Most homeowners get insurance and think that they’re covered no matter what happens. Then, after disaster strikes and it’s too late, they learn that paperwork submitted incorrectly can void the claim, or they find that there are holes in their coverage.
Please read on to learn 3 reasons why insurance lawyers can help maximize your claim and best protect your interests after a devastating loss.
Push Back Against Insurance Company
Leading insurance lawyers like those at ViraniLaw.ca are familiar with the industry’s methods of minimizing the payouts for their claims, and they know how to push back to help you get what you are entitled to. If the insurance company undervalues the costs of repairs and replacing damaged property, you need an experienced professional to negotiate on your behalf so that you are not left having to pay out of pocket for the part of the loss the insurer did not cover.
The insurance company hopes that people will blindly accept their numbers or do not know the protocol for making a case against them. Unfortunately, they play to the vulnerabilities of homeowners in the aftermath of a loss.
If your home and property are severely damaged, you will need an advance of money from your claim to pay for things like food, a hotel, and clothes to wear in the meantime. Some insurance companies hope that your desperation and eagerness to get paid now, when you need it, will entice you to take a lower settlement on larger areas of your claim, such as the repairs/ rebuild.
Insurance lawyers know this and other tricks and will help you steer clear. The last thing an insurance company trying to minimize a claim wants to see is a claimant with an insurance lawyer.
Submit Proper Paperwork Effortlessly
Insurance companies know what invalidates a claim, and they desperately hope you accidentally do it. Once you do, they can wash their hands of the payment and correctly claim that they aren’t legally bound to pay up.
Submitting the paperwork for an insurance claim properly and on time can be difficult at the best of times, and there is no worse time to take on this task than after your home suffers a fire or flood. You won’t be in the mood to comb through paperwork, which is exactly what you’ll need to do to get the compensation.
Insurance lawyers will assume this responsibility and ensure that all the paperwork is filed correctly and on time, removing one excuse insurance companies may use to withhold payments.
Legal Knowledge
The law might work in your favor, but only if you understand the fine print. Some people use public adjusters to help push back against insurance companies. However, they are not lawyers, and more often than not it is a legal opinion you will require if the insurer decides to deny your claim.
Public adjusters cannot provide legal expertise or even represent you in a legal capacity. If you hire an insurance lawyer, they can advise you and even represent you in court if things come to it. With an insurance lawyer at your side, escalation is less likely.
Home insurance is supposed to elicit peace of mind. However, if you aren’t covered but think you are, your policy is more like a ticking time bomb. Get an insurance lawyer by your side to help maximize your claim and be by your side during a very trying, important time.