If you have been harmed by another party’s negligence, you must be able to rely on their insurance providers to pay for your damages including medical bills, pain, and suffering, and lost income. However, sometimes insurers might respond to your claim with a denial letter. When this happens to you, make sure you speak with an attorney to know the steps to take. Despite the denial, the fight is still not over. Here are the steps you can take:
Read the Letter Carefully
Once you get a denial letter from an insurance company, review it thoroughly. Examine the language used in this letter and what’s used in the insurance policy. Find exclusions that the policy’s fine print might be hiding. The denial could be based on a certain policy exclusion. You need to understand why the insurer denied your claim, so you can take the right steps.
Dispute the Denial
If you believe the denial of your claim is not clear, has false or misleading information, or has errors, dispute it. Insurance companies let you appeal claim denials. Your attorney can help you understand the process, including the deadlines to meet. They make sure you don’t miss any deadline, so you don’t give the insurer a reason to deny your claim again.
Take Legal Action
If you have disputed the letter and sent an appeal letter and the insurer still denies your personal injury claim, consider filing a lawsuit to recover compensation. While court trials can be long-drawn, time-consuming, and expensive, they might be your only option when you fail to get the desired compensation from the insurance company. Should the trial end in your favor, the jury might award you more than what you can get from the insurer. Before the actual trial, you may still get settlement offers from the insurance company to try to resolve your claim. As long as the offer is fair and covers all of your losses, your attorney will suggest that you take it.
Hire a Lawyer
After you get a denial letter from the insurance company, you must call a lawyer immediately. Often, a personal injury attorney will give you a free initial consultation, thus, you have no reason not to meet with them. An injury lawyer helps you understand your rights and legal options. Once they take your case, they will communicate with the insurance company and handle each aspect of the denial. This includes collecting the necessary evidence, communicating with the parties involved, filing an appeal for you, and filing a lawsuit, if needed.