Lake Local Schools

A devastating tornado struck the Lake Local Schools in Toledo, Ohio, the day before the planned graduation ceremonies, ripping through and destroying most of the high school. Superintendent Jim Witt established the goal of getting things back to normal as soon as possible, including re-building the school and having students back into the facility.

Mr. Witt recognized the insurance loss claim was huge and complex. After consultation with and approval from the school board, Superintendent Witt quickly made the important decision to retain the Alex N. Sill Company, the nation’s leading public insurance claims adjuster and loss consultant, to spearhead adjustment of the loss. Utilizing its in house staff of insurance adjusters, building appraisers and contents estimators, the Sill Company immediately took charge of the claim, calculating damages to the building and property and measuring the claim with Lake’s insurance carrier. Despite the enormity of the destruction and loss, the Sill Company quickly and methodically worked through the claim, finally settling the loss for approximately $26 million.

As stated by Superintendent Witt:

“Our high school was destroyed by a tornado and one of the first moves that we made, in the aftermath, was to hire a public adjusting firm to represent us in the resulting insurance claim. In retrospect, it was possibly the best decision that we made in the last twenty-six months. In my opinion, the team of experts that we worked with from Sill maximized our insurance claim and in an incredibly timely manner [emphasis added]. The Sill Company communicated regularly with us, they offered advice, encouraged us to ask questions, and understood our dilemmas and the challenges facing us with a professional and caring attitude. It is without hesitation that I would recommend the Alex Sill Company as a public adjusting firm.”

Jim Witt, Superintendent