By SPJ Adjusting Services | Experts in Insurance Appraisals
Church Mutual Loses Jury Trial: What It Means for Homeowners With Detached Garages
When Church Mutual loses a jury trial, that is the message: homeowners need to comprehend exactly what their insurance actually covers, especially when it comes to detached garages and other outbuildings. That may mean many Texas policyholders with feelings of everything on their property being fully protected is simply not true.
Now imagine this.
Imagine a hailstorm hitting Fort Worth overnight, and by morning, your detached garage has collapsed. You file a claim rather confidently, only to find out that your policy partially covers detached structures. Suddenly, you are in for some thousands in unexpected repair costs.
This parallels what many homeowners have gone through in cases like the one where Church Mutual lost a jury trial, which highlights how insurance companies may try to deny, delay, or reduce payouts.
What constitutes a detached structure in homeowners insurance?
Most Texas homeowner insurance policies list detached structures under Coverage B-Other Structures. These commonly include:
Detached garages
Workshops or tool sheds
Pool houses or guesthouses
Outdoor kitchens or cabanas
Storage units or gazebos
These structures often protect valuable personal property, but unless the coverage is properly structured, that property may not be included.
Why Detached Garage Claims Are So Often Underpaid
Just like it was in the case where Church Mutual lost a jury trial, insurance companies will often use technicalities to lessen payout responsibility. Here’s what we see all the time when helping homeowners in Fort Worth and throughout Texas:
- Low Policy Limits
Coverage B is usually capped at 10% of your main dwelling coverage.
This means that if your home is insured for $300,000, most likely your detached garage only has $30,000 in coverage, even if it costs $60,000+, to rebuild it.
- Excluded or Limited Personal Property Coverage
Tools, bikes, lawn equipment, and other contents are usually excluded from detached garages unless an endorsement was purchased by the homeowner.
- Cause-of-Loss Disputes
Insurance carriers may make the following damage-causing arguments:
Wear and tear
Poor maintenance
Soils movement
Flooding
Pre-existing conditions
These are similar to the tactics exposed in cases when Church Mutual lost jury trials, where evidence showed that coverage was improperly denied.
- Lowball Estimates or Delayed Claims
Even when coverage is applicable, many homeowners receive grossly undervalued estimates.
This is where the insurance appraisal process becomes critical, especially when dealing with stubborn carriers.
Case Study: Fort Worth Detached Garage Collapse
Complete garage failure after hail damage to a Fort Worth home was denied by the carrier, stating their opinion that the structure deteriorated prior to the storm.
SPJ Adjusting Services:
Performed a Full Inspection
Documented hail and wind impact
Verified building code compliance
Provided an expert repair estimate
Result: The policyholder got full Coverage B payout including damaged contents.
Cases like this reinforce the same consumer protection message seen when Church Mutual loses jury trials-policyholders must challenge unfair denials.
Protection of Detached Structures in Your Policy
If you have a detached garage, shed, or guest house, take these steps today:
Increase the limits on Coverage B
Add a contents endorsement
Document all upgrades and maintenance
Check your structure yearly
Challenge lowball estimates or denials using appraisal rights
How SPJ Adjusting Services Can Help Homeowners
At SPJ Adjusting Services, we represent homeowners, not insurance companies.
We help by:
Challenging Denials and Low Ball Estimates
Providing balanced and professional damage determinations
Working with attorneys, contractors and adjusters
Follow the appraisal process from start to finish.
Like the result when Church Mutual loses jury trial, we help homeowners get the compensation they were owed-what insurance carriers first offer is a minimized version.
Final Word
Don’t Wait Until You Have Damage Detached structures are one of the most overlooked gaps in Texas home insurance policies. Instead of learning the hard way like many policyholders did in cases where Church Mutual loses jury trial review your policy now. If you’ve experienced property damage or want to confirm your coverage protects your detached garage and outbuildings, SPJ Adjusting Services is here to help.
