Your insurance claim has just been denied. Your property may have been subject to burglary, vandalism, flooding, and even a devastating fire. What do you do? What are your options? Insurance claims can lead to denial for various reasons. We take pride in having helped a multitude of property owners who have had their insurance companies deny or underpay their claims. As a public adjusters, who specialize in reopening claims, we can work on your behalf. We can find out why your claim was denied and advise as to what to do next to recover the expenses for your damages.
Our public adjusters will guide you along every step of the way. Here are some of the steps:
- Remain calm. Do not let your emotions get the best of you and end up cursing at your insurance company. This reaction is understandable, but you need to have a clear mind in addressing this issue.
- We will review the content of your policy. You may not have done this before filing the claim and were unaware of the extent of your policy coverage.
- We will file an appeal on your behalf. It may be a lengthy process but be patient.
- If you are still having problems with your insurance company, and your appeal has been denied, you need to seek out a public adjuster who has experience with denied claims to determine if you have a case.
Insurance Companies Denials
There are a few common reasons why your insurance claims can be denied, they are:
- Filing on a timely basis. Many insurance companies require you to report the damages as soon as possible in accordance to the terms of the policy.
- Premium payments. Your claims can be denied if you are not consistent in your insurance premium payments.
- Giving false information. Lying on your insurance application is unacceptable and will likely result in a denial.
- Not enough information of the said damages. It is very important to give accurate information for the damages that were done to your property. It is your responsibility to give this information to your insurance company.
- Exclusion clauses. It is also important to understand the exclusions in your insurance policy. Typical exclusions can include things such as: pool patio awnings or exterior paint.
- Take preventative measures. As a policy holder, you are expected to protect your property after the damages. If you do not protect your property and more damage occurs, your claim can be denied.
Reasons for Denial
Denied Claims Public Adjusters by Serafin Martinez on Scribd
What If Your Claim Is Denied?
- Re-read your policy. Carefully read through it and figure out if you misread or misunderstood any coverage or exclusions in your insurance policy.
- Look over your denial notice. Make sure you filed damages correctly or if you wrote something down that was not in your standard policy.
- Look over all the documents you gathered. Be sure to double check all the items that were damaged or if you forgot to include a receipt.
- Contact a public adjuster. If you feel as if there were some type of discrepancies especially since you know that you were supposed to be covered but you got denied, contact a public adjuster and let them know what went wrong.
Re-Open Claim
When Can It Be Reopened?
Reopening claims vary from state to state. Fortunately, you can reopen claims in Florida for up to five years. You can reopen claims when:
- You’ve filed an insurance claim before and may have forgotten to list some of the damages.
- Damages were reimbursed on a repair versus replacement basis.
- You feel that you were wrongly denied and want to revisit the subject.
What’s The Re-open Claims Process?
Reopening claims is a process just like any other. You start with a visit to a public adjuster. From there, the visit will either take place in your business or home where they review all your documents such as the policy you had when the damaged took the place, the estimate your insurance gave you and all records of the repairs that were done. The public adjuster would then figure out if the claim can be reopened. If this were to happen, the public adjuster will then contact your insurance company and then they will have to re-inspect the damages.
Case Study
David’s story: He experienced a leak in his bathroom, which resulted in damages to his bathroom, carpeting, and the ceiling and walls of his living room. His insurance company would only offer him $4,749 for the damages, but it ended up being $2,249 after the deductible. This was not enough to fix his damages, and he needed it to be fixed promptly in order to have a well-functioning home. He ended up hiring a public adjuster, and it was all worth it because in the end, he ended up receiving 400% more money than the initial settlement.
What We Offer You
If your claim has been denied, and don’t know how to proceed. Churchill Public Adjusters can help you. We will fight for your denied claim and obtain the maximum settlement to help you pay for the damages to your home. Get in touch with us today!
References:
