Window Damage Ashley asked 2 years ago
Window Damage

We live in Louisville and are very confident our windows were compromised in the fire. We had Pella come out to determine if the damage was caused by the fire, but Allstate, our insurance company, did not accept their insight. When insurance sent their industrial engineer out, he didn’t say anything except he’d never seen “that” before (black material melted between window panes). No doubt, that did not exist before the fire. Long story short, weeks later, Allstate denied the claim. They said we may find our own industrial engineer and try again…

Our house sits 8 homes away from the last burned home. Whenever there’s wind, our home always gets hit the hardest. So between the fire and 100 mph wind gusts during the fire, our windows were damaged.

1 Answers
Amy Bach Amy Bach Staff answered 2 years ago

We’re so sorry to hear about this (unfortunately VERY common) scenario. You are on the right track by educating yourself on your rights and seeking help through this forum.

Extreme heat is well known to damage windows and void manufacturers warranties. The fact that a Pella rep confirmed the damage should have been enough proof for your insurer to agree to pay for their replacement. It is also unfortunately common for insurers to use outside experts who underestimate/undervalue damage to earn repeat business from the insurer. You absolutely should file a complaint with the CO DOI – https://doi.colorado.gov/for-consumers/file-a-complaint. You can hire a public adjuster or lawyer–however ,if the dollar amount in dispute is small, it will be hard to find a good one. Your best bet may be to find a reputable damage repair estimator to measure/inspect and provide the insurer with written proof of the extent of the damage and needed repairs. We realize that will cost you money – but it may be money well spent. If you provide the insurer with that written proof, and if you have a good paper trail that confirms your cooperation and their lack of commitment to restoring your home properly, you will be in a better position to get help from the DOI. Many Louisville homeowners are having similar challenges – and you should be able to find a reputable professional estimator through one of the communication channels that Marshall fire impacted folks are using to share information and strategies.