Insurance Related Questions and Answers

Insurance and insurance policies are simply one of the many mainstays of American life for most. Health insurance, dental insurance, liability insurance and life and disability insurance are only a few obvious examples of the types of coverage that most people need. For those fortunate enough to not have to find out, these insurance policies are nothing more than confusing documents that require payments on a regular basis.

For others, however, this is not reality. For many reasons, they must learn how to deal with insurance companies, both their own and those of others. Even less fortunate is the fact that many people learn these lessons the hard way. Insurance companies are successful in general for many reasons, one of which is the highly trained in-house defense attorneys that work for these corporate giants, and they are quite skilled at limiting the amount of financial exposure these companies will face.

Given this reality, if you or someone you love faces an issue with an insurance company, the best step you can take is to seek immediate help in order to level the playing field. For instance, unless someone is specifically trained for this situation, he or she may struggle with the following issues:

How to talk with Insurance companies (Things to know)

If you have been in some sort of accident or have some sort of medical bill to pay, for example, chances are you’ll receive a phone call or correspondence from your insurance company in response to a claim you’ve filed. If your claim involves someone else, you may also hear from his or her insurance company, and there is much to remember when this happens.

Policy Limits/how policies pay

There remains much confusion in society in general regarding the issue of insurance policy limits and how specifically insurance policies pay out their settlements and/or reimbursements. You’ll need help in navigating these often complicated waters.

Importance of using a lawyer when negotiating with insurance company

Working with an experienced attorney will make this entire process easier and quite possibly faster, as he or she understands all of the nuances, jargon and even tactics that may be designed to deceive or intimidate people involved in a dispute.

Bad faith claims

Bad faith claims are often necessary when it’s clear to a victim that he or she has not been treated fairly in regards to a settlement, denial of a claim or refusal of coverage. These are also extremely complicated matters that will require the help of an experienced professional.

Uninsured motorist problems

Many times, when someone who has insurance gets into an accident with someone who is not covered, he or she may simply not know what to do. Some even come to the faulty conclusion that there is no recourse and let the matter drop. This is the opposite of what should be done.

Generally speaking, insurance issues can also be stressful for many reasons. If you are involved in such a circumstance, contact an attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation, as you need to make your next decision with a foundation of knowledge.

How to talk with Insurance companies (Things to know)

The question of how to talk with insurance companies is rarely asked, which is unfortunate given the fact that most of us will need to have such discussions at some point in our lives. The point of the discussion below is how you should approach any communication with another person’s insurance company when he or she is potentially responsible for any injuries or property damage you have suffered.

Documentation

If you were injured in an accident or suffered property damage, chances are the police were called and/or medical professionals were involved in the aftermath of this incident. If you receive any sort of request for more information regarding the incident from the other party’s insurance company, simply refer them to the documentation that already exists. This includes any police reports filed or medical records. Do not answer questions that ask you to ‘expand’ on the information provided. You are under no duty to do so.

Statements

In this situation, it’s also likely that you will be asked by the other party’s insurance company to give a statement regarding how the incident occurred, what injuries and/or damages you suffered and why you feel that the other party is at fault and therefore liable for your costs of recovery. If you receive such a call or letter, do not respond under any circumstances. Instead, politely decline to give a statement, as any inconsistency between your statement and the existing documentation could ultimately be used against you.

Policy Limits/how policies pay

If you have been injured and/or suffered property damage in an accident, chances are that you’ll be dealing with the other party’s insurance company at some point in the process. When this situation arises, there are a few things you need to know regarding policy limits and/or how policies pay out settlements.

Basically, every insurance policy comes with some sort of policy limit, meaning that a person who is deemed responsible for an accident may have a limit of, for example, $1 million in liability. In general, insurance companies may be willing to negotiate a settlement that reaches the limit of this policy, but if you have suffered damages beyond that policy limit amount, it’s possible that the other insurance company will choose to fight that potential liability.

In terms of how policies pay, perhaps the biggest misnomer regarding this situation is that if the insurance company’s policy holder is deemed to be responsible for an injury or property damage that this insurance company will immediately issue a check in full payment of your damages. Even before any situation goes to court, that insurance company will require a seemingly-endless stream of documentation and corroborating statements from witnesses before even considering the ultimate payout. Rest assured that if you are going to be paid at all without a fight, it will take quite a bit of time.

As you see, the issue of policy limits/how policies pay is no small or simple matter. If you are facing such a situation, your best course of action is to contact an attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation. He or she will be able to cut through the red tape and move the process along so that your rights do not go unenforced. Contact an attorney today.

Importance of using a lawyer when negotiating with insurance company

If you have been in an accident of some sort and you wind up haggling with an insurance company, either yours or the insurance carrier of another party who was involved and potentially responsible for your injuries or damages, you face a difficult struggle. The insurance industry is one of the most profitable and prevalent in the United States economy, and that’s no accident.

These companies are incredibly skilled at one thing above all others – limiting their liability both in general and within the context of individual situations. Most of these companies are corporate giants, which means that such staff members as claims adjusters and in-house defense attorneys are ready and waiting to negotiate with a victim for one purpose – to bring the amount of money that must be paid to a victim down as much as possible.

Insurance companies accomplish this in many ways, and they are quite skilled in presenting their positions in such a way that the victim may be confused and unwittingly agree to sign away his or her rights in order to receive a quick payment. For instance, claims forms, statements and declarations are filled with industry jargon, legal language and insurance industry terms, and most of these forms are several pages in length, making it unlikely that an average person will scrutinize every sentence. Time delays are also quite common when it comes to these negotiating stages of a situation.

All of these realities above are just a few of the reasons that it’s not only important, but absolutely critical, that you work with an attorney when you’re negotiating with an insurance company. Your attorney understands these tactics, has experience cutting through all of this red tape and will in effect level the playing field for you so that you can be treated fairly. Contact an attorney today before heading down this road against a team of experienced professionals.

Bad faith claims

If you or someone you love has been injured, has become ill or suffered some sort of property damage as a result of the alleged negligence of another person, you will undoubtedly be facing the prospect of haggling with an insurance company, either yours or that of the other party involved in the situation. Before you jump into this proverbial ring of fire, you need to understand that basics regarding bad faith claims.

Bad faith claims in an insurance setting are supposed to be legal remedies that are available to those who have been treated unfairly by an insurance company, and these claims often arise against that person’s own insurance carrier. The manner in which bad faith claims can arise are too numerous to list here, but generally speaking, these claims will arise when an insurance company refuses to pay a valid claim or refuses coverage for some other invalid reason.

When this happens, the individual has no choice but to pursue such a claim against the insurance company, as the creditors waiting for payment on medical bills, the property that’s been damaged or other expenses will not wait for you to decide how you’re going to proceed. Failing to pursue bad faith claims in these situations will simply mean that you must handle these financial obligations on your own, which can be financially ruinous.

The bottom line is that if you have been treated unfairly by an insurance company, the best initial step you can take is to contact an attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation. He or she will be able to help you understand the situation and if advisable help you proceed against the insurance company in pursuit of your rights. Contact an attorney today.

Uninsured motorist problems

If you are in an auto accident with a person who does not have liability insurance, you face the potential of a host of problems. Generally, there is property damage that must be paid to restore or replace your vehicle and it’s quite possible that medical costs will arise if anyone was injured during the accident. This situation is only complicated even more when the other driver has no coverage.

Statistics estimate that approximately 15% of drivers in the United States do not have insurance, and as a general rule, it’s a waste of time to file a lawsuit against such a person, because he or she often will not have any assets that can be used to pay for your claim, even if there’s no debate regarding who is at fault and responsible.

Therefore, people often turn to their own insurance companies for help, and many auto insurance policies come with uninsured or under-insured motorist coverage. This means that in such a situation, you file a claim with your own insurance company for benefits. However, the most common problem that arises in this situation is that suddenly, your insurance company could treat you as an adversary, attempting to limit their liability as much as possible with a team of attorneys and/or adjusters.

Rather than heading down this confrontational, stressful and often confusing path with a company you’ve been paying for coverage, you need to step out of this situation and contact an attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation. Your attorney will have the experience necessary to properly deal with this situation and to pursue all of the available avenues towards what would be a fair result for you. Contact an attorney today.

Your Next Step

What you should do in this situation is seek help immediately. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation, and if you decide to retain him or her, your attorney will contact all of the insurance companies involved and tell them that any correspondence or requests for information should go to his or her office. If you get a call after this communication, simply refer them to your attorney.