How to Dispute an Insurance Claim in 6 Easy Steps

While it is easy to find information on how to file an insurance claim, it is more difficult to find good advice on how to dispute one. Here is the process on how to dispute an insurance claim in six easy steps. And no, we aren’t going to tell you to hire a lawyer to start this process. You can follow our process yourself.

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Determine Their Reason for Rejection and Resolve It

You should have a copy of your auto or home insurance policy so that you understand its terms. Try to determine their reason for rejecting the claim. If they don’t agree with the degree of damage, the solution may be more price quotes for repairs or more pictures. If the insurer is questioning the cause of the loss, get witness statements or a copy of the police report. In many cases, the solution is more documentation to back up your claim.

Call Your Insurance Agent

One resource you have when the insurance company rejects the claim is to talk to your agent. The problem may be the claims adjuster who showed up to evaluate your car or home’s damage, but the insurance agent is eager to help you in order to keep your business. A phone call to your agent may move the claim forward and result in its processing. Or they may give you advice on how to get the claim resolved, such as letting you know the repair shop you quoted has a history of quoting high and refunding money back to the customer or a history of shoddy repairs.

Understand the First Line of Defense

An insurance agent may be violating the law by requiring you to fill out extra paperwork or denying a claim they should cover to save money. Or they may be mistaken in procedure or process. First, contact the insurance agent’s manager and inform them of your situation. This may be enough to resolve the problem. Contacting the insurance company’s customer service line when disputing an Orlando insurance claim after the local agent has wrong denied your claim is another. Document the employee numbers and names of everyone you speak with in case you need the information later.

Put It in Writing

If a phone call to the insurance company doesn’t work, send a written letter to the appropriate manager. Detail the process you’ve followed, such as who rejected the claim and what someone on the hotline told you. Explain why the terms they’ve offered aren’t good enough, such as a settlement to replace a car for a fraction of its worth. Inform them you need a response by a certain time.

Contact the Insurance Commissioner

Your state has an insurance commission for overseeing insurance companies and they take cases from complainants. They are the ones who force insurance companies to pay fines and change procedures when they routinely underpaid those whose homes were damaged in a natural disaster or systematically denied small claims to save money. If this isn’t an option, legal advice may be necessary.