How often have car owners filed an insurance claim for damage to their vehicles only to be denied coverage?

If you are reading this article, you have been at the receiving end of excuses from a car insurance company. Thankfully, you are not alone. Millions of car owners around the world have suffered from a problem that is similar to yours.

Car insurance companies will chase you to the ends of the world to make you take their policies. Endless phone calls, in-person meetings, and a long list of emails will trash your inboxes. All this only to make you take their policy.

However, when you want claims addressed, you will be the one chasing them to the ends of the world!

In this article, we look at what you should be doing if your car insurance claim is rejected. Let us first look at some reasons why your car insurance claims can get rejected. We take help from a leading New York City injury attorney to help shed light on this very important aspect.

Probable Reasons why your Car Insurance Claims can be denied

• Violation of Laws, Rules, and Regulations- 

For insurance companies, claims are only valid as far as the vehicle owner was abiding by all the driving and traffic laws. This means that if you were driving intoxicated, then the insurance company has every right of denying it. The same goes for driving without a license.

• Making changes to the structure of the car- 

Whenever car companies fix a premium and decide on coverages, they take into account the vehicle make, type, and condition. If a vehicle owner has altered the same as had been first uploaded by the insurance company, then these become grounds for the claims to be rejected.

• Exclusions that are not covered under the insurance claims- 

Every car insurance policy has a defined list of exclusions that do not cover the coverage. For example, if you have a private car insurance policy in place, you should not be using the vehicle for commercial work. In this instance, the insurance company can deny the claim.

• Not being present at the scene of the accident- 

Most car owners do not know that you need to have your car present at the site of the accident for the insurance company to verify. If the car moves to another location, they can deny it. This puts vehicle owners in a tight spot, especially if the accident has taken place on a busy road.

• Not payment of premiums on time or expired policies- 

In most instances, this is the reason why insurance companies deny claims. If you have missed out on even a single policy, they use every means possible to deny the claim. The same holds true for expired policies. Make sure that your insurance is live and the premiums are paid.

What you should be doing if your Car Insurance Claim is Denied?

We have already mentioned how car insurance companies can go overboard with their list of reasons for denying claims. While some reasons are tangible and happen because of real reasons and actions of the drivers, others do not.

In such instances, car owners fail to read the fine print of the insurance document. You cannot blame someone for not being able to go through 20000 words. These words are written in a font size where you would be requiring a magnifying glass.

Every claim denied is ‘profit’ for the insurance company. This is why car owners that have their just and fair insurance claims denied should get in touch with lawyers.

Experienced lawyers that have handled denied car insurance claim lawsuits can take these companies to task. They can file lawsuits, gather evidence, and present their findings in front of a Court and Jury.

When things read such an impasse, the insurance company becomes willing to make a settlement offer. This can be a one-time settlement offer or the compensation can be divided on a periodic payment basis. This depends on what is being agreed upon by both parties.

In addition to suffering emotionally from the accident, car owners would be looking at a huge financial expenditure to get it fixed. This is where a trained, experienced and skillful personal injury lawyer can help.

The Bottom Line

The next time a car insurance company denies your claim, you know exactly what should be done. You need to see whether you are responsible in any legal shape for form for the denial or not. If you have assessed yourself and their excuse appears to stand on thin ground, you need to move fast with an experienced attorney that can help you get the rightful compensation. If you have any other questions on how claims work, let us know in the comments below.