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No Fault Insurance Laws and Other Reasons Your Claim May Get
Denied...
No
fault insurance laws may be the reason your claim for accident
compensation
gets denied.
Or it could be that the
adjuster is trying to pressure you into dropping your claim. If you
have no fault insurance there's not a lot you can do.
No fault
insurance laws
deny you personal injury compensation from a third party and, because
it's written into your insurance contract, that's usually the end of it.
Definition of No Fault
- when you receive accident compensation from your own insurance
company without proof of fault, BUT are also
restricted from filing a civil lawsuit to recover damages.
If your compensation claim is
denied for another reason, it's generally something you can argue
against. Aside from no fault insurance laws, a
claim might be denied because the adjuster says there's a problem with
the policy.
Policy problems can be anything from not having enough
coverage to having an expired policy. These examples can sometimes be
used by the adjuster as a bad
faith negotiating tactic. Instead of throwing
you a lowball settlement offer, they just try to get your claim to go
away altogether.
The first thing to do when faced with a
denial is to request
written denial information. If the policy has
lapsed, then the adjuster will be able to show you proof. If the policy
didn’t come with enough coverage, that should also be backed up with
evidence.
The simple request for written documentation will
show you whether or not the adjuster was bluffing. They’ll lie over the
phone in a heartbeat, but they aren’t about to do it in writing.
If
they deny your compensation claim, but won’t give you a reason in
writing, you should take
action to force a response.
Write a
letter to the adjuster that confirms your conversation, your request
for a written explanation and their refusal to cooperate. Keep a copy
of this letter in your files. The adjuster's boss won’t be pleased with
this, as it'll prove very unfavorable if the personal injury claim
becomes a lawsuit.
If you find it's true that the insurance has lapsed or the insured
truly wasn’t responsible, you can try to go after someone else. Don’t
forget, there may have been more than one person liable in your
accident.
In a slip and
fall case against a business their
insurer may prove that the business had no duty to maintain that part
of the property. In that case, you turn your claim towards the property
owner.
If there's no one else to file a compensation claim
against, but the insurance has lapsed, then talk to a personal
injury lawyer to see if
there's another way you can get the liable party to pay.
Some
policies only cover damages up to a certain amount. These amounts are
usually state controlled. If you're claiming compensation for twenty
thousand dollars and the insurer proves the policy limit is fifteen
thousand, you can try to force a settlement for that amount.
The adjuster
can't deny you damages just because their insured
isn’t covered for the total amount of damages.
This also means you
won't have to defend every last penny of your claim. If you can
demonstrate that your damages were above fifteen thousand (the policy
maximum) for example, there's nothing the insurer can do except settle
for the full
policy limit.
If your damages were far greater than the policy
limit, then you'll want legal help. A personal injury lawyer can help
you determine
whether or not the liable
party has other assets you can bring suit
against.
When no fault insurance laws don’t apply, the
denial of a compensation claim is usually just a crude negotiation
strategy.
Handle it with care, but don’t let it intimidate you. Just
keep showing the insurance claim adjuster that you know what
you’re doing and have documented evidence to back-up your case.
Return
from No Fault Insurance Laws to Negotiation
Strategy
Return
from No Fault Insurance Laws to Personal
Injury Settlement Guide
Personal Injury Areas
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