When your insurance company underpays, delays, or denies a Illinois property claim, William J. Addis represents you — never the insurer — to recover what your policy actually owes.
Illinois sits squarely in the middle of the country’s most active severe-weather corridor. Tornado outbreaks, hail swaths, and derecho events regularly produce claims that carriers initially scope at a fraction of true loss value.
Common Illinois claim types we handle: tornado and wind damage across the I-80 and I-72 corridors; hail in Chicagoland and Central Illinois; flat-roof commercial losses; multifamily storm scope.
Our home office is in Annawan, Illinois — we know Illinois carriers, Illinois weather patterns, and Illinois policy language inside out.
Illinois sits in one of the country's worst severe-convective-storm corridors. With roughly 4 million homes at moderate or greater hail risk and approximately $1.6 trillion in replacement-cost value at stake, the state is second only to Texas in residential hail exposure. The damage patterns affecting Illinois policyholders include hail, straight-line wind, tornadoes, ice storms, and severe winter weather — often within the same calendar year.
The events driving claim work:
Spring and early-summer hail across central and northern Illinois. April through June is peak hail season. The Quad Cities, Peoria, Rockford, and the Chicago suburbs see consistent hail activity, often producing damage that's subtle on the surface but compromises shingle integrity. We've worked claims where carriers documented "no damage" on roofs that started leaking within 12 months.
Tornado outbreaks. Illinois is in the eastern edge of Tornado Alley and produces significant tornado activity, with periodic large-scale outbreaks. Tornado claims involve total or near-total losses across dwelling, other structures, contents, and additional living expenses simultaneously.
Derecho and straight-line wind events. The 2020 Iowa derecho extended into western and northern Illinois with sustained winds of 100+ mph, producing widespread shingle damage, tree falls, and structural compromise. Subsequent derecho events have continued to affect the state.
Winter weather: ice storms, ice dams, frozen pipes. Illinois winters produce a different category of claim. Ice storm tree damage to roofs, ice dam water intrusion, and frozen pipe bursts are recurring loss types that often involve coverage disputes around exclusions.
Localized urban flooding. Chicago and surrounding metros experience periodic catastrophic urban flooding from intense rainfall events. Standard homeowners policies don't cover flood — that requires NFIP coverage — but wind-driven rain that enters through a damaged roof or window is typically covered. The distinction matters in claim handling.
Illinois hail claims often involve disputes about partial vs. full roof replacement, matching provisions, and the soft-metal damage that confirms a hail event occurred. Carrier estimates frequently understate damage on slopes that weren't directly exposed during inspection but suffered hail impact.
Tornado claims involve every coverage line in the policy. The dwelling limit may be straightforward, but contents, additional living expenses, and code-upgrade coverage are routinely undervalued. Documentation of pre-loss condition matters significantly.
Straight-line wind events produce damage that's often interpreted by carriers as "wear and tear" or "maintenance" issues. Distinguishing storm-caused shingle uplift from age-related deterioration requires specific inspection methodology.
Ice dam-caused water intrusion is typically covered under standard Illinois policies, but causation challenges from carriers are common. Mold downstream of ice dam damage is often excluded entirely or capped at low limits.
Illinois commercial claims frequently involve business interruption coverage that requires actual financial documentation, not just physical damage scope. Small businesses and multifamily property owners are often underpaid because the BI calculation isn't built correctly.
Pipe burst claims involve immediate water damage, secondary contents losses, mold risk, and additional living expenses. Coverage often hinges on whether the home was occupied and heated; carriers contest these elements aggressively.
Illinois substantially tightened its public adjuster regulations through Senate Bill 1495 (Public Act 103-0216), which became effective January 1, 2024. These are now among the strictest consumer protections in the country:
Illinois passed these rules specifically to address "storm chaser" abuses where unlicensed or aggressive adjusters were taking 25-40% contingency fees from policyholders unfamiliar with the rules. The Illinois Attorney General has been active in enforcement. If anyone offers you a contract that exceeds 10% on a residential claim, walk away — that contract is unenforceable and the adjuster is operating outside the law.
Illinois's largest homeowners insurance writers include:
Two of the country's largest property insurers — State Farm and Allstate — are headquartered in Illinois, which gives Illinois claims a distinctive character: substantial local market knowledge and longstanding business relationships, but also carriers operating with the full backing of national claims operations.
The 10% cap on residential claims went into effect January 1, 2024 under Public Act 103-0216 (SB 1495). Before that, Illinois public adjusters routinely charged 25%, 33%, or even 40% on residential claims. Any contract signed before January 1, 2024 is governed by the rules in place at the time. Any contract signed after is capped at 10% on residential claims.
Only if they hold an active Illinois public adjuster license, which requires passing an exam, posting a $50,000 surety bond, and operating under a Director-approved contract. Even then, they cannot have undisclosed financial interests in the repair work. Most roofers don't hold this license; if one offers to "handle the claim," ask for their PA license number and verify it on the Illinois Department of Insurance license lookup.
Most Illinois property insurance policies require prompt notice of loss, typically within 30-60 days. The suit-limitation deadline (the time window for filing a lawsuit) is generally one year from the date of loss in Illinois, though specifics vary by policy. These deadlines move faster than people expect — get the claim moving early.
Yes. Under SB 1495, you have 5 business days after your insurance carrier receives a copy of the contract to cancel. Notice must be in writing — registered mail, certified mail, email, or personal service. After 5 business days, cancellation depends on the contract terms.
Many Illinois carriers have moved to percentage-based wind/hail deductibles (1-5% of dwelling coverage), particularly after major storm seasons. Older policies may still have flat-dollar deductibles. Check your declarations page — your wind/hail deductible may be substantially higher than your standard deductible.
Often, yes. Supplemental claims for newly discovered damage or undocumented scope items are typically available within the policy's notice and suit-limitation periods. Send us the carrier's estimate and your settlement letter and we'll tell you whether reopening is realistic.
Generally yes — tornado damage is considered "windstorm" damage, which is covered under nearly all standard Illinois homeowners policies. Coverage applies to dwelling, other structures, contents, and additional living expenses. The scope of recoverable damages on a tornado claim is often larger than the carrier's initial estimate suggests.
Important Illinois disclosure
This page is an advertisement and a solicitation for public adjusting business by Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC. If you have an existing claim and are satisfied with your insurance carrier's offer, you may disregard this advertisement. Hiring a public adjuster is your choice — you have the right to negotiate your own claim, hire an attorney instead, or proceed without representation.
Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC holds Illinois firm license #3002593563; William J. Addis holds Illinois individual public adjuster license #18667143.
Public adjuster fees, contract terms, cancellation rights, and conduct standards are regulated by Illinois law. Before signing any public adjuster contract, you have the right to review the contract terms, ask questions about the fee structure and services, and seek independent legal advice if desired. Illinois requires written contracts for all public adjusting services; you should never pay a public adjuster before claim settlement, and you should never sign a contract that doesn't clearly state the fee.
Past results described on this website reflect outcomes achieved in specific prior claims; they are not guarantees, predictions, or warranties of future outcomes. Each claim is unique, and the outcome depends on the policy language, the facts of the loss, the carrier's position, and other factors that cannot be predicted in advance. Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC is a public adjusting firm; we are not attorneys and do not provide legal services. If your claim involves a legal dispute that requires litigation, we may recommend you consult with a licensed attorney.
Verify our license through the Illinois insurance regulator. License lookup links and contact information for the Illinois insurance department are available on our Legal Disclaimers page.
The Illinois-specific information on this page draws on the following authoritative sources. Regulations, statutes, and market data are accurate as of publication; verify current rules with the linked regulators before relying on this information for a specific claim.
Tell us briefly what happened. We will review your policy and the insurer’s offer, then tell you straight whether there is more to recover — and how much.
This website advertises public insurance adjusting services. In Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and Rhode Island, services are provided by Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC, a licensed public adjusting firm. In Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, services are provided by William J. Addis as an individually licensed public insurance adjuster. Kentucky law currently bars public adjusters from negotiating with insurers (KRS 304.9-4331(7)), so we are not accepting Kentucky claims at this time. Both Resolution Claims Consulting and William J. Addis work only on behalf of policyholders and represent no insurance company. Public adjusters are not employees of any state, federal agency, or insurance carrier. Public adjuster services are not free; fees are paid by the insured, typically as a percentage of the recovery agreed in writing before work begins, and are subject to applicable state fee caps and statutes.
All recovery amounts, case studies, and settlement figures shown on this site reflect actual outcomes achieved by Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC for past clients. Client and carrier identities have been anonymized. Past results do not guarantee, predict, or imply any specific outcome on a future claim. Each insurance claim is unique. Outcomes depend on the policy language, the facts of the loss, applicable state law, the carrier's position, and many other factors that vary case to case.
Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC — Firm NPN 20764010. Licensed as a public adjusting firm in 4 states: Colorado #803346, Illinois #3002593563, Minnesota #40893260, Rhode Island #3003758028. Resolution Claims Consulting, LLC does not hold firm licenses in other states. William J. Addis — Individual NPN 18667143. Licensed as an individual public adjuster in 18 states: CO #559485, IL #18667143, KS #18667143, KY #1076611, MN #40771302, MO #8428075, NE #18667143, NV #3876040, OH #1743364, OK #3001586244, PA #1262857, RI #3003745104, SC #18667143, TN #3003380591, TX #2784759, UT #1084108, WA #1320332, WI #18667143. All licenses verifiable through each state's department of insurance public license lookup.
Every state's Department of Insurance offers free consumer assistance with insurance claims and disputes — you are not required to hire a public adjuster to file or pursue a claim. Contact your state Department of Insurance directly if you have questions about a claim or about working with a public adjuster.
