Insurance policies are designed to protect you in the worst moments of your life. Just like life insurance protects your family’s financial picture if someone dies, car insurance helps you pay for a new car if you are in an accident. The insurance you purchase for your business is no different. It is supposed to provide a safety net to protect your organization when a devastating loss happens; however, you may not always be getting a fair deal from an insurer in these low moments for your business. Insurance companies make their money by denying claims or paying as little as possible. They can tout stats about great claims service as much as they want, but at the end of the day, they will look for any reason to deny your claim. If you have had a claim denied or been offered a payment that does not meet your needs, the attorneys at Martin Cukjati & Tom, LLP can help you fight for what you deserve.
Business insurance can cover everything from the business property to legal expenses if you are sued. These policies are ultimately there to protect your company’s bottom line and a denial of a valid claim can bring additional stress to an already trying situation. We know how devastating it can be to receive a denial of a claim or a low offer. Our team can review each situation to determine what may have triggered a claim and why it is being denied.
Coverage Interpretations: The insurance company may say a policy does not afford coverage for the event that caused the loss. Insurance policies are often vague in their wording to give insurers room to deny a claim. We understand what should be covered by polices and fight for different interpretations of the coverage whenever possible.
Appraisals: The appraisal of property damage can be assessed at a lower amount than was expected. This often happens because insurers employ or contract exclusively with certain appraisers that try and work to benefit the insurer. Insurance companies will often also claim the insured is exaggerating the loss to receive a higher payout. We make sure an independent appraiser is consulted in these instances.
Bad Faith Claims Practices: Insurance companies have certain rules they must follow when evaluating a claim. If it can be proven they did not follow these rules in order to benefit their financial bottom lines, we can fight to have the claim reevaluated and get you the coverage you deserve.
Fraud: If an insurer denies a claim because they believe you somehow caused the loss, we can fight it. We will examine why they provided this ruling and help build a case to show you were being truthful.
Lapse in Coverage: Coverage lapses occur when there is a missed premium payment. Sometimes a late payment can cancel a policy or disrupt coverage. We will fight to provide coverage even if there was an issue with your payment timeline, as the insurance company may not have processed the payment received in a timely fashion.
In each instance, we review the entire process to determine why the claim was denied or why a certain amount was offered. Then we will build a case to appeal the denial or request additional funds. Generally, this process is undertaken directly with the insurance company, but in some instances an agreement cannot be reached and litigation must be pursued. We have significant experience dealing with insurance companies in state and federal courts and understand their bad faith maneuvers. We have the experience to build a case that can thwart their usual tactics.
We recommend reaching out to Martin Cukjati & Tom, LLP when you need help to fight your the insurance company and relieve the stress that goes along with these negotiations. We will fight for the maximum amount possible in or out of court. If you are in the midst of an insurance dispute, contact us today to discuss your situation. Our team of lawyers is here to help.