It can be sickening hearing that crunch of metal and glass as you and your car are involved in a car accident. There are so many fatal accidents and you can be thankful you lived to tell the tale. You'll want to call the police, report the accident as soon as possible and be in touch with your insurance company.
When the claim denial is unfair
It can be totally demoralizing when you've been injured in an accident and to add insult to injury, your claim has been denied. However, that needn't mean that all hope is lost.
It is a wise move to first try and find out why precisely the insurance company denied your claim in the first place. You need to know why, as it will give you an idea as to whether you can dispute the denial.
If the reason given for the denial seems totally unfair, you can file a lawsuit against the other party if they were indeed responsible. This is when you want a reputable, trusted attorney on your side, and Joe Stephens Law Firm has all the experience in the world to build a case and help you. This is one time when you don't want to go it alone as then it's a lost cause.
Understand your insurance
When you drive a car and you pay for auto insurance coverage, you may be dismayed and furious to find your claim being denied. Maybe you have never bothered to understand your insurance and what it entails.
Boring though all that small print may be, you have to find the time and energy to actually understand the terms and conditions so you know what you're covered for and what is excluded by the policy.
Maybe you don't even have collision coverage, or perhaps you thought you had more coverage than you actually have. Maybe your claim exceeds your coverage limits. Your insurance claim could also be denied because your car was written off, and if this isn't specified in your agreement, you're not going to be entitled to claim.
Driving under the influence
When you hit the roads under the influence of alcohol or some other drugs, you will no doubt be driving recklessly and then you are breaking the law. Your insurer is always looking for ways not to pay out and this is a sure way to get your claim rejected or denied.
If you have an accident and there are injured people, you need to be on the scene because failure to do so is also grounds for your claim being denied. An insurance claim can certainly be rejected if, as the driver of the vehicle, you acted in a reckless manner. This very behavior is what caused the damage, injuries, death and destruction to another vehicle, its driver and passengers.
Premiums not paid?
COVID-19 has played havoc with our lives, our minds and our finances, but unfortunately, the insurance companies don't take any excuses. Yes, you can try and negotiate with them – there is always that option – but the simple rule of thumb with them is that if you missed paying your premium, you're going to miss out on them paying out for your claim.
You also miss out on being insured. In most states, it is also illegal to be driving without insurance, and this can lead to fines and even license suspension. Even in dire financial times, you still have to somehow ensure regular and timeous payment of your car insurance premiums.
No premium payments can leave you without cover or your claim being denied. When times are tough, you want to cut out other things before you cut out your insurance payments.