Your Trusted Property Damage Attorneys in Chesterton, Indiana

Highland Property Damage Attorneys

When a serious fire, damaging storm, or other major property loss affects your home or business in Highland, Indiana, you expect your insurance coverage to help put things back together. Unfortunately, large property insurance claims can quickly become complicated when an insurer delays payment, undervalues the damage, disputes necessary repairs, or denies coverage.

Ashford DiMartino & Jones represents homeowners, businesses, and other property owners facing significant insurance disputes. When the insurance recovery does not reflect the true extent of the loss, our attorneys can help protect your interests and pursue the coverage available under your policy.

Serving Highland and Northwest Indiana

Ashford DiMartino & Jones assists property owners throughout Highland, Lake County, and Northwest Indiana with complex property damage and insurance disputes.

Our firm works with homeowners, businesses, commercial property owners, condominium and homeowners associations, and other organizations dealing with substantial losses. We can also provide legal guidance to public adjusters when major property claims develop into insurance disputes.

Understanding Property Insurance Claims in Indiana

An insurance policy is a contract between the policyholder and insurance company. Unfortunately, these contracts can contain complicated definitions, exclusions, conditions, and coverage requirements that make determining what should be covered difficult.

Indiana law provides important principles governing how insurance policies are interpreted, particularly when disagreements arise between an insurer and policyholder.

When Insurance Policy Language Is Ambiguous

Insurance policies sometimes contain language that can reasonably be interpreted in more than one way. Terms involving covered losses, exclusions, or the cause of property damage may become important when an insurer disputes a claim.

When policy language is genuinely ambiguous, Indiana courts generally interpret that ambiguity in favor of the insured rather than allowing the insurer to benefit from unclear wording.

Understanding the Policy from the Policyholder’s Perspective

Insurance contracts are generally interpreted according to how an ordinary policyholder would understand the language—not solely through the technical interpretation preferred by an insurance company.

This principle can become especially important when complicated terminology is used to justify limiting or denying an otherwise valid property damage claim.

When Policy Language Is Clear

Not every disagreement creates ambiguity. When an insurance policy clearly establishes a coverage requirement, limitation, or exclusion, Indiana courts generally enforce the language as written.

Understanding exactly what the policy says is therefore an important part of evaluating a disputed property insurance claim.

Insurance Companies Have a Duty to Act in Good Faith

Indiana insurers have an obligation to handle claims fairly and in good faith.

That obligation becomes particularly important following a major property loss. A delayed or undervalued claim can leave homeowners struggling to rebuild or businesses unable to fully restore their operations.

Potential problems with the handling of a property insurance claim may include:

• Denying a valid claim without reasonable grounds
• Unnecessarily delaying investigation or payment
• Failing to conduct a reasonable investigation
• Offering a settlement that does not reflect documented damage
• Ignoring relevant contractor estimates or evidence
• Creating unnecessary obstacles during the claims process

When these issues arise after significant fire, water, storm, wind, or other property damage, legal guidance may help determine whether the insurer is meeting its obligations.

What Happens When Your Insurance Coverage Isn’t Enough?

For Highland homeowners and businesses, discovering inadequate coverage after a major loss can create significant financial problems.

Insurance agents generally have responsibilities when obtaining the coverage specifically requested by their customers. However, an agent is not automatically responsible for recommending every available form of protection or guaranteeing that a policy covers every possible loss.

Property owners should understand their policies and periodically review coverage limits, exclusions, deductibles, and important protections such as business interruption coverage.

The “Special Relationship” Exception

Certain circumstances may create a greater duty between an insurance agent and policyholder when a special relationship exists.

Factors may include:

• Providing specialized advice regarding unusual or significant property risks
• Presenting themselves as an insurance expert whose recommendations are relied upon
• Exercising substantial control over selecting or managing insurance coverage
• Making specific representations about whether certain property, assets, or business operations are fully protected

When a policyholder reasonably relies on specific professional assurances and later discovers that the promised coverage does not exist, additional legal questions may arise.

High-Value Property Damage Claims in Highland

Ashford DiMartino & Jones focuses on significant property losses and complicated insurance disputes involving homes, businesses, commercial buildings, associations, and other valuable properties.

Our attorneys help clients throughout Highland, Lake County, and Northwest Indiana when substantial property damage results in disagreements over coverage, repair costs, valuation, or insurance payments.

Commercial Property Damage Claims

We assist Highland businesses and commercial property owners dealing with major losses involving:

• Commercial Fire & Smoke Damage
• Commercial Water Damage
• Commercial Storm & Wind Damage
• Commercial Property Insurance Claims
• Business Interruption Disputes
• Commercial "Bad Faith" Insurance Denials

Major commercial losses can affect far more than the physical building. Damaged inventory, equipment, interrupted operations, lost revenue, and delays reopening can significantly increase the financial impact of an insurance dispute.

Residential Property Damage Claims

We also represent Highland homeowners dealing with substantial residential losses, including:

• Large-Loss Residential Fire Damage
• Residential Water Damage
• Residential Storm & Wind Damage
• Roof Damage Insurance Claims
• Significant Personal Property Losses
• Residential "Bad Faith" Insurance Denials

When a major loss damages your home, the insurance recovery can affect everything from temporary living arrangements to whether necessary repairs can be completed.

Ashford DiMartino & Jones helps Highland property owners understand their insurance policies, evaluate disputed claims, and pursue the recovery available when an insurer's position does not reflect the documented loss.

(Note: We also have dedicated hubs for our neighbors in Schererville and Merrillville.)