When you experience property damage, you expect your insurance company to cover you as promised when purchasing your policy. Unfortunately, your insurer may employ different tactics, including delaying your claim process, hoping you will get tired and, in turn, accept a lower payout or give up on it altogether.
Below are two ways your insurance company may delay your claim process:
1. Taking too long to investigate your claim
When you report property damage, your insurance company should investigate it as soon as possible. It should obtain more information about the damage from you and witnesses, visit the property to assess the damage, take photos, hire specialists to provide reports about the damage and review relevant documentation, such as police reports and receipts for damaged items.
You should be concerned if your insurance company delays investigating your claim. A representative may inform you that they have many cases they need to handle before getting to yours, so they keep postponing adjuster visits. Or they may simply not answer your calls or emails, only to respond days later, informing you to continue waiting.
2. Requesting unnecessary documents
This is another way insurance companies delay the claim process. Unlike the above-discussed tactic, it may take time before a policyholder notices this one because the company is “actively involved.” It responds to calls and emails and may even visit the property, yet it keeps asking for unnecessary documentation.
Your insurance company may ask for documents not related to the claim, irrelevant witness statements, or receipts for every item in your home. It may even repeatedly request the same information.
If you believe your insurance company is deliberately delaying your claim process, you need to remain persistent. Consider legal guidance to know the steps to take to receive what you deserve.