TL;DR
Insurance companies don’t always play fair when handling claims. Lowball settlement offers, unreasonable delays, and failure to disclose available insurance coverage can all be warning signs that an insurer is not handling a claim appropriately. If you’re experiencing these tactics, it may be time to stop negotiating on your own and seek legal help.
When you’re dealing with an insurance claim after an injury or loss, you expect the insurance company to handle your claim fairly. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Insurance companies may delay claims, offer far less than the evidence supports, or fail to disclose coverage that could be available to you.
These tactics can leave you feeling like you have no choice but to accept what the insurance company offers. You do have options. If an insurance company is acting in bad faith or refusing to fairly resolve your claim, it may be time to stop negotiating and start holding the insurer accountable. At MRH Injury Law, we dig deeper because we care, and we fight harder because it matters.
Here are three warning signs that it may be time to hire an attorney and take legal action.
1. The Insurance Company Is Lowballing Your Claim
When you have the receipts or other documentation for the damaged items or your injuries and losses, but the insurance company still lowballs you despite strong documentation, its probably time you hired a lawyer and filed suit.
This is especially true of the lowball offer comes with little or no explanation. Once an insurance adjuster gets the initial authority from their supervisors, it is nearly impossible to convince them to pay more outside of a lawsuit.
In some cases, filing a lawsuit may be the only way to get the insurance company to take your claim seriously.
Read more: What to Do When the Insurance Company Offers a Low Settlement or Delays Your Claim
2. The Insurance Company Is Unreasonably Delaying Your Claim
Another warning sign is an insurance company that simply won’t respond.
If an insurance company fails to respond to a settlement proposal, or even if they ignore your communications, it’s a sign you need to hire a lawyer and file suit. The delay is most likely on purpose. Insurance carriers know most people will simply give up on their claim if they delay long enough.
If you’re experiencing unreasonable delay from the insurance carrier, you should hire a lawyer and file suit.
One practical tip: Always put deadlines on your communications with the insurance company, especially settlement proposals. Clearly stating when you expect a response creates a record of your efforts to resolve the claim and can help prevent the process from dragging on indefinitely.
If the insurance company continues to delay without justification, talk to an attorney about your options.
3. The Insurance Company Is Failing to Disclose All Available Coverage
Some claims exceed the value of the insurance policy. When this happens, insurance companies sometimes hide policies that could provide more coverage, such as umbrella policies.
Always ask an insurance company to disclose all applicable policies, including umbrella policies, and require an affidavit from the policy holder that there are not other policies.
Even after making these requests, disputes can arise over whether all available coverage has been disclosed. If you believe an insurance company is withholding information about additional coverage in an effort to settle your claim for less, you should speak with an attorney.
When Should You Hire a Lawyer for an Insurance Dispute?
If you’re dealing with an insurance company that is lowballing your claim, unreasonably delaying the process, or failing to disclose potentially available coverage, you don’t have to simply accept the insurer’s position.
These situations can be complicated, particularly when an insurance company is acting in bad faith. An attorney can evaluate the circumstances surrounding your claim, communicate with the insurer on your behalf, and determine whether litigation may be appropriate.
At MRH Injury Law, we dig deeper because we care what happens to you. We fight harder to protect your outcome at every step. When it comes to insurance companies, we will sue and hold them accountable when they refuse to treat injured people fairly. You shouldn’t have to accept an unfair settlement simply because an insurance company says that’s all it is willing to pay.
If you’re dealing with an insurance dispute or believe your claim has been handled in bad faith, contact MRH Injury Law to discuss your situation and learn more about your legal options.