Feel like you are getting the runaround waiting for your insurance benefits claim to pay you? A Baltimore personal injury claims attorney explains the various methods insurance companies use to stall your claim, and how you can avoid these traps.
Lost in a Maze
On method used by claims representatives to buy time is to tell you that a claims committee needs to review the claim. Similarly, they may say that the claim needs to be sent back to the home office for review. In most cases, the representative has the full authority and doesn’t need to send it anywhere, or there isn’t any committee. These pre-determined runarounds not only delay payment, but test whether or not you will continue to pursue the request.
Sign It Again
Another method used by claims representatives is to request you to sign claim forms that you have already signed.
Nickels and Dimes
Often, when a claims representative legitimately needs information or documents, instead of requesting them all at once, they ask for them one at a time, which drags the settlement process out longer, even for months.
You Are Not Cooperating, or So They Claim
A Baltimore personal injury lawyer warns that a claims representative might accuse you of not cooperating. They may say this, even if they have all the facts and you have been cooperating. This is purely another method of intimidation.
Merry-Go-Round
Some insurance companies will continually change your claims representative. This method is designed to make you confused and frustrated, and willing to settle earlier and for less in order to stop this from happening. Another reason this happens is because, at insurance companies where they pay or treat their adjusters poorly, there is high turnover. In either case, whenever your case is passed from one representative to another, it takes time for the new person to become familiar with your file. Often, you will need to resubmit documents and start the process over again.
For more information on theses and other common stall tactics by insurance companies in processing your claim, contact Baltimore personal injury claims attorney Law Offices of James Lee Katz, P.A. at the 443-394-0900 or 800-564-7808.
