San Diego Injury Law Center
Helping Clients Understand the World of Insurance

Almost everyone has some form of insurance coverage. People generally are advised to obtain insurance for healthcare, their vehicle, their home and their dental and perhaps eye care. When someone purchases a policy, many assume that this is guaranteed protection against unforeseen events that could arise. While insurance policies do provide a degree of protection, nothing is guaranteed when you work with an insurance company, as you’ll see below.

If you have an insurance problem, you need legal help. Contact the personal injury lawyers at the San Diego Injury Law Center today to schedule a free initial consultation, and we’ll help you find the answers you need. In the meantime, below are a few common insurance-related questions we’ve encountered during our years of helping our clients.

Will my insurance claims always be paid?

No. Insurance policies are not guarantees – they are contracts. Contracts have clauses, and what you don’t see or understand in the ‘small print’ of your policy could hurt you when you need your insurance company the most. The point is, you should always file a claim, but you should never be surprised if it’s denied.

Why would my claim be denied?

There are any number of reasons as to why your claim would be denied, but rather than attempt to provide an answer that’s very dependent on the facts of the situation, we’d rather you understand that insurance companies are corporations. They are ‘owned’ by their shareholders, and their share value is often determinative of how the company is doing. If a company simply paid every claim that was filed, it would not be able to show the profit on its balance sheet that it needs to boost its stock value, which would put jobs in jeopardy.

If my claim is denied, should I appeal it within the insurance company?

Most policies seem to require that this step be taken, but before you do so, you need to contact the personal injury lawyers at the San Diego Injury Law Center to schedule a free initial consultation. Insurance companies also generally have an enormous staff of in-house corporate defense attorneys working for them, and if you attempt to navigate these waters yourself, you could find yourself buried in paperwork, in jargon and in defense attorneys whose job it is to limit the liability of their employers.

Should I file a lawsuit against my insurance company if it denies my claim?

There is no way to answer that in a way that’s specific to all situations, but if you are being denied what you feel is a valid claim, a lawsuit may wind up being your only option. However, this is not a decision you should make by yourself. Contact the San Diego Injury Law Center today to schedule a free initial consultation so that you can obtain the answers you need and the legal help you deserve.