Insurance Claim Advice

[J Scott]

Just looking for any advice or thoughts from those familiar with homeowners insurance claims...

I made an insurance claim for my personal residence last year because I was pretty sure I had hail damage (my roof is tough to see from the ground, but I trust my roofer). My insurance company (Allstate) sent out an adjuster who denied the claim -- he said there wasn't any damage.

I decided not to put up a fight, and assumed that the damage wasn't that bad given that the adjuster said there wasn't any (and yes, I know the insurance company is going to be biased and wants to deny my claim, but I didn't feel like fighting it).

Fast forward 18 months and I've been told by several other contractors and an inspector that my roof has hail damage. I plan to go back to Allstate, but I'm not sure the right tact to take -- Should I file a new claim? Should I appeal the claim from last year? Should I escalate above my agent?

Is there anything else I can do to help my case? Clearly, there's damage, and clearly, the insurance company doesn't want to pay. Not sure where I can get leverage in this situation...

Any thoughts are appreciated!