It’s been a while since the devastating accident. Some injuries have healed, while others haven’t. The accident caused property damage as well. You have submitted an insurance claim, but the insurance company has been silent for some time now. Then, all of a sudden, they deny your claim.
What do you do in such instances?
If there ever has been a time to get help from an experienced personal injury lawyer, it is now. They don’t just determine liability and calculate compensation. Personal injury lawyers are also good at handling insurance companies.
Regardless of whether you have hired a lawyer, knowing what to do when an insurance company rejects your claim is crucial. This article talks about some quick tips on what to do if your claim has been rejected.
- Don’t give up: Denying a claim, citing random reasons, is one of the many tricks insurance companies use to not pay up. In some circumstances, they’ll simply blame the victim for the accident and offer lower compensation.
When an insurance company rejects your claim, don’t give up. Reach out to them frequently with your offer, either through calls or emails. You’ll need to prove that you’ll not bow down to their tricks and that you are patient enough to play the waiting game with them. Eventually, the insurance adjuster is bound to give in and make a reasonable offer. - Tell them that you’re going to court: This is one of the most effective ways to get a response from an insurance adjuster. Insurance companies usually hire an insurance adjuster to handle all claims. It’s the insurance adjuster’s job to investigate the accident, calculate compensation, and negotiate with the claimant.
When negotiations with the insurance adjuster fail and the counter offers are low, tell them that you’ll file a lawsuit. Going to court means that the insurance company is going to face additional expenses. It also increases the probability of the adjuster losing the case, which won’t look good for their record. There’s also the possibility that the insurer may be disappointed and choose a different company.
All these reasons may force the adjuster to offer a fair amount as compensation. - Talk with their supervisor: All office employees report to someone. This is true when it comes to an insurance adjuster as well.
Chances are that the adjuster reports to a supervisor or someone in the claims department, probably a claims manager. Tell the adjuster that you’d like a third opinion about the claim from the person they’re reporting to. There are multiple ways this could go.- The adjuster may ask for time to discuss this with their supervisor and get back to you. If they come back with an offer that you feel is right for your damages, accept it.
- If the adjuster refuses, ask for the supervisor’s name. Contact the supervisor and discuss the status of your case and your current conversations with the adjuster. If the adjuster has used unethical settlement tricks, mention that as well. This is a good time to ask the supervisor to look into the matter personally or assign a new adjuster.
- If you get the same dodgy answers from the supervisor, ask for a written statement. Also, try to get the name of the claim’s manager.
- Contact the claim’s manager with your issue and the written statement provided by the supervisor. Chances are that the manager might present a better offer to get things done quickly.
- Go to Court: There are statistics that say that 96% of cases are settled outside of court. Given below are a few reasons why.
- Court trials are expensive
- Court trials are time-consuming
- Court trials are public
When push comes to shove, it’s time to retaliate. If your requests are valid, hire an attorney and drag the insurance company to court. The settlements awarded by the court are much more than the ones victims receive in an out-of-court settlement. This alone makes court cases worthy of pursuing, especially against stingy insurance companies.
