Your insurance claim has become a hassle. Do you need legal representation?
Here are 5 signs to help you decide if you’re asking yourself, “Do I need an insurance lawyer?”
It is a very complex world when it comes to dealing with insurance companies. Commercials, agents, and friends have all told you that you need proper coverage, but that coverage isn’t always available when you need it.
When an insurance company undervalues your damage, denies your claim, makes unreasonable requests, or just drags out the claims process, you might find yourself asking: “Do I need an insurance lawyer?”
Not every insurance claim requires an attorney’s assistance, but here are 5 signs that working with a home insurance lawyer might be helpful.
1. Your insurance company is acting in bad faith.
Insurance companies have a responsibility to treat their policyholders professionally and ethically. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.
Legally, “bad faith” refers to any dishonest, negligent, unfair, or fraudulent behavior and insurance companies are not always innocent! Withholding information, taking too long to respond, and denying claims without reason are just some of the tactics that we’ve seen insurance companies resort to in order to avoid paying out on claims.
While it can be nearly impossible to fight against bad faith practices on your own, an insurance lawyer is specially trained in greasing the wheels of your insurance claim and making sure you get the full coverage you’re entitled to.
Our knowledge, skills, and expertise can help guide you through the obstacles that any insurance company (yours or another’s) may be putting in your way.
2. Your claim was unfairly denied.
It might feel like you’ve done everything correctly, but the truth is that insurance companies will often deny a claim for any reason they can.
The insurance company might disagree with the value of the damage or claim that the issue that caused it isn’t covered by your policy.
In most cases, they aren’t trying to be dishonest. Their job is to exploit loopholes or technicalities in your policy. Your insurance contract was written by a team of lawyers that work for the insurance company, and it usually requires a lawyer to understand it.
Don’t let a denial stop you from seeking the appropriate compensation. A home insurance attorney can untangle the verbiage in your policy and inform you of exactly what you’re entitled to.
3. Your claim is taking too long to resolve.
One of the most common examples of bad faith that insurance companies engage in is dragging their feet on your claim.
They don’t acknowledge receipt of your claim.
They take forever to send out an adjuster.
They sit on your check for weeks before sending it (and even then, it’s not enough to cover the damage).
And if you decide to fight them, the problems can get even worse.
The complexity of an insurance dispute often discourages most people from standing up for themselves. That’s where having a skilled insurance attorney to do all the heavy lifting can simplify and expedite the process.
Insurance companies will try to drag out the process as long as possible in hopes of getting you to agree to a substantially lower settlement. Don’t fall for it! Call an insurance attorney to fight on your behalf.
4. You’ve been offered a settlement.
The majority of insurance disputes settle outside of court. And while it might feel like the easiest and best way is to resolve your claim, it’s rarely the best outcome for you.
Being offered a check for thousands of dollars makes most people think, “I just got a huge check! Why do I need an insurance lawyer?” But when you accept the first offer without an attorney’s help, you could end up losing out on thousands of dollars.
Having an insurance lawyer handle the negotiations takes the burden and stress off you and increasing the likelihood of a larger settlement amount.
5. You want to receive the full benefit from your insurance.
Home insurance premiums aren’t cheap, which makes it even worse when your insurance policy doesn’t work the way you expect it to.
For most people, filing a claim is not an attempt to “put one over” on the insurance company or collect enough to pay for their next family vacation. They are simply trying to get enough money to cover the damage so they can put their homes (and their lives) back together.
A qualified and experienced insurance attorney can help you get every cent you deserve from the policy that you pay for.
Get an Insurance Attorney Now
Don’t get lost trying to navigate yourself through the insurance processes. If you have to ask “do I need an insurance lawyer?”, then the answer is usually “yes”.
Thousands of attorneys are willing to help you, but it takes a highly skilled and specialized lawyer to truly make a difference in your case.
At Sunshine State Law Firm, we only represent victims, never large corporations. Our focus is on restoring justice to those who have been wronged by bad faith practices and helping them with a swift, effective, and fair resolution to their home insurance claim.
What’s more, you won’t have to pay out of your well-deserved settlement money. Schedule a free consultation today so we can discuss your case.