Tulsa Woman Frustrated After Tree Damages Home, Insurance Denies Professional Help

A Tulsa woman is frustrated after a tree fell on her house during the Father’s Day weekend storm causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

She said her insurance told her she didn’t need professional help to remove the tree.

Professionals said cutting a tree without proper equipment can cause more damage to your home if handled wrong. It can also cause serious injury or death.

Christine Osorio said she has been living in her house for two years and the first time she needed her insurance, she was denied and left to figure things out on her own.

"I don’t feel like I am covered. I feel like it’s another fight in this world that I need to do, and I get to pay to fight,” Osorio said.

Osorio said her insurance came out four days after the storm and told her the damage didn’t meet her deductible.

A few days later, she rushed her toddler to the emergency room after he climbed on the tree and fell.

“And now I have to take care of my son who’s in pain because he broke his arm. It was just a lot of mental anguish that was unnecessary,” Osorio said.

Rickert Landscaping and Tree Service is still working to remove storm damage and said insurance companies are misleading policy holders.

Owner Todd Rickert said insurance companies leave out line items for work that is necessary in order to do the job safely while protecting the property.

“Most of our homeowners we’ve dealt with over the last umpteen days have never had a tree fall on their house. Let alone probably never had a claim,” Rickert said.

He said trees can weigh 20 to 40,000 pounds and, over time, can cause more damage to a home if left sitting, which also puts anyone inside at risk. That’s why he said it’s important to act fast and mitigate damages as soon as possible.

“A lot of insurance companies are misleading homeowners to believe they need an adjuster to look at the job, which is false and in turn certain homeowners are nervous and skeptical to give a tree company permission to start their project,” Rickert said.

He said no matter who you call, you should wait until the job is complete before paying the contractor.