What to Do When the Insurance Company Denies Your Claim
Insurance companies have a simple job: bring in as much in premiums as they can and pay out as little as possible. Insurance disputes often arise because the insurance companies have a “moth to the flame” tendency to find any excuse possible to disclaim coverage and avoid making payment on an insurance claim. Our lawyers handle these claim in Maryland. Regrettably, our law firm can only handle new claims that exceed $100,000 in value, but we are often glad to give out free advice on your smaller claim if you contact us.
Deny, Deny, Deny
Insurance companies are like any other business; they try to maximize profits. Typically, insurance companies pay very obvious claims. We don’t see a lot of the tactics you saw in John Grisham’s book “Rainmaker” …”deny, deny, deny.” for even the most obvious claims. If there is a sliver of a basis for a denial, however, insurance carriers try to slide in that opening to avoid making payment.
Types of Denials
Tips on Each Insurance Company
The wrongful insurance claim denial can take many forms. Sometimes, the facts are pretty simple, and it is a question of whether there was coverage at the time of the occurrence that triggered the claim. You would think that would be a “you are pregnant, or you are not” type thing, but insurance companies find a way to make it far more complicated than it should be. In personal injury cases and property claims, the dispute often involves how much the claim is worth. We consistently have a very different view of the value of the case than the insurance companies.
Other denials are “soft denials,” where the insurance company does not come out and deny the claim. Instead, they continue to drag their feet, changing adjusters and asking for more time, often waiting for the statute of limitations to run on the claim. But most commonly, we see insurance companies trying to ignore the spirit of the insurance contract and trying to elevate some remote provision of the contract to give it a meaning that it does not have.
Often, the insurance company attempts to deny the claims, asserting that the policy under which the claim was made was canceled. In this type of situation, the burden is on the insurance company to prove that the law regarding notice of cancellation has been strictly complied with.
Other times, insurance adjusters unreasonably delay the process and drag things out (many times this tactic is used to place the insured into a time crunch, as the time deadline to sue may be fast approaching and the insured is not aware of this).
Fighting for the Little Guys
The partners at our law firm used to work for insurance companies. From that experience, we have a rule: we will not represent insurance companies in insurance claim disputes. You have to pick sides. Our firm represents the little guys fighting the insurance companies to get what they deserve. For the last 11 years, we have been fighting the insurance companies tooth and nail at every turn. We don’t blink when suing these companies and have successfully obtained verdicts and settlements from every major insurance company doing business in Maryland. If your case requires someone willing to fight in the trenches against these insurance companies without giving an inch, we may be the law firm for your insurance dispute.
Hiring Our Law Firm to Fight for You
Our firm has the resources and experience to take on these insurance companies. We have the trial experience and a history of success. We know Maryland insurance law. One of the partners at our firm has taught Insurance Law for the past ten years. To see if we can help you, call us today. Our firm offers free consultations at 800-553-8082 or online.