Insurance policies provide protection against loss — or at least that’s the purpose of buying insurance. Sometimes insurance companies pay claims without a problem. But what happens if you file a claim and the insurance company denies it? In some cases, claim denial violates the insurance policy and the insurance company’s legal duties. If that happens, our Kansas insurance dispute lawyers at Sloan Law Firm are here to help.
Your insurance policy is a legal contract under which the insurance company has specific duties. While the company has the right to deny an invalid claim or one not covered by the policy, they also have an obligation to investigate and pay every valid claim that is covered by the policy.
Insurance companies are subject to strict laws and regulations. The company has specific duties under every policy, which include the duty to process claims in a reasonable amount of time and to act in good faith and without negligence in doing so. If you believe that the company failed to perform their duties under your policy or acted in bad faith when it denied your claim, you may be able pursue a legal action for breach of contract.
After you file a claim, an insurance dispute can arise in several different ways. In addition to issuing an outright denial of a claim, an insurance company also may unreasonably delay processing a claim or pressure you to accept a discounted amount to settle the claim. In other cases, the insurance company denied a claim without completing a reasonable investigation.
If you believe that your claim is covered by the policy, you should not accept a denial, reduced settlement, or unreasonable delay in processing your claim. You can keep the pressure on the insurance company by staying in contact with them and asserting your rights.
If you get no satisfaction dealing directly with the insurance company, including a situation where it seems like they are constantly giving you the run around about your claim, there can be substantial benefit in turning to an experienced insurance dispute lawyer for help.
An insurance dispute can arise under any type of policy - business or personal. At Sloan Law Firm, we handle insurance claims for all types of policies, including motor vehicle coverage for injuries and property damage, private disability insurance, umbrella coverage, liability policies, errors and omissions coverage, homeowner’s insurance, title insurance, and all other kinds of insurance.
In addition to understanding insurance and contract law, which are important in addressing insurance disputes, our practice includes helping clients with the substantive matters that underlie the insurance claim. The breadth of our law practice is a significant benefit in handling any type of insurance dispute.
For example, in our accidents and injuries practice, we assist clients injured in auto, truck, and pedestrian accidents, as well as in product liability and premises liability claims. So, when an insurance dispute arises in those contexts, we can help with both the insurance issues and the substantive injury claim.
Similarly, our business and commercial practice covers all aspects of business operations, including litigation. If an insurance dispute arises in the business context, our lawyers understand not only the insurance issues, but all the substantive legal issues underlying the insurance dispute as well.
Our experience and knowledge in the legal areas where insurance disputes arise is a substantial advantage in addressing insurance disputes. We are accustomed to dealing with insurance company representatives on a myriad of issues on an on-going basis, so we are very familiar with the strategies that agents use to try to minimize or deny payment on a claim.
If you run into resistance when you file a claim with your insurance company, the first thing you need to do is document all your communication with the company. In addition to keeping copies of all written correspondence, you should keep a journal of all phone conversations, including the date, content of the discussion, and name of the insurance representative. Maintain copies of all email and text communications in your file as well.
If the company persists in drawing out the claims process, trying to get you to agree to a settlement, or denying your claim, you should contact our Sloan Law Firm insurance dispute lawyers as soon as possible. We will review all your records and information to investigate the situation and advise you of what options you have available. We can also help you with other legal issues relating to the matter in which the insurance dispute arose.
Our insurance dispute lawyers at Sloan Law Firm take pride in their comprehensive experience, knowledge, and skill in matters relating to insurance law and claim disputes. We invite you to talk with us about an issue involving insurance coverage by contacting us to schedule a consultation.
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