Winter-weather woes bring insurance claims

The early part of 2025 brought a good, old-fashioned winter to Central New York with plenty of snow, wind, and ice. That weather produced a number of damaged and collapsed buildings, which can create insurance headaches for owners. “This year has been super crazy,” says Kimberly Hendrick, personal-claims insurance manager at OneGroup NY, Inc., the Syracuse–based insurance subsidiary of Community Financial System Inc. (NYSE: CBU). Across Central New York, dozens and dozens of buildings have collapsed. Many of the incidents began with a multi-day storm that dumped large amounts of snow in mid-February. Some of the buildings include an Omega Wire, Inc. building in Oswego County, the Barneveld Fire Department in Oneida County, and the Miners Table banquet hall in Herkimer County. The number-one issue when it comes to snow, Hendrick says, is the weight of ice and snow accumulated on the roof. Typically, damage from it is covered by insurance, but it’s important for a building owner to know for sure. “You do have to educate yourself and know what you bought,” she says of insurance coverage. Lots of snow and ice buildup may mean businesses and building owners need to do a little maintenance and try to get that snow removed before it causes any damage. If that’s not possible and it looks like a roof may collapse, they can try to try to empty the building before that happens to minimize losses. For those hiring someone to remove snow, “make sure they have insurance,” Hendrick advises, and make sure that insurance covers the work the contractors are doing. In the event of a building collapse or other damage from wintry weather, the most-important thing is timely reporting, she says. That means letting your insurance carrier know as soon as something happens. Don’t wait and potentially let other damage occur before reporting, she cautions, or you may find things are not covered. Along with that, document the damage as soon as possible before any repairs or remediation efforts begin. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but photos and videos — even from a cell phone — are extremely helpful. “The insurance company needs to look at something,” Hendrick says. Along with that, providing an early estimate from a contractor for repairs can also expedite the process. “The more information you give an adjuster, the faster your claim will go.” Winter weather also produces insurance slip-and-fall claims from sidewalks and parking lots. “Make sure to have them clear,” Hendrick says. Businesses leasing space should make sure it’s clear in the lease who is responsible for clearing the sidewalks and parking lots. If you hire a company to clear the snow, make sure they document their work — which can even include GPS location to show when a truck cleared an area. Those records can help show that a business or building owner did their best to keep the sidewalks and parking lots cleared. And don’t forget about snowbanks, Hendrick adds. Make sure they aren’t blocking visibility and inadvertently causing a liability issue. In the event someone does slip and fall, “document, document, document,” Hendrick says. “You have to take it seriously.” While there doesn’t need to be a fancy form, a business should make sure to cover the seven Ws — who, what, when, where, why, witnesses, and weather. Finally, report any incidents to your insurance agent as soon as possible. This way, there are no surprises, she says. It’s always a good idea to periodically review coverage with your agent to make sure the insurance is truly covering what your business needs. “You have to think about worst-case scenarios,” Hendrick says. Finally, make a disaster plan and include information like who to call with phone numbers for your insurance agent, contractors, and more, and keep it handy. Hendrick recommends even storing that information in your phone. “Have numbers so you’re not panicked when you get a call at 1 in the morning,” she concludes.