What Krantz & Polak does in a storm damage claim
Storms, whirlwinds and hail leave a typical pattern: roof tiles loose or gone, an outbuilding dislodged, gutters bent, fences down, sometimes a tree on the roof. Often it concerns building damage whose true extent only becomes visible when the first rain afterwards comes through the roof.
We look at three things at the same time: what is the actual damage, is the policy being applied correctly, and is the repair offer reasonable.
On-site damage assessment
A storm or hail damage assessment requires someone willing to go up onto the roof. We systematically map tiles, insulation, gutters, dormers and façade elements. With hail we also look at less visible damage: dented zinc rolls, hairline cracks in roof panels, micro-impacts on solar panels that still work today but will fail within a year.
Wind force and KNMI data
This is often the key defence by insurers. The policy responds from a certain wind force — usually 7 or 8 Beaufort — and the insurer refers to the KNMI to demonstrate that the threshold was not met. But wind force is an average over ten minutes at a given station. A 100 km/h gust can occur locally without the measuring station ten kilometres away reporting a high average wind force. And in the case of whirlwinds, the measurement does not apply at all — there, eyewitness statements, other affected roofs in the area and any KNMI reports of local phenomena all count.
We collect those data in full and determine whether the insurer’s application of the policy stands up.
Hail damage
Hail produces its own damage pattern. With large hailstones — from around 2 cm and certainly above 4 cm — significant damage amounts arise in a short time. Insurers apply their own conditions for specific risks (particularly crops, vehicles and solar panels), sometimes with a minimum hailstone diameter. In business interruption claims in the agricultural sector, courts have repeatedly held that such a requirement cannot be invoked without limit — the actual damage and the policy context count.
With hail on a roof we pay attention to the difference between visible and functional damage. Light dents in zinc may not always be repairable; they may have halved the lifespan of the material. That ought to be factored in.
Policy conditions under scrutiny
We test your policy for:
- Wind-force threshold and burden of proof: rightly invoked or not?
- Exclusion for ‘overdue maintenance’: a common defence with older roofs. Difficult for the insurer to substantiate.
- Actual cash value versus replacement value: with roof covering older than a certain age, insurers often want to apply actual cash value. The policy conditions determine whether that is correct.
- Sub-limits for outbuildings, garden houses and ancillary buildings: often hidden in the policy, often relevant.
Guidance through to settlement
Until repair is complete and the final amount has been paid out. Including assessment of quotations, advice on repair versus replacement, and — where necessary — objection to unreasonable deductions.
Common points of dispute
- “The storm did not meet the threshold”: the KNMI measurement must match location and timing. A local gust or whirlwind operates independently of the average.
- “The tiles were already loose”: a statement that the insurer must substantiate, not one that you must refute.
- Aesthetic versus functional match: a new tile on an old roof looks different. The question is whether that is legally acceptable within your policy.
- Solar panels after hail: often still working now, failing within 1-2 years. That damage pattern is well known in the trade and can be substantiated.
- Business interruption in the agricultural sector: crop loss, blown-over greenhouses, damage to stock — often more extensively covered than a first reading of the policy suggests.