Normally, an insurance company cannot deny existence of the damage within a home, but it might try to suggest that the homeowner caused the damage, or that the homeowner’s policy does not cover that sort of problem. Homeowners should understand how to fight such a denial.
Situations usually covered by a homeowner’s policy
• Home damaged by a fire
• The damaging effects of water
• A cracked foundation
Steps to take in response to a denial of expected benefits
Review the letter and review the claim form.
Contact the company, in order to discover why your benefits were denied. Do not hesitate to ask about speaking with a supervisor. By the same token, do not bypass your chance to get the company’s fax number.
Review the information offered in the phone call. If you have learned that your first claim form lacked all the necessary information, plan to add those facts and resubmit the claim form. If you were denied for a different reason, you should respond in writing. You will need to appeal the company’s decision. However, before you initiate such an appeal, you should carry-out 3 specific actions:
• Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Burlington
• Collect the evidence that will be used to support your appeal.
• Review your policy; an understanding of your policy should aid formulation of an appeal.
Preparing the letter that will be sent in response
• Include all the facts: the time when the home got damaged, the extent of the damages, steps taken to prevent the existing problem.
• Include any pictures of the damaged areas.
• Include the names of any witnesses.
If anyone in the family is suffering physical problems, due to the absence of compensation from the insurer, mention that as well. No insurance company wants to get charged with causing physical injury to a policy holder or a policy holder’s family. That would compound the costs that arose from the reported damages.
What to expect after you respond with a letter?
The insurance company may send a team of investigators to your home. If you have reported a fire, the investigators will search for evidence that you caused the fire. Do not worry about what the investigators might find. If you have not committed an act of arson, you should have no reason to worry.
Plan how you might make use of any investigative team. Do you have additional materials that you want to send to the insurance company? Ask the members of that team how you should submit them.
Seize upon that investigation as an excuse for contacting your insurer, and learning more about the reaction to your letter. Use that time to offer more details on the problems created by the denial of benefits.
