For many in Wylie, the first storm damage hadn't even been fixed before the second storm rolled through barreling baseball to grapefruit sized hail through the roof. Some are finding out, they'll have two deductibles to pay.
Stephanie Harper thought the first storm was bad.
"It was bad enough to cause some damage to the roof," she said. "We were advised to go ahead and get the roof replaced."
But three weeks later, the second storm came.
"It was insane," Harper said. "It was so loud and it sounded like someone was walking around our house beating it with a baseball bat."
Harper went from needing new roof to also needing a new front door, garage and windows, plus damage to the inside of the home. But she didn't have a check for the first storm damage, so when she called about the second, she had a question.
"I asked her, 'Can you please just hold onto the check and can we just do one big claim? You're only replacing one roof,'" she said.
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But the insurance company said no, which is not uncommon. We checked with the Texas Department of Insurance, who told us it is up to the insurance company to decide whether to charge both deductibles or not.
Some waive the second deductible for some customers while others, like Harper's company, do not.
"I understand, yes, it's completely legal," Harper said. "Do I think it should be legal? No, I don't, because you know what we're dealing with is heartbreaking. We had our homes destroyed, it's heartbreaking."
Harper expects to pay nearly $10,000 out of pocket — $5,000 for each claim. An insurance adjuster has yet to come out about damage from the second storm.
"The insurance company is kicking us when we're down," she said. "They're not being compassionate. All they see is dollar signs and it bothers me."
We reached out to Harper's insurance company, Geico. They told us claims for Harper's insurance policy go through another company, Arrowhead insurance.
Arrowhead told us they could not talk with us specifically about Harper's case but sent this statement:
"As a rule for Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc., we do not comment on specific claim or policy matters to protect the privacy of our policyholders. As the managing general agent, Arrowhead works with the carrier to ensure that all claims are settled in accordance with the terms and conditions of the carrier's policy form. All claims are fully and properly investigated, each claim is handled on a case-by-case basis, and each claim is settled in a professional manner, consistent with the policy terms and conditions."
We reached out to an industry representative who told us each company decides on a case by case basis and that companies incur costs by processing a claim whether damage has been fixed or not.
If you have an issue with your insurance company, you can file a complaint with the Texas Department of Insurance.
