Question the Initial Offer
This week, I am securing a settlement for a fantastic pair of clients who made the correct choice in questioning the initial settlement offer they received from their insurance carrier.
My clients suffered damages to their roof and the interior of their home as a result of an unnamed windstorm earlier this year. The homeowners reported the claim on time and followed up with all requests made by the insurance carrier. The carrier sent an engineer to my clients’ home who performed an inspection and drafted a report claiming that most of the damages were caused by wear, tear, and deterioration, and therefore not covered under the insurance policy. The carrier issued a measly check for only $3,000 to cover the loss, which was nowhere near the amount needed to make my clients whole.
Thankfully, the homeowners were referred to our firm, and we immediately scheduled an independent engineer to perform an inspection of the homeowners’ property. The engineer opined that the damages were in fact caused by the windstorm, as reported by my clients. After threatening to file a lawsuit and only a couple weeks of negotiating, I was able to obtain a $50,000 settlement for my clients, which was enough for them to make the necessary repairs to their home.
Results like this constantly push me to do what I do—which is to get my clients the payment they are owed under a policy of insurance that has cost them their hard-earned money. It’s a shame that insurance carriers systemically try to short-change their customers, some of whom have been insured for years, or even over a decade; however, if and when this happens, I am here to push back and make sure my clients receive the settlement they deserve. An insurance policy is a contract, and the carrier is held to the terms of that contract just as much as the insureds.
While each and every insurance claim is different, I will review all the relevant facts to find any and all angles you may have in your case. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for all of your insurance disputes.
