Here’s the truth: your insurance company doesn’t want to pay what you are owed. It is absolutely in their best interest to pay as little as they can and they use multiple tactics to do this. We call them the three D’s: Deny, Delay, and Defend.
Deny: Why Insurance Companies Deny Property Claims
An insurance company will use plenty of excuses to deny your claim. They might say the claim doesn’t fall within a covered loss based on policy language or will push blame to other parties. Make sure if you give a recorded statement that you are being thorough and documenting all events – If you miss certain details or explain them incorrectly they will deny your claim on this basis.
In order to receive fair compensation on your claim it’s important to document the incident, the damage and the repair expenses. You should consider a public adjuster to make sure your process is streamlined and your property is salvaged with as little disruption to your life as possible.
Delay: Insurance Companies will Delay Your Payment
Depending on the time of the year, your insurance company might try to delay paying you so they can push that into the new financial year. Maybe they’ve paid out a lot of claims earlier in the year and are trying to keep their books profitable so they intentionally delay your claim for their benefit at the expense of your needs! Although Florida law mandates that your insurance company has to inform you within 90 days whether they will accept and pay the claim or not, that doesn’t mean they must pay the full amount in this time frame. As long as they make partial payment in 90 days, they have fulfilled their side of the agreement.
So for example, if your claim is worth $100,000 and they pay only $5,000 of that within the 90 day period, they have fulfilled the 90-day law but can still delay the remainder until it suits them. Furthermore, because most insurance companies have in-house attorneys, they can intentionally drag out the remainder of the claim to suit their interests.
Defend: Insurance Companies Protect Themselves First and Foremost
The truth is if you are representing yourself against the insurance company, the likelihood of them delaying your payment increases dramatically because they know that you likely don’t know any of these tactics. If you have an expensive claim, insurance companies will use in-house council to argue why they feel you deserve in order to preserve their funds.
However, with a Public Adjuster in your corner, we know all their tricks, we have our own counter-tactics, and we know how and when to take legal action against the insurance company if they don’t cooperate or pay the full amount you deserve. We fight for you!
Don’t go to bat with your insurance company without an expert in your corner. Call us today.