Tampa Insurance Disputes Attorney

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Tampa Insurance Disputes Attorney

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Calculator and pen on pile of insurance documentsInsurance companies spend more than $6 billion a year to attract customers willing to pay premiums for the protection offered by an insurance policy. The friendly, reassuring tone of most of the advertising portrays the relationship between you and your insurance company as a partnership with the company poised to pay your claim.

The reality, in many cases, is that an insurance claim creates an adversarial situation in which the company seeks to limit what it pays out. When disputes arise between you and an insurance company over a claim or coverage, you need an experienced Tampa insurance attorney from Kinney, Fernandez & Boire committed to fighting for the benefits your premiums entitle you to receive.

What is an insurance dispute?

Disputes between policyholders and their insurance companies usually relate to a claim filed by the insured. Common disputes associated with medical, motor vehicle or home insurance policies include:

  • Denial of a claim for compensation based upon it not being covered under the terms of the policy.
  • Disagreement over the type of treatment in medical claims or the repairs required in homeowner and motor vehicle claims.
  • Insurance company’s refusal to pay a claim based upon the cost being too high.

Insurance policies are contracts between you, as the insured, and the company issuing the policy. As long as you pay the premiums, the insurance company agrees to provide benefits according to the written terms of the policy. When a company violates the provisions in the policy it issued to you, a Tampa insurance dispute lawyer can provide trusted, knowledgeable legal advice and skilled representation.

Types of Insurance Claims

Our insurance dispute attorneys are experienced in a variety of insurance dispute claims including:

Auto Insurance Claims

After an accident, settling your claim quickly might seem like the most comfortable alternative. Before you sign a settlement agreement, it’s important to consult with an attorney. They can help determine if your policy terms are being met and file important complaint documents within the deadline.

Homeowners Insurance Claims

If you or a loved one suffers an injury at your home or property, you may need to file a claim against your homeowner’s insurance. Our team will help quickly evaluate your case and file a claim to ensure that you are getting any medical treatment needed.

Learn more about how KFB Law can help you file a homeowners insurance claim.

Life Insurance Claims

The loss of a loved one can devastate a family both personally and financially. When an insurance company adds to the anguish by denying a life insurance claim, an insurance dispute attorney can help. Our attorneys have stood up to life insurance claim denials and helped clients get the benefits that they deserve.

Florida law prohibits unfair claims practices

When your insurance company refuses to pay a claim or engages in tactics designed to delay payment of a claim, it could be violating Florida law.  If your claim is for injuries or property damage related to an automobile accident, the insurance company must investigate the claim in a timely fashion and notify of its decision within 30 days from the date it receives your claim. If it denies payment of the claim, it must give provide a written explanation for the denial.

The following are some of the other claims practices insurance companies are prohibited from engaging in under Florida law:

  • Making misrepresentations intended to get you to settle your claim for less than the insurance policy amount
  • Altering your insurance policy without your knowledge or consent
  • Misrepresenting the provisions of your insurance policy as they relate to coverage of your claim
  • Denying your claim without conducting a reasonable investigation
  • Not notifying you if additional information is needed to process your claim
  • Requesting information to process your claim without offering a clear explanation of what is need or providing reasons for the request
  • Refusing or failing to settle claims in good faith
  • Failing or refusing to promptly settle a claim under one section of your insurance policy in order to force a settlement of a claim pending under another portion of the policy

When your insurance company denies your claim for benefits, you have the right to dispute the company’s decision.

Disputing an insurance company decision in Florida

If you receive an adverse decision from an insurance company handling a claim, you have the right to file a complaint with the Florida Department of Financial Services. The insurance company then has 20 days to submit its response to the department. You could receive a decision from the FDFS as quickly as 30 days after filing your initial complaint.

When taking on a powerful insurance company through the FDFS complaint process, you need legal representation by a competent Tampa insurance dispute attorney. An attorney who knows and understands state insurance laws uses that knowledge to focus on policy provisions and legal principles supporting your position.

An aggressive and experienced insurance dispute attorney might resolve a dispute through negotiations directly with the insurance company before it becomes necessary to file a complaint or resort to litigation through the courts. Depending upon your particular situation, your attorney might recommend alternative dispute resolution procedures.

State law in Florida provides for mediation as a method of resolving insurance disputes. For example, a dispute about a claim you submitted under your homeowner insurance policy may be submitted to mediation by your insurance attorney.

When to take your insurance dispute to court

Litigation against your insurance company is an option when other methods fail to achieve a resolution that is in your favor. This could be the case if your insurance carrier acts in bad faith.

For instance, if you someone sues you claiming to have suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accident and the evidence supports a finding that you were at fault, your insurance company must act in good faith to settle the claim. The failure of your insurance company to settle the claim within the limits of the policy knowing you could be personally liable if a trial results in a verdict in excess of the policy amount could be bad faith.

Obligations your insurance company has to you

In many respects, an insurance policy is a basic contract no different than any other contract such as a contract to buy a car, a real estate contract, or an employment contract. All contracts have terms and conditions, which spell out what either side of the contract has to do, what they have to provide, and how they have to behave with respect to the other party in the contract. These are the basic rules by which the parties of the contract must abide. The terms and conditions also contain the benefits that are provided by the contract. For example, a benefit that may be available under an insurance contract (the policy) could include payment for medical expenses or property damage.

In some cases, insurance polices and the laws of our state allow for an insured party (you) to get your attorney’s fees and costs paid by the insurance company if you prevail in a lawsuit. In other disputes there are no automatic provisions for payment of attorney’s fees or costs.

Getting help from a Tampa insurance dispute attorney

An insurance dispute attorney from the law firm of Kinney, Fernandez & Boire gives you access to trusted legal advice and skilled representation when your insurance company fails to abide by the terms of the policy it issues. You do not have to accept and live with an arbitrary decision from your insurance carrier. Our personal injury attorneys are committed to making insurance companies live up to the agreements they make with you.

Our insurance lawyers help client with everything from general insurance disputes such as disagreements with insurance companies following an accident.  We can also help if a problem arises with your insurance company over payment of medical bills, property damage, or lost wages. If you have a case where you have found yourself in a dispute with an insurance company, regardless of the reason or the type of insurance coverage, we can help.

If you have any questions about an insurance dispute or claim in Tampa, please contact us for a free consultation.

insurance attorney, Tampa Insurance Disputes Attorney, Kinney, Fernandez & Boire

See also: Important information regarding insurance disputes and the law.

An accident is a big thing to worry about. At KFB Law, we can help you get back to worrying about all the little things in life.

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