In case of an insurance claim, the claimant wishes for the maximum settlement amount to recover their losses whereas the majority of the insurance xompanies will be looking to minimize their liabilities. This results in a conflict of interest between claimant and insurance company. A claimant will not be well versed in the legal nuances of the claim. Thus they may not be able to pursue the claim with due diligence. This calls for a professional like an insurance dispute lawyer that’s well versed in insurance claim process and it is legal fine print.
The assessment of the claim and the need of lawyer
The insurance claims are assessed by either the insurance adjusters or the lawyers working for the Company. The representative from the insurance company inspects the property for which the claim is raised. The company adjuster/ lawyer may question the claimant or other related parties to identify the cause of claim and extent of the damage. This also involves taking a number of photos that are included in the assessment of the company.
Presence of the lawyer representing the claimant is critical at this juncture. The lawyer would be able to protect the claimant’s interest. They will be instrumental in getting the accurate details recorded with the insurance adjuster so that it’s not used against the claimant to lower the amount of claim.
What type of insurance claims can a lawyer handle?
Any type of insurance claims for the damage to property covered by an insurance policy is the purview of the Insurance claims lawyer. A few types of property damages are
• Storm damage such as flood, hurricane or tornado, etc.
• Vandalism or theft
• Fire damages
• Water damages
When do you need an insurance claims lawyer?
While claiming damages, there could be following two scenarios
• The claim is already processed and it’s either rejected or the amount paid is low- The claimant can hire an insurance attorney to contest the decision of the Insurance Company legally. Many times the insurance company underpays or wrongfully rejects the claim. This can be legally contested and the claimant can legally obtain the entitled claim value.
• The claim is being filed – Hiring the professional help from the onset is the best approach since the insurance claims lawyer helps in proper assessment of the claim so that the assessment done by the company does not harm the claimant’s interests. The lawyer helps by preventing any mistake by the claimant and in furnishing all the correct and relevant information that favors the claimant with the insurance adjuster so that the claimant receives the maximum entitled claim value under the policy.
An insurance lawyer first and foremost represents the claimant’s interest and keeps them from getting compromised or undermined by the insurance company. Being well versed in the legal nuances, they can be consulted by the claimant for suggestion related to a claim so that the potential of getting the entitled amount is increased or they can be hired to handle the claim on their client’s behalf.
