New Hampshire And Vermont Insurance Claims Attorneys
Every month you pay your insurance premiums with the belief that your insurer will be there when you need it. You purchase insurance for your car, home, health and business as an effort to protect yourself. The insurance company appears to be on your side – until you file a claim. Suddenly, you become the insurer’s adversary.
Insurance companies are notorious for being difficult to work with and they frequently deny insurance claims, make lowball settlement offers, and delay payments. Why are some of the largest insurers using these bad faith insurance tactics? You have to remember that insurance companies are in the business of making money, not paying claims. At Rousseau & Ross, we handle bad faith insurance claims in New Hampshire and Vermont.
If you are in a battle with an insurance company, you need an experienced New Hampshire insurance lawyer. Contact Rousseau & Ross online or at 603-212-1176 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your rights.
Do You Have a Bad Faith Insurance Claim?
At Rousseau & Ross, our bad faith insurance attorneys strive to get you fair and just settlements from insurance companies. If you feel that the insurance company acted in bad faith, you may be able to file a claim against them.
Some examples of bad faith insurance actions include:
- Wrongfully denying your insurance claim
- Trying to settle your claim for an unfair amount
- Delaying the payment of your insurance claim
- Misrepresenting the facts
- Refusing to pay benefits
- Failing to promptly and thoroughly investigate your claim
An insurance settlement can make all the difference to you when your property is damaged or when you are injured, but to the insurance company, you are only a case number. Your idea of a just settlement may be very different than what your insurer has in mind.
The insurance adjuster has a settlement range to work within and will typically start at the lower end. In fact, there have even been reports of major insurance companies rewarding employees for settling claims quickly, for as little an amount as possible. A knowledgeable insurance lawyer from our office can step in on your behalf to negotiate a fair and just settlement.
Tricks Insurance Companies Use To Deny Or Minimize Your Claim
As the insurance companies see it, their function is not to help you when you are sick or injured. Insurance companies are focused on their bottom line. Their function is to make money, and they don’t make money by paying out claims. Insurance companies make money by collecting your premiums and then figuring out ways to limit your payout or deny your claim altogether. Recently, insurance companies have been developing new tricks, such as the following, to increase their profits.
Voiding Policies
Though it seems unethical, insurance companies have become skilled at voiding insurance policies after a claim is filed. What the companies do is accept an application for insurance and collect your premiums. Then, if one of their policy holders makes a claim, they will sift through the application for any piece of information they can use to void the policy. For those who have applied for insurance coverage, you know how much information the insurance companies ask for.
One mistake on that application and the insurance company will try to void your policy. These companies have gone so far as to void an insurance policy while the claimant was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer after finding a difference between the claimant’s weight as listed on her application and her actual weight. It has been discovered that some insurance companies give their employees bonuses for the number of claims they deny and the number of policies they void.
Pressuring Policy Holders
Aside from voiding policies outright, insurance companies use other means to avoid paying out policy claims. They may encourage and even pressure their policyholders to seek other means of medical benefits. A former insurance executive recently revealed that his company forced claimants to file for Social Security Disability benefits. If a claimant refused to apply for the benefits, the company used this as leverage to reduce or eliminate their payouts. If a claimant is denied disability benefits, sometimes the insurance companies require the claimant to go through a protracted appeals process.
If a claimant does receive disability benefits, the insurance companies will subtract the amount paid in disability from the claimant’s policy payout. Essentially, insurance companies have the authority to determine who may receive benefits and the authority to pay benefits. As some have argued, this creates a conflict of interest.
Trust Rousseau & Ross To Help You
If you have been the victim of personal injury in Vermont or New Hampshire, it is important to hire a full-service law firm. Don’t fall for the attorney advertisements that claim they will get you money fast. Our law firm will not just take your claim to court or negotiate a quick settlement; we use our expertise to deal with insurance companies and negotiate medical liens in your favor to help ensure you are awarded every penny you are due.
To schedule your free case evaluation with one of our experienced insurance attorneys, please call 603-212-1176 today. We protect people from insurance company tricks and tactics throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.