When you file an insurance claim, you are submitting a formal request to receive a financial payment to help you cover the specific costs caused by a policy event. Depending on the type of insurance policy, you could be filing a claim for a home burglary or car accident. You will need to file a claim if you wish for your insurance company to pay for repairs and other expenses.
The claims process is not always the easiest. After you have provided and completed all of the necessary paperwork, your insurance company may send an insurance adjuster to examine your case and what happened. If the insurers agree to your claim, you will receive a check in the mail to cover all of your financial costs and losses.
Making a claim can be more complicated than you think. No matter the type of claim, if you want help receiving compensation from your insurance company, you should contact The Law Place for a free consultation. We have helped countless clients file claims and worked with many insurance companies. We can help you achieve the fair settlement you deserve. For some more information on how we can help you, call us today for a free consultation at (941) 444-4444.
How Do Insurance Claims Work?
Many factors can determine what your insurance claims process looks like. Your claims process will typically depend on how much you have to pay before your insurance company provider does. This is called the deductible. You have to pay the deductible, and your insurance company will pay the rest.
If you are struggling to find your insurance company’s basic coverage, look for the declaration page of your insurance policy. It should be stated there.
What Is Personal Injury Protection (PIP)?
Florida is one of only ten states in the United States that have personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance. This is outlined under Florida Statute 627.736. This insurance is also referred to as “No-Fault.”
This insurance works by paying for your injuries in an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Therefore, if you have been injured in a Florida car accident, you will be able to file a claim against your PIP insurance.
The State of Florida is very strict when it comes to PIP payments. For example, to qualify, you must seek treatment for any injuries you have sustained in an accident within two weeks. We understand that PIP insurance is quite complicated. For some more information and legal advice, you should contact our team of reputable lawyers today. We can help by answering all of your questions and queries.
How Long Do Insurance Claims Take?
After filing a claim, you may be wondering how long it will take before you receive payment. The timescale for your insurance claim will depend on the type of insurance claim you are filing for. For example, homeowners claiming for their personal property can become a fairly lengthy process.
You can expect to have several meetings with an adjuster sent by your insurance company. You will also need to get approvals for claim estimates, make repairs, and replace items.
The claims process for health insurance differs slightly. This is because, with health insurance, the claims process will likely take place without your involvement. Although, this is not always the case.
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When Should I File an Insurance Claim?
A general rule is that if your damages following an accident are less than your deductible, you don’t need to file a claim. It just wouldn’t be worth it for you as you would not receive a great amount of money as your case doesn’t have a great cash value.
It is also important for you to remember that if you decide to file a claim, your insurance company may increase your insurance premiums. Your premium rates could increase regardless of whether you were at fault for your accident or not. Under some circumstances, an insurance company could even cancel your insurance policy. These are consequences of filing an insurance claim that is important to consider.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
Do I Need to File an Insurance Claim?
There are a few specific scenarios that we would recommend that you file an insurance claim for, these are:
- If someone has been injured – If you have been involved in a car accident, for example, and either yourself or someone else gets injured, that should be a reason for you to make a claim.
- When it is unclear who is at fault – Establishing who is at fault following the event of an accident is not always easy. In these cases, you should let insurance companies figure it out for both parties.
- When you can’t afford to pay for the damages and suffer a total loss – Your accident may have cost you a great deal of money, thousands of dollars. If you are unable to make these payments, you should file an insurance claim.
What Happens When You Make an Insurance Claim?
When your insurance company receives your claim, they will likely send out an adjuster to look over your property if you are filing a claim on your household insurance.
Your adjuster will decide whether you should receive a settlement to cover repair costs or whether you should be reimbursed for a total loss.
Filing the initial claim is the first step in a lengthy process. It can be confusing making a claim, and that is why we recommend that you seek some professional help. No matter if you want to make a car insurance claim or a health insurance claim, our legal team at The Law Place can help you.
Is It Worth Making an Insurance Claim?
Every case is different. You need to examine the specifics of your case before deciding whether it is worth filing a claim or not. It is probably not worth filing a claim if the damage is less than your deductible. If you are not sure how much the damage in your case equates to, contact one of our attorneys. In a free consultation, we can help you examine your case to determine whether it would be worth filing a claim.
You also need to consider whether your insurance premiums will increase as a result of you making a claim. We recommend that you seek insurance information and ask your insurance company when taking out a policy how much your premiums could increase if you ever decide to make a claim.
It is ultimately up to you to make an educated decision on whether it is worth filing an insurance claim or not. We know this is not always an easy decision. Please feel free to get in contact with our legal team if you are looking for some advice and suggestions.
What Types of Insurance Claims Are There?
People buy insurance to protect themselves in case of something unexpected goes wrong. It is important to check over all of the insurance policies before taking out an insurance policy. You want to be sure that you are fully protected, insured, and covered in case of an emergency.
There are many different types of insurance claims. Some of the most common claims are stated below.
First-Party Insurance Claims
This describes insurance that an individual buys directly from an insurer. When a policyholder experiences an illness or injury, they will be able to submit a claim with their insurer.
General Claims
These can be made if there are disputes over the scope of coverage, the amount of payment owed, or missed by the insurer.
Car Insurance Claims
Everyone who operates a vehicle in the State of Florida is required to have insurance coverage. After a car accident, if you file a first-party coverage claim, your insurer may pay you quickly. Although, this is not always the case. If your insurance provider is not treating you fairly, you may be able to file a claim against them.
Health Insurance Claims
Most American citizens will have some form of health insurance to protect them if they suddenly become ill or suffer an accident. The cost of medical treatment is extortionate, therefore being covered with an insurance company can be very beneficial. If you file a claim to cover the costs of your medical bills, your insurer should pay you what you deserve. It is important to check your policies to ensure that you are fully covered. If your health insurance company is refusing to pay you what you are entitled to, you may be able to file a claim against them.
Homeowner Claims
Many homeowners protect themselves against financial loss by damage caused to their property. Wind, wildfires, tornadoes, natural disasters, robbery, and vandalism can all result in homeowners facing a lot of financial losses. Insurance coverage can allow you to claim back for any damages and repairs that you have had to make.
Natural Disaster Claims
A lot of people have insurance and are covered by damages caused by natural disasters. This can include earthquakes, windstorms, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. If you have experienced a natural disaster, you may be able to file a claim for compensation if you have previously bought the coverage from an insurance provider.
How Do I File a Claim?
If you are planning on filing an insurance claim, there are five basic steps that you should follow. By following these, you will be giving yourself the best and quickest chance you have of recovering the financial payments from your insurer that you deserve.
- Contact an insurance claims professional.
- Gather information and evidence about the damage you are claiming for.
- Contact your insurance company immediately.
- Wait for a claims specialist to get assigned to your case.
- Receive your payment and get your repairs completed.
What Should I Expect After Filing Insurance Claims?
After filing an insurance claim, your provider will likely send out an adjuster to examine your case. The adjuster will make a recommendation to your insurance provider of how much they should pay out to you for your damages.
If you and working with someone else’s insurance adjuster, you must be as honest as possible. The goal of the adjuster is to spend as little money as they can. They don’t want to give their clients big payouts. That is why it is important to be honest, and be detailed. By doing this, you will be preventing the adjuster from being able to downplay the losses.
How Long Does an Insurance Company Have to Settle in Florida?
The time it takes your insurance provider to settle your claim will depend on the type of claim that you have filed. For a general insurance claim, your provider will have to either pay or deny your claim within a reasonable period of time.
For a personal injury protection (PIP) claim, your insurance provider will only have 30 days to respond.
If you think you are being treated unfairly by your insurance company, you should contact The Law Place. When you take out insurance, you are paying for a service. If the service is inadequate, you are within your right to file a legal claim against your insurance provider.
Will an Insurance Claim Affect My Credit Score?
Filing an insurance claim of any kind will not directly impact your credit score. Although, if the claim has negative financial consequences for you, it could indirectly lead to your score being dented. This is because having to pay a high deductible could make it hard for you to manage all of your other day-to-day bills. If you miss bill payments, this can have a great impact on your credit score.
If you opt for a higher deductible, you will likely be able to lower your premiums, although this is risky. You must ensure that you will be able to afford that deductible if anything unexpected was to happen that needed you to claim.
Should I Contact The Law Place?
If you are planning on making an insurance claim, you should contact our law firm today. We can help you make a claim and ensure that the adjuster makes a fair recommendation forwards to your insurance company.
Similarly, if you have already made an insurance claim and have discovered that your provider is not being fair and not agreeing to pay you what you deserve, we can also help you. Insurance companies will do all that they can to ensure that they can pay as little as possible out to their clients. This isn’t fair, and you should not have to fall victim to it.
For more information on how we can help you, you need to contact a reputable member of our team today for a free consultation. We have practice areas all over the State of Florida, so no matter where you are based, we can help you. To schedule your free case evaluation, call us now at (941) 444-4444.