If you have received a denial letter from the insurance company in your Michigan personal injury claim, you might be inclined to accept the insurer’s word at face value and not contest or object the denial. This is a mistake; insurance companies wrongfully deny claims all the time. Before deciding not to proceed further with your claim, it is a good idea to consult with a Michigan personal injury attorney to see whether your case has merit.
Even before you consult with an attorney, there are a few telltale signs you can look for to help you determine if your denial was proper. If one or more of the following apply to your situation, you should probably investigate further.
1. The insurer doesn’t meet with you before denying your claim.
2. The insurer meets with you, but asks only general questions or questions that are not applicable to the facts of your injury.
3. The insurer doesn’t provide you with a copy of the policy under which it is denying coverage.
4. The insurer doesn’t refer to specific policy provisions in your denial letter.
5. The insurer quotes specific policy provisions in its denial letter that do not actually exist in the policy.
6. The insurer refers to policy provisions that are not relevant to your claim.
7. The insurer denies your claim, but continues to ask questions about the accident. (If your case proceeds to settlement or trial, they may try to use your answers against you.)
8. The insurer denies your claim, but reserves its rights to assert additional defenses later on.
9. The insurer attempts to retroactively rescind your coverage, saying that you made misrepresentations in your initial application.
10. Something else about the denial doesn’t feel right.
When in doubt, you should err on the side of caution. Don’t accept an insurer’s denial without first consulting with an experienced Michigan personal injury attorney. Many attorneys offer free case evaluations, so you have little to lose and potentially a lot to gain. For more information, please contact us online or call Christopher Trainor at (800) 961-8477.