3 Steps For Handling A Rejected Injury Claim

One of the biggest fears people have when filing injury claims is the possibility that it will be rejected. It's important to understand that this is a step in a process, not the end of the process. Here are three things you'll likely need to do, though, if the insurance company rejected your claim.

Consult with an Attorney

If you have not already retained personal injury lawyer services, now is a good time to talk with an attorney. Most injury law firms offer consultations free of charge so take the time to look around at who's out there.

Understand, though, that you'll probably need to hire a personal injury lawyer before you can dig too far into a rejection. Fortunately, most attorneys in this legal segment work on contingency. That means you won't owe them anything unless they get money for you.

Retain and Copy All Documents

Be sure to retain all paperwork, emails, and text messages sent to you by the insurance company and the adjuster they appointed. If you've received digital communications or voicemails, back them up to a cloud-based storage account to ensure they'll be preserved. Likewise, make several copies of all the papers you're sent about the case. Purchase and use a filing system to keep tabs on the originals, too.

Figure Out the Legal Logic of the Rejection

Claims might be rejected for a host of reasons, and it's important to understand the legal logic underpinning the rejection before you make any decisions. For example, an insurance carrier may reject a claim because they believe they're not on the hook for something that did happen. This can occur when the insurance policy doesn't cover the scenario from the incident. It also can occur if they believe their client, the defendant in your case, isn't the at-fault party.

A personal injury lawyer will take some time to consider whether the insurance company's argument holds water. Consider a scenario where a business was renting space at a fairground. There are versions of that scenario where either the business or the fairground operator could be liable. If liability doesn't sit with one, there may still be room to seek compensation from the other.

Conversely, an outright rejection based on the facts leaves you with only one of two options. You can drop the case or pursue a lawsuit. Notably, most lawsuits don't go to trial, and there's a good chance the insurance may settle once the suit develops.

Reach out to a personal injury lawyer today for more information.