There are many reasons why a home insurance claim could be denied. For example, if you have made modifications to your home that the insurance company did not know about, they might not cover you. Other issues that may cause your homeowner’s policy to be denied are weather damage and theft.
However, when it comes to an “act of god” or force majeure which is also known as natural disaster or catastrophe, this may complicate the situation because some companies will provide coverage for a limited period after such events. So it’s important for homeowners to read their policies and understand what will happen in this event.
Policy
Although a homeowner should understand their policy, there are other circumstances that can make it more complicated. For example, if you have to make changes to the policy after it’s been issued, it may be difficult to know if your policy has changed enough to cause your claim to be denied. The same is true with renewal policies where you have a different company from year to year.
Some homeowner’s policies will not cover an event like flood damage for a specific period of time after the policy has been issued. This is referred to as a “waiting period. In these cases, if your policy has a waiting period and the damage occurred after that time, you will not be covered.
Flood Insurance Policy
If you have a flood insurance policy, it’s important to understand what it covers. It may only cover the structure of your home and not your belongings. However, it’s important to note that many homeowner’s policies will pay for your belongings if they are damaged by a flood.
Adjuster
Another common reason for claims being denied is through a survey that is performed by an adjuster who is hired by an insurance company to inspect your house after damage has occurred to make certain that you have suffered the damages as stated in the claim.
If you think that an adjuster may be fraudulent, you should immediately contact a lawyer. This can happen to people who are not home during the inspection or if you are in the act of making repairs yourself and the adjuster finds out and denies your claim.
You should also be vigilant about what is going on with your policy after a flood or fire because most policies have a 60-day waiting period before they will pay out money. You will have to prove that you suffered these damages within this time frame, otherwise it will be too late for coverage.
Brilliant Ways to Use HOME INSURANCE CLAIM DENIED
What’s the worst thing that could happen? You find out your insurance company has denied your claim. You might not be able to replace what was lost after a fire or flood, but you still own the house, the one thing that does remain.
While it may seem like insurance companies have all of the power when dealing with claims, there are some things you can do to regain control and ensure you get paid for everything you’re owed.
Here’s how to get started:
Document Everything
Your denial may come with a specific reason why the company won’t pay your claim, and that reason may be inaccurate or without merit. If you don’t have a good case to appeal a denial, it will be worth your time to write every single detail down. Take pictures of any damage or destruction as well as receipts for any repairs you made. Keep all notes and letters from the insurance company in an organized fashion so that you can refer to them later if necessary. If possible, enlist a family member or friend who works in law enforcement in your efforts by having them take additional photos from different angles and make copies of any handwritten notes.
If you are not able to appeal the denial, you can still provide the insurance company with additional evidence (such as receipts) and call their customer service line to “politely request a meeting” but be sure to ask to speak with an agent from the company’s claims department.
Start an Investigation
If getting an independent investigator on your side is too expensive or complicated, you may want to try employing the services of an attorney who specializes in insurance claims. The attorney will ask hard questions about what happened and will generally be able to better represent your interests than if you were handling it on your own.
Contact The Department of Insurance
If you live in a state where the department of insurance is tasked with investigating insurance claims, they’ll likely have a dedicated team of specialists trained to handle such investigations.
Or contact your state’s office of the attorney general and ask if they have resources available to investigate fraud or determine if an insurance company is following industry standards.
Start A Class Action Lawsuit
Litigation can be expensive and time consuming, but there are times when filing a class action lawsuit can be your best option for getting full compensation for an injury suffered or property lost due to an insurance company’s actions.