If you have experienced a loss, a certain covered event has occurred or a claim has been made against you, your insurance contract contains certain notice requirements. Failure to properly and timely give notice to your insurance carrier could result in the insurance company avoiding payment on an otherwise covered event. Also, cooperating with your insurance company is also very important because there is a cooperation clause making coverage under the policy contingent on you, the policyholder, cooperating with the claims investigations of the event. Not only will this help foster a good working relationship with your insurance company, but it also will help document the covered event that is wrongfully denied or not paid when it should have been paid or defended.
The following are certain steps you follow to help successfully trigger your claim for insurance:
- Identify which policy of insurance responds to the occurrence, loss or claim you seek to have covered. Review it in its entirety paying particular attention to the Notice requirements contained in the policy.
- Second, provide timely notice of the event or circumstance you seek to have covered by the policymaking certain you technically comply with the terms and conditions of the policy. If possible this should be done in conjunction with your attorney.
- Third, cooperate with your insurance company’s investigation of the events. Usually, it is a good idea to have your attorney involved in this process to help coordinate your insurance company’s investigation and protect evidence for the future. If there is property damage it is also usually a good idea to retain your own adjuster or investigator to analyze the loss independently of the insurance company’s adjuster in order to preserve evidence and to be in a position to dispute unreasonable positions taken by the insurance adjuster.
- Fourth, if possible, retain an attorney who has experience with insurance companies and perfecting claims under different kinds of insurance policies. This is a sure way of making certain your claim will be properly handled, investigated, and if necessary litigated. All too often, we are not called until it is too late for us to help because the insurance company has developed facts that help it avoid paying while some crucial piece of evidence has been destroyed or lost preventing the insured from overcoming the carriers’ presentation of facts or events.
Have an insurance claim? Call Kenny Law Firm at (312) 647-2483 or contact us online or speak with an insurance dispute lawyer in Chicago.
We have over 20 years of experience and are ready to answer your questions