Note: Howard Altschule is the Founder and CEO of Forensic Weather Consultants, one of the largest weather expert firms in the country. He is the recipient of the coveted “Certified Consulting Meteorologist” (C.C.M.) designation from the American Meteorological Society (AMS), which is the highest certification a consulting meteorologist can receive. Howard and his team have been retained on more than 8,300 insurance claims and lawsuits around the country, testified at least 128 times, and have been deposed 124 times. 

Proving the date of loss in weather-related claims and lawsuits by using inexpensive automated weather reports has recently become much more problematic, and professionals involved in these claims will need to adjust to the changes or risk having their claims and lawsuits fall apart. Most professionals who want to show what the weather was at some location simply rely on a $39.00 automated vendor hail report or automated wind report to show what occurred historically, but recent court decisions may change how these are used.