If you’re fortunate, you have had the same insurance provider for years (or even decades). You probably have built a relationship with your agent and see the team as your allies. After submitting every payment in full, on time for years, you experience what you believe is a covered loss to your house. You assume that the claims process will be fairly straightforward and you will be compensated fairly. Unfortunately, that could be a mistake.
Insurance Companies are Out to Turn a Profit
The bottom line for insurance companies is…well, the bottom line. The less they pay out to their policyholders after a covered loss, the more the company makes. This natural tension between the provider and policyholder sometimes leads the company to pay less than what is otherwise justified. This is true no matter the strength of your relationship with the company.
Insurance Policies are Complex by Design
If you’ve ever sat down and tried to make sense of your insurance policy, you probably understand what we mean by this statement: insurance companies often count on confusion from their policyholders. This level of uncertainty can help providers get away with paying out less than they should. This isn’t to say that all insurance companies or their employees are inherently nefarious, but guardrails need to be put in place by an experienced and knowledgeable attorney.
It’s Easy to Say the Wrong Thing to an Insurance Adjuster
After you submit a claim, you’ll have to speak to one or multiple representatives from the insurance company, including the adjuster hired by the company to assess your claim of a covered loss. The company will likely ask you to make a recorded statement or ask your questions while being recorded. Someone who doesn’t routinely handle insurance claims and isn’t intimately familiar with the process could potentially say something that the provider would use to justify a lower payout. While there are plenty of resources online to help claimants understand what not to say when speaking with an adjuster, Salas Law Firm recommends everyone to let your attorney speak to the company instead.
Another important note when it comes to hiring attorneys for insurance claims is that the stakes are much higher when a large dollar amount is in the picture. Such claims are often associated with complex situations that are beyond the scope of typical claimants. No matter the complexity of your insurance claim, you’ll be better served by hiring an attorney sooner rather than later.
Salas Law Firm Wants to Represent You
Insurance companies have an arsenal of tactics and personnel at their disposal when assessing how much to pay to claimants. When you submit a claim, you need someone who will be on your side throughout the process, and Salas Law Firm would be honored to be that presence for you. Interested in setting up a consultation? Call our firm at (954) 315-1155 to discuss your options.
John Salas
