Dealing with insurance companies and insurance claims like car insurance claims can be one of the worst parts of having a personal injury case. Some people feel that having to go through all the hoops the insurance company puts in front of them is just as bad as the injury they suffered.
Insurance companies are for-profit companies. Even your insurance company is not on your side. Insurance companies are not rewarded for paying out large amounts of money. Instead everything about an insurance company is designed so the company pays out as little as possible on every claim.
Insurance companies have their own technical language. The key to dealing with insurance claims is to understand what the common terms in insurance polices mean, and to remember what insurance companies are about.
Each type of insurance claim has its own challenges and issues.
Car Insurance Claims
Car insurance claims are one of the most common types of claims people deal with. Most people feel they understand the basics of how the claims process works. However, they really only know the surface of what happens with a car insurance claim.
After you are in a car accident one of the first things you do is call and tell your insurance company. The moment you do this you have started the insurance claims process. The information you give in that first call will be used by the insurance company to plan how it will deal with your claim.
Your insurance company may or may not have a duty to pay your property damage claim, depending on your coverage. The company will be interested to see if there is anyone else who may have to pay out money for the claim. Often your insurance company will pay for you to get your car fixed, even if you are not at fault, and then try and get compensated from the insurance company of the at fault driver later. If you end having to sue the other driver, the insurance company may make it your responsibility to get their money back for them.
Homeowner’s Insurance Claims
Homeowner’s and renters insurance covers policy holders for lots of different things. It may protect them against financial damage from fires, storms, and even theft. It also usually pays compensation to people who are hurt on the owner’s property when they were somehow negligent.
Insurance companies know that most people who are injured on private property are the friends and family of the homeowner. They count of people being reluctant to file a claim against someone they have a good relationship with.
However, the purpose of insurance is to make sure people who are innocently hurt by someone else’s mistakes can get fair compensation for their injuries.
- Some common issues in homeowner’s insurance claims are:
- Who is at fault for the accident?
- Was the danger or risk of injury known and the activity done anyway?
- Was the injury caused by negligence or was it intentional?
Commercial Insurance Claims
Businesses often carry insurance called premises liability insurance. This protects businesses from having to pay out large sums of money out of their own pockets if someone gets hurt on their property.
Commercial insurance claims can be difficult to file. Businesses often don’t have a formal claims filing procedure. They also won’t tell you if they are insured or not. An experienced personal injury lawyer can usually get answers fast and get the commercial insurance claims process underway.
Municipality Insurance Claims
City and county governments often carry municipal insurance. Even municipalities that are self-insured, they don’t have separate insurance, use the same procedures to process municipal insurance claims.
While the time limits to bring personal injury claims in most states is very short, the time limits for making a claim against a city or county are often even shorter. Many states have special laws about what has to be done to notify a government of a claim and who has to be notified.
The claims process may even require certain notices be filed months ahead of filing a lawsuit. Just like all other insurance companies, municipal insurance companies do not want to pay out any more money than they have to, and will usually aggressively fight any municipal insurance claims.
You don’t have to deal with insurance companies by yourself. The claims process is often complex and even unfair. Let us help you contact a personal injury lawyer who knows how to get you the compensation you are entitled to.
Insurance companies have teams of lawyers and experts working for them. Shouldn’t you have someone standing by your side, fighting for you?
