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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Insurance |
I am looking for the Department of Labor and economic Growth and how to file a claim? |
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth and how to file a claim against my homeowners insurance company with the Insurance Commissioner OK, you don't file a CLAIM on your INSURANCE with the insurance commissioner. You file a COMPLAINT with the insurance commissioner, about how the claim was handled. You file the CLAIM with the insurance company first. On your complaint letter, be sure to reference the CLAIM NUMBER. Here's the complaint form: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/cis_of... Source(s): agent, 20+ years This is a long answer, but it is very informative. I name the resource below. The short answer is you will need to find a mediator or arbitraitor to dipute the claim first. Good luck: You've suffered a major loss from fire, theft, or some other calamity and you've filed an insurance claim. You're not sure what your rights are, and you"re worried about trusting your insurance company. You should be. The only way to ensure a fair settlement of a large claim (in excess of $10,000) is to educate yourself and get professional help when you need it. If you're reading this publication, you're on the right track. Do you need professional help? Do you need a lawyer? Do you need a public adjuster? What is a public adjuster? Can you handle it on your own? The first thing you need before making these decisions is a complete copy of your policy, including the "Declarations Page" and all "Endorsements" and "Riders". Your Declarations Page is generally the first or second page of the policy. It states the dollar limits applying to each category of coverage, and lists the endorsements and riders, (extras) that you have in addition to the basic policy. Each such addition will be listed by a code number or letter, or combination thereof. Review your basic coverage categories; Dwelling, Contents (Personal Property), and Loss of Use (sometimes called "Additional Living Expenses". QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: "I've filed a claim under my homeowners policy. I've met with adjusters from my company. A dispute has arisen. I'm getting frustrated. Do I need a lawyer?" If you can communicate effectively in writing and in person with your insurer with confidence, polite aggression, and insistence on your rights, you may not need an attorney. If you are losing patience, feeling frustrated, angry or anxious, or are unsure about your rights, a qualified insurance attorney can help. "Once I hire an attorney, should I let them to do all the talking to my insurer"? Not necessarily. You can try having an attorney give you advice on your rights and continue to communicate with your insurer. If an aggressive attorney contacts your insurer early in the claims process, it may aggravate and prolong a dispute that you might have resolved yourself. However, if you've given it your best shot and the insurance company won't treat you fairly, let a professional take over on your behalf. Once the insurance company has dug in its heels and you've hired an attorney, let the attorney have all communications with the insurance company. Most attorneys will insist on this and its for your own protection. "Can I hire my family lawyer to represent me...the one who did my will last year?" You can, but you shouldn't. Your lawyer should be experienced in insurance coverage or bad faith litigation. Insurance companies generally hire very experienced insurance defense counsel to represent them and yours should be a worthy adversary. Insurance companies will assess the risk of not settling with you by considering the strength of your representative. "How can I find the right lawyer? Be an astute consumer, get referrals from friends, family members, or reputable attorneys who have personal contacts with an insurance specialist. Call your County Bar Association and ask for referrals for "Plaintiffs Insurance Coverage" or "Bad Faith Attorneys." Interview potential candidates and ask for the name of a former client. Contact the former client and ask them to share their experience with you. A lawsuit is a major undertaking but may be the most effective way to fairly resolve a major claim. The attorney you select should have your utmost confidence...and deserve it! "Do I have to sue my insurance company to get what I am entitled to under my policy?" Absolutely not. On most small dollar claims, your insurer will pay your claim with little fuss and bother. Basic negotiating will resolve most insurance disputes. There are laws and regulations in most states that make it illegal for insurance companies to force consumers to file suit to recover their policy benefits. "What are the alternatives to litigation?" Mediation, Arbitration, Appraisal are three of the most popular alternatives to litigation. In MEDIATION, the parties work with a third party to negotiate a resolution of their dispute in an informal, voluntary process. An ARBITRATION may be binding or non-binding, and is more formal than a mediation. The arbitrator may dictate the result, or simply work with the parties to reach a result. APPRAISAL is a procedure mentioned in most policies as a way to resolve a dispute over the value of a loss. It is done by a third pay, but may not be legally binding. "How do I find a mediator or arbitrator? Look in your phone book under "Mediation Services" or "Attorneys - Mediators". Word of mouth. download pdf (16K) The following is useful advice from a former insurance industry insider. Most insurance carriers, believe it or not, do not like complaints. They take the claims person away from the everyday task of working on claims or management tasks. The following might help with general complaints The first thing you must understand is the organization itself. Claim departments by in large are structured as follows: Adjuster Supervisor Unit Manager, over several supervisors by line of business Assistant Manager, over Unit Managers, but not in all offices Claims Manager or Claims Vice President, in charge of local office Regional Claims Vice President- In charge of several offices in a region Home Office Claims. At the home office you have several levels: Field Management - Senior VP in charge of regional managers Technical Management - Vice Presidents in charge of lines of business, such as auto, general liability, property Major Claims - Such as asbestos, lead paint, or those claims with long occurrence type exposures. They may also handle large and complex claims. (Large being over $750,000). Excess Claims - Some Home Offices do not have an excess unit. The contact order is upward starting at the adjuster. What moves a carrier to resolution of an issue is a focused complaint that causes people above the adjuster to get upset that they are being troubled with such a minor issue. But, keep in mind, that the higher you go the greater your chances of success in resolving your complaints. One thing you rarely see is an effective, documented complaint For example, very few people confirm conversations with the adjuster or who they talk to. Also, very few people cc (carbon copy) the next level. When you raise the voice of concern over claims handling, documentation is everything in dealing with an insurer. If you write to an adjuster, cc his or her next in line, and request a written response in a set time frame. Do not make the letters threatening, make them to the point and polite. Be the good guy and put the ball in their court. If you are nasty, your next contactmight be from counsel, and thus, no more communication with the insurer. Always ask them what their policy is on the issue you have raised. Make sure you ask for them to reply in writing and once again set a deadline. Ask them if they need information from you and when they need it. Be Polite, Be Prompt, Be Persistent Your complaints should be followed up by a phone call and ask if they received your letter. Do they need anything from you to respond, if so what? Be sure you note your time deadline. Ask them who is handling the problem and who will respond to your request? Continue to be the good guy. Provide an extension if they ask for one and as always, confirm in writing what was agreed to and ask when they will respond. I can't stress enough how important it is to document all contact with your insurance company. They will try to handle your complaint by phone with no records, but you must make sure that everything gets documented. Keep precise phone records and note everything that was said, when, and by whom. http://www.unitedpolicyholders.org/claim... |
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