You most likely bought homeowners insurance to protect your family’s assets. You sought peace of mind through the promise that in the event of a tragedy, your insurance company would reimburse you for losses. But when a legitimate claim is denied, your peace of mind can quickly turn to stress and confusion.
It’s not easy to understand why insurance companies deny claims, but it happens more often than you may think. Often, it’s a simple lack of paperwork that turns into an argument with your insurer over how much you are owed under your policy. Your insurer owes you a duty of good faith, and if insurance company employees treat you unfairly, an insurance bad faith attorney in South Dakota can help you take action.
Review the Reasons for Denial
Your insurer should have sent you a detailed explanation of why your claim was denied. Be sure to read the letter, and read the language in your policy if you have a copy.
Contact Your Insurer
Though you may not want to contact your insurer, write them a letter or email to ask for more information about why you were denied. If the insurer insists on calling you, keep notes of these conversations, but respond in writing. Try to be polite, since the person answering the phone isn’t the one who denied your claim, and you probably are being recorded.
Appeal the Denial
Your insurer should have given you a route to appeal denial your claim. Follow this procedure closely, because you can have an appeal denied on a technicality. Prepare your appeal with care. At this point, you may want to ask a lawyer to review what you’ve written to make sure you’ve included all the information the company wants to see.
Hire an Independent Adjuster
You may have the option to hire your own adjuster to evaluate your claim. This can bolster your argument that your request for assistance was unfairly denied.
Speak With a Lawyer
When you are intimidated by the process and already under stress, it can be difficult to advocate for yourself, even when a substantial claim is at stake. A lawyer can help you.
Since insurance lawyers know how the system works, they can help you prepare an appeal that is less likely to be denied, and even speak to the company on your behalf. You can hire an attorney at any stage of the process.
If you want home insurance claim advice or more information about how to fight a homeowners’ insurance claim denial, contact Turbak Law Office, P.C. at 605-886-8361 for a consultation.