When your carrier denies your commercial property claim, it could have catastrophic repercussions on your business. You are not alone. If your insurer has acted in bad faith, your company has legal recourse. Contact the skilled attorneys at Kirk Law Firm, PLLC to find out what steps to take to prevent your commercial property insurance claim from being denied.
Step One: Gather Your Evidence
Once you have determined that your property has been damaged, collect relevant evidence that supports your position while strengthening your case. Documentation may include common materials, such as weather data, repair estimates, and photographs of the damage. Legal counsel from Kirk Law Firm, PLLC knows what information you need and can help you through this important action following a commercial property insurance claim denial.
Step Two: Determine the Correct Date of Loss
The date of loss that you report to your insurance company can make or break your chance of recovery. The storm or event must have occurred within your policy period, and many policies have a deadline to report a claim. Sometimes, damages are not discovered until months after the storm that actually caused the damage, so it is important to research the weather data for your area before filing a claim in order to prevent a denial. The attorneys at Kirk Law Firm, PLLC have extensive experience with weather research and policy interpretation and can help you pick the date of loss that will give you the best chance of recovery under your policy.
Step Three: Have an Expert Inspect Your Property
Your insurance company will only inspect and adjust reported damages, and it is often difficult to determine the full extent of the damages that were caused by a storm or event. So, it is important to have an expert, such as a contractor or engineer, inspect your property before filing a claim and to prevent a denial so that you can accurately notify your carrier of all of the damages sustained. Additionally, after you file the claim, the expert should be present for the carrier’s inspection to point out all of the damages. At Kirk Law Firm, PLLC, we have an extensive network of experts that we work with daily, and we would be happy to have them complete a full evaluation of your damages.
Step Four: Review Your Policy
It is important to know what types of losses and damages your policy covers prior to filing a claim because your insurance company is only responsible for paying for damages that are covered under your policy. It sounds like common sense, but policies can be very confusing and convoluted. For instance, if a policy covers leakage or seepage, but not if it is the result of condensation, then you have to be very careful how you report your claim. Our attorneys have extensive experience in interpreting insurance policies and can help you analyze what is covered under your policy to prevent a commercial property insurance claim denial.
Step Five: File The Claim
When you contact your insurance company to report the claim, they will record and keep a record of everything that you say. So, only divulge the information necessary to file the claim and be very clear about the date of loss and the cause and extent of the damages. Our attorneys at Kirk Law Firm, PLLC can help you report your claim in a manner that will maximize your chance of recovery under your policy.
Step Six: Consult With an Attorney Skilled in Property Damage Insurance Claim Denials
While this is not an exhaustive list, understanding the steps to take to prevent your commercial property insurance claim from being denied could be critical to getting the coverage you need. Insurance companies have a seemingly endless list of excuses as to why they will not pay your property damage insurance claim. Do not let them get away with this stall tactic.
The dedicated insurance lawyers at Kirk Law Firm, PLLC could ensure your claim is filed timely and properly. Let our attorneys help by contacting us today to schedule a free case evaluation. We look forward to hearing from you.
