How to Dispute a Car Insurance Claim
How to Dispute a Car Insurance Claim
Many auto insurance companies advertise their services as helping you save a lot of money, but many insurance companies are only dangling that bait in front of you in order to entice you into making them money by using their services.
Often times the insurance company simply will not pay out as much as they should, and will only fork over a nominal fee that doesn't even come close to covering the damages that they should be covering.
Here is what to do if you are forced to dispute your car insurance claim:
1. Contract an independent appraisal company or agent to come and give your car an evaluation. Using an independent appraiser ensures that he or she will not be influenced by an insurance company and will give you an honest evaluation of your automobile.
2. Once the appraiser has finished his or her evaluation, have them send his report to both you and your insurance provider.
3. If you can mediate the dispute, it is much better and less official than arbitration. Hiring a mediator to review the report from the appraiser is a good way to get a suggestion on the best and easiest way to go about settling the car insurance claim dispute. The mediator will give unofficial advice on how to close the case.
4. If mediation is unsuccessful, arbitration is the next step to take. An attorney will handle the dispute, and you will need to present any evidence that you have gathered to the attorney. You may need to find witnesses, and you will also need to present the report of the independent appraiser.
5. Often the insurance companies will simply refuse to pay out the adjusted insurance, even after the arbitrator has ruled that they need to do so. That is when you will need to take the insurance company to court and sue them to pay out the correct amount. If you have the mediator and arbitrator on your side to present legal testimony in court, then you can be pretty sure that the judge will rule in your favor. If you need to take the insurance company to court, make sure to hire a good lawyer.
Be prepared when disputing your car insurance claim, as it will be an expensive process. You will need to hire a mediator, and arbitrator, and possibly a lawyer if things go too far.
How to Dispute a Car Insurance Claim