Tree Falls On Man's Home After He Makes Final Payment
By Joel Hillan
BROOMFIELD, Colo. (CBS4)- Many Coloradans spent the day assessing the damage and cleaning up the mess left behind from the wind storm that hit the Front Range Tuesday afternoon.
"As I look up I can hear the trees cracking and I was just praying to God that I wasn't going to hear the snap of the tree and sure enough I did; it landed on my house," said homeowner Ed Escobar.
Escobar said he felt powerless as the winds pounded his house at the Front Range Mobile Home Park in Broomfield.
"All I could do was yell out and scream because I couldn't believe what I was actually watching so I just yelled. You know, it's my house, I live here," he said.
The tree not only slammed into the room, but pierced the home.
"There is a hole in my bathroom where a branch went straight through my ceiling and went through the roof and ceiling and into my bathroom and there was another one closer to my bedroom," he said.
Normally this would be where insurance comes in to cover the perils of living in Colorado, but that won't be an option for Escobar.
"I just paid off my home, I haven't gotten my new insurance yet, so this leaves me pretty much out in the cold here. It's my fault obviously, but this tree is the problem," he said.
Carole Walker with the Rocky Mountain Insurance Institute says if the damage looks like it is it going to cost more than your deductible to call your insurance company and get a claim filed right away.
She says that wind damage is generally covered by a standard policy.
If a tree ended up on your car instead of your house, this would be covered under your car's comprehensive insurance coverage.
When it comes to the question of who is responsible for the damage, Walker says that it is generally the responsibility of the person whose property was damaged, regardless of whether or not the tree originated on your property.
The Rocky Mountain Insurance Institute's website has information on protecting your home from wind damage and the steps you need to take once the damage has happened.
Joel Hillan anchors CBS4 This Morning on weekends as well as reports stories for CBS4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. Follow Joel on Twitter @joelhillan.
