HOUSTON — "It feels like it's been a war zone for the last couple of weeks."
That's what Houston area resident Cadance Wager told KHOU 11 after a huge oak tree crashed through her 87-year-old grandfather's home during this month's deadly derecho.
"There's a tree in the back of the house," Wager said.
The home she grew up in was devastated by the storms.
"Seeing it in this state is just heartbreaking," Wager said. "My family spent all their holidays here and the last memories I have of my Grandma and stepdad, they are all here."
Thankfully, her grandfather Danny was not home when the tree crashed through the home, but she said recent storms have compounded the problem, making cleanup just that much more difficult and costly. However, she said the biggest battle has been dealing with the insurance company.
"Now we are waiting for them to deem it a total loss or a rebuild," Wager said.
She promised her grandfather that she would handle the entire nightmare of a situation for him. We wanted to help out too, and a quick call to insurance litigation firm Daly & Black was a step in the right direction.
"We've had an unusual amount of damaging storms," said attorney Richard Daly. "With that comes also an abnormal amount of underpayments and denials by insurance companies."
Daly said the problem is even more common when the insured person is elderly, a minority or a non-English speaker. He agreed to work with Wager and her grandfather free of charge to make sure they get what they are owed.
"One of the things we are going to do is donate $10,000 to your grandfather to help him get back on his feet," Daly told Wager.
Wager has also set up a GoFundMe campaign to help her grandfather recover from the storm. Click here for more information. As of Friday night, more than $5,700 have been raised.
For others dealing with a similar situation, experts recommend taking an inventory of what was damaged and to take photos if you can. Next, when an insurance adjuster shows up, take detailed notes. And even if you don't think you can afford a lawyer, you should consider reaching out to one. You may be able to get legal fees covered by insurance.