September 21, 2016

Denied car insurance claim

When you get into a car accident, it can be a serious trauma, both emotionally and sometimes physically.  In these circumstances, you trust your insurance company to handle the details appropriately so that you don’t have to. Unfortunately, when you rely on your insurance claim to come through swiftly, it can be a huge disappointment and source of panic if your claim is denied. If you’re left with a denied car insurance claim, there are some steps that you can take.

Why your claim may be denied

First, there are just a few reasons as to why an insurance company would deny your claim. First, the insurance company does not believe your claim is valid. When your claim is denied, you will receive a denial letter stating the reason for the denial.  You should immediately check your insurance policy to make sure the type of claim you placed is covered.  Look into covered occurrences, policy limits, and make sure your premium is up to date.  If your policy should cover the claim, you may have a bit of a fight on your hands. You should also check to make sure that the driver was covered at the time of the accident.  If you weren’t driving, your insurance may not cover the claim if the individual was excluded from the policy.

The other reason the insurance company would deny your claim is to try to discourage you. While we would like to be able to say that insurance companies will always do the right thing, it’s important to remember that they’re there to make money, and if you are filing a sizable claim, some companies will look for loopholes and reasons not to pay.  You would be surprised at the number of people who file a claim, are denied, and never explore why.

Understandably, the aftermath of an accident is a busy and emotional time, and spending hours on the phone finding out why your claim was denied may seem overwhelming. Nobody wants to fight with an insurance company when things are going well, much less after a car accident where you and your loved ones may be seriously injured, unable to work (and therefore losing income), etc. Insurance companies are known to take advantage of this fact, assume that you won’t press them any further, and let you forget about the claim that they owe you payment on.

What to do

If you are facing a wrongful insurance denial, there are a number of ways you can dispute the decision. You could write the insurance company, including specific details of where you are covered and why their denial is invalid.  In this case, you must provide documentation to support your claim. The best thing to do when facing a wrongful Florida automobile insurance claims denial is to contact a professional lawyer immediately.  

There are very effective steps a lawyer can take to fight your denied car insurance claim, support your policy, and make the insurance company fulfill their obligation.  Legally, multiple channels are available to support your rights against an unsupported denial, and at Corless Barfield, our lawyers are knowledgeable about each method available. Having an automobile accident can be a terrible experience, made worse when your insurance company does not fulfill their obligations to you in a timely manner.  For help with your insurance claim, contact the lawyers at Corless Barfield


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