When you start to adjust claims, you will hear the term mechanical damage. But what is mechanical damage?

Mechanical damage is damage that is caused by something other than wind or hail.

There are two types of mechanical damage.

1) Unintentional damage: This is damage that is caused usually by normal activities, or even by animals or rodents. For example, if you are inspecting a roof and you find marks or scrapes that is the result of foot traffic (someone walking on the roof with heavy boots).

Aluminum siding almost always will have some form of mechanical damage as the result of normal activities such as lawn mowers, weed eaters, etc...or dents or scrapes from children playing, or evens the family pet. These types of damage have to be identified and separated from damage due to a storm event and explained to the insured.

2) Intentional Damage: This is damage that is caused by someone in an attempt to mimic hail impact. Most often this is a hammer, or screw driver or any other type of object that can be used to blunt impact the shingles or vents located on the roof. It is important for you the adjuster to take the appropriate steps. Photo Documentation is Vital. NEVER state to the insured what you suspect, or put into your diary that the insured or his contractor did this damage. What you can say is that the damages you are seeing are not consistent with hail damage, OR that the damages are mechanical in nature from an unknown source and that you will have your field manager come back with you to re-inspect the loss. Call your field manager and discuss your inspection and what you suspect the damages to be. Let the field manager guide you and make the appropriate call on the damage.