Insurance Claim Denials - Six Tricks to Watch Out For
As an attorney representing consumers in cases of insurance bad faith, I see some of the same claim denial tricks over and over again, and they work every time, unless the policyholder recognizes the scam and calls the bluff. Here are just a few:
1. Misrepresenting coverage. The company knows people accept orders from those in authority without question, just like they stop at stop signs without thinking twice. If the insurance company denies your claim, don't just take their word for it. Read the insurance policy. What counts is what the policy says, not what the insurance company says. You would be amazed at how often the two do not match up. 2. Using ambiguous policy language to deny the claim. Let's say you look at the policy, and the answer isn't really clear. Well, there is no jump ball in the insurance coverage game, because the law has a fix for that. If the policy language is ambiguous, (meaning that it can be interpreted in different ways) the law says it MUST be interpreted in your favor. But guess what: the company almost always does just the opposite, unless you know the rule and call them on it.
