingles.
ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION
The Guardian/YA property claim expert immediately dispatched to the scene. He walked the roof in its entirety and general observations of the laminate shingles showed that they were well adhered, with no evidence of wind uplift in the valleys, rakes, eaves and ridges. While hail impacts were observed on the vulnerable elements of the property such as window glazing beads and window screen tears, there was no damage to the cladding or fascia. No impact marks were observed on the air conditioning unit. While some mechanical damage to downspouts was observed, no specific hail impact damage was otherwise observed.
Weather data indicated that on the Date of Loss a hail event with hailstones of 0.75-inches in diameter were recorded. About one year prior another hail-event with hailstones of 1.00-inches in diameter were recorded on the property. During the same event, within 1-mile of the Loss Location, hailstones of up to 1.50-inch hailstones were recorded.
ABOUT THE CAUSE & ORIGIN REPORT
The hail size identified on the Date of Loss is insufficient to cause damage to a roof. During the inspection, the Guardian/YA expert observed no punctures, visible depressions, or randomly patterned roughly circular areas of missing granules in the roofing that were consistent with hail impacts. The forensic engineer walked the expanse roof and could not find roughly circular or oval areas of missing granules from a hail impact.
ABOUT GUARDIAN & YA GROUP
For complex property claims, insurance carriers, TPAs, and adjusters count on the Guardian & YA Group forensic engineering team for rapid dispatch of experts, clear communication, and definitive cause & origin reporting. The now 700+ person strong group of building experts possesses deep experience with large-size claims, high-risk claims, and highly complex claims. When claims cross your desk that transcend the run-of-the-mill and the everyday, the combined Guardian and YA team of personnel who are strategically located throughout the U.S., including Mexico and England, prove to be your invaluable resource. They provide the construction and engineering investigations and reporting that helps both carriers and their insureds understand exactly what happened and why, facilitating fast, fair, and reliable resolutions. Kindly call on our experts today.