Your home or business is hit by a disaster – hurricane; fire; flood – you name it. Homeowners and businesses often have insurance to protect against disaster – and many times the dealings with the insurance company will go like butter. This is great news. However, there are other times when an insurance company gives their client the short end of the stick.
Most concerning, I’ve found in in my work that too often a home or business owner – used to sharpening her pencil in other negotiations – will meekly accept whatever check comes down from on high by the insurance company. Home and business owners – especially small and medium business owners – need to understand and approach settlements with their insurance company as a negotiation and defend their corner.
As an expert in the field of insurance provider breach of contract and bad faith practices, my colleague Scott Hunziker provided me with the top ten red flags that suggest a home or business owner may want to consider bringing on an attorney to help ensure all goes well (commonly these representations are contingency fee arrangements – you only pay the lawyer if things go your way):
The Red Flags:
1. Insurance carrier refuses to respond to your claim, or to the evidence you provide in support thereof;
2. Carrier continues to seek additional materials from you, even if they have no relation to what you’re claiming;
3. Carrier delays and delays in sending adjuster to your home for property inspection;
4. Carrier’s designated field adjuster arrives at your property, and refuses to ascend roof or undertake thorough inspection because he/she “knows there aren’t damaged homes in this area of the town/neighborhood”;
5. Carrier’s designated field adjuster arrives and either states or suggests that his/her assigning carrier “won’t allow him/her to pay for a specific element of damages claimed for that particular storm”;
6. Carrier’s field adjuster admits to observing covered damage, but then a new adjuster is assigned with no reason given;
