Hail Damage Claims & Lawsuits

Whether you’re involved in hail claims or lawsuits on behalf of the insurer or insured, you need to know with confidence if hail fell on a particular date, the size of the hail that fell, or when other hail events occurred during or outside of a policy period.  Our site-specific research leveraging the latest technology will provide you with the answers you need to know.  

Proving If Hail Occurred at a Specific Incident Location and How Large It Was

Whether your hail claim is in the claims phase, litigation, or going to appraisal, an in-depth analysis for the specific property location should be conducted to help resolve them quickly and fairly.  Each day we prepare detailed, site-specific Forensic Hail Reports that document if hail occurred at a property or not, and how large it was.  We also perform historical hail studies to determine when hail occurred and how large it was on other dates inside or outside of a policy period.

We regularly read engineering and other professional reports that say no hail occurred on the date of loss because no hail was reported nearby.  Meanwhile our meteorological analysis often finds that a severe thunderstorm with large hail moved right over the property.  Other times we see large hail claims that are based on NOAA hail reports many miles away or automated hail reports from different vendors that say very different things, when thunderstorms never even moved over the property.

Our research doesn’t allow for the possibility of the errors to occur.  We use the most advanced technology, Doppler radar images and Dual Polarization products that are zoomed in on the incident location, and other data to determine what the weather conditions were.  If you’re an insurance carrier, an engineer, or an attorney, it is crucial to have reliable hail information so you can make important decisions.  Our written reports can be used internally to document a claim, submitted to the court with a sworn affidavit, exchanged, or given to other experts such as engineers so they can include our findings in their calculations, conclusions and reports.  Using this approach reduces the chance for a Daubert challenge or court ruling precluding crucial evidence and opinions of non-meteorologists.

Customer Testimonials

Howard Altschule made a great expert witness in a complex motor vehicle vs. tractor trailer case where the weather played a critical role in understanding the liability aspect of the case. Howard was easy to work with and quite knowledgeable in the area of forensic meteorology. He also adapted well to some unpredictable rulings received from the Court and developed a good rapport with the jury. I would not hesitate to use Howard again in any future trials!

Edward J. Smith III

Defense Trial Attorney

Dear Howard, This motion was just recently decided and it was denied in its entirety. Your report and affidavit played a big role in that decision.

Frank Gattuso

Attorney

Juries want scientific proof. Good science and meaningful and understandable presentation are essential to presenting any forensic evidence. Howard Altschule and Forensic Weather Consultants provide that service with exceptional diligence and professionalism. In a recent nine year old double homicide case they gave us the proof and showed the jury exactly what it needed to debunk a fantastic story by the now convicted killer. You can’t argue with the weather. In the criminal justice system I believe we will see this proof being presented routinely.

Richard J. McNally, Jr.

Rensselaer County District Attorney

Let’s discuss your case today

Contact us to learn how Forensic Weather Consultants can provide you with accurate and reliable weather information to help you make informed claims coverage or case decisions.