“The Insurance Company Refuses to Pay My Car Accident Claim”

If your car accident claim has been denied, you may be wondering if you should just accept the denial or fight back. Here’s what you should know.

You may think that if you pay your monthly fees and are generally a disciplined driver, then the insurance company will accept your car accident claim without batting an eye. And, if the accident was not your fault, then you can just relax and wait for a check in the email at any moment now. 

The hard truth is that many car accident claims are denied. Should you just accept their denial (since they claim they have enough evidence to support their position) or should you fight back? 

First Thing First: Don’t Get Emotional

We get it: maybe the medical bills are piling up, perhaps you don’t have an income anymore and you are in quite the financial strain right now. Not to mention, it’s just fair that the at-fault driver pays for his negligence. So, it’s perfectly normal if you may be feeling angry right now. 

However, it’s important to try to control your emotions and don’t make an angry phone call to the insurance company. They are used to furious client’s and yelling at them or threatening them won’t make them change their decision. 

Here’s what to do instead. 

Understand Why Your Claim Was Denied in the First Place

It will be difficult to fight the insurance company if you don’t know why they denied your claim in the first place. The company will send a letter explaining their reasons for the denial. If you didn’t receive one already, have your St. Louis car accident attorney request one. Then, have your attorney review it and discuss it with you.

Build Your Strategy

Now that you know why the insurance company denied your claim, it’s easier to devise a sound legal strategy and fight back. If, for example, they argue that lack of evidence was the reason for rejecting your claim, then you should try to provide additional proof that backs up your side of the story. Your St. Louis auto accident lawyer could try, for instance, to get in contact with eye-witnesses that can support your claim. 

Once you have everything you need to appeal the denial, you can start preparing the paperwork. Make sure to use the correct claim number and insurance ID number. Your attorney can help you fill out the paperwork and call the insurance company to speed up the process. 

Don’t Let Yourself Demotivated by the Denial

Insurance companies are for-profit organizations and they will use even the slightest piece of evidence they can get their hands on to deny a claim. That doesn’t mean you should just accept it and move on. Try to understand why they did so and then get to work together with your lawyer to create a plan to fight back. Don’t lose your patience or your faith after you’ve appealed their denial. It will likely take time for you to hear back from them. Stay calm and follow up with them regularly to make sure your papers didn’t get lost on the way. If your appeal isn’t successful, don’t be afraid to take the battle to the next level if you are confident their denial isn’t justified.