Not all insurance claims require the use of a lawyer. However, there are times when you should never try to handle the case alone. Instead, you should immediately find an experienced, competent attorney. For example, let’s highlight four times when you need to use a lawyer for insurance claims.
1. The Insurance Company Is Uncooperative
Suppose you file a claim, but the claim is denied. You’re confused because your policy payments were up to date. You filed the claim within the proper time period, and your policy seems to cover your claim.
The insurer’s reason for the denial doesn’t sound fair to you, and you can’t get clear answers. In fact, the company may even stop communicating with you. At this point, the only way you’re going to get the matter resolved is with the help of an attorney. The attorney can exert enough pressure to force the insurance company to explain its position.
2. The Insurer Refuses to Pay a Reasonable Amount for Damages
Because it’s in the insurance company’s best interest to pay as little as possible in settlements, you can expect the company to offer you only a portion of what you deserve. This is especially true when the insurer knows that you don’t have an attorney but are representing yourself in negotiations.
No matter how skilled a communicator, salesperson, or persuader you are, you stand little chance against an insurance company’s well-schooled legal team. You’re going to need someone on your side who can compete and win. Find a law firm with a successful track record of battling insurance companies.
3. The Insurer is Slow to Pay
You may think the matter is resolved once the insurance company agrees to pay a satisfactory amount. Unfortunately, some insurers drag their feet at this point.
The result is they leave you waiting for a payment you desperately need to get your life back on track. Unless you get an attorney to look into the matter for you, the insurer will continue to ignore your complaints.
4. Your Case is Unusually Complex
The more complex your case, the greater your need for legal representation. For example, if you’re injured in a vehicle accident, you could sustain injuries that the insurance company refuses to acknowledge or says aren’t caused by the wreck. Often this is the situation when the injuries aren’t the type that show up on X-rays and MRIs.
Psychological injuries fall into this category. Your accident could leave you so traumatized that you have panic attacks whenever you try to drive. Your mental health could impact your ability to keep a job, take your kids to school, or perform any of your usual daily tasks that require driving.
You could encounter similar difficulties with a property damage claim following a weather event. The insurance company may force you to present evidence that the damage was the result of the storm and not preexisting. When the insurer refuses to accept your explanation, a qualified attorney could obtain expert testimony to support your argument.