Your Car Accident Insurance Claim Was Denied. Now What? | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Virginia law requires vehicle owners have auto insurance, but there is no guarantee that your insurance company will actually help you after you have been in a crash. Although you may pay your premium on time every month, that is not a guarantee that you will be covered in a crash and have the insurance company deny your claim.

There are certain steps that must be done to file a car accident claim. The first step is at the accident scene itself. If you are in a crash, call 911 to report the accident may be critical to your claim because of the police report that will be generated from that call. When an officer arrives at a car accident site, they will gather pertinent information and details about the crash, including the cause of the accident.

You also need to obtain the contact information from the other driver or drivers who were involved in the accidents. If there were witnesses to the accident, you should try to get their contact information, as well. If you are physically able to, take photos of the accident scene. These, too, can be used in your claim.

The next step is to call your insurance to report the accident. Some policyholders will even call the company from the accident site. Once your claim is filed, it will be assigned to a claims specialist who will review your case. But what happens at this point if your claim is denied?

Denial

There are several reasons why your claim may be denied. One reason could be your policy limits. Every policy has limits to how much it will cover. The higher the limit, the more coverage you have. If your claim exceeds the amount of your policy’s limits, there is no coverage for the claim you submit, or you have used your limits already in a prior event, the company may deny your claim.

Even if you are covered, your insurance company may deny your claim if you did not report the accident immediately to law enforcement. Another reason your claim may be denied is that you waited before you sought out medical assistance for any injuries you sustained, alleging that the injuries happened after the crash and not during.

Let a Virginia Accident Attorney Advocate for You

If you have been injured in an accident and the insurance company has denied your claim or is dragging out the claim process, contact a Virginia personal injury attorney to find out what legal options you may have. At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, we are dedicated to helping injured clients obtain the compensation they deserve for their medical bills, lost income, and other losses their injuries have caused. Call (833) 997-1774 for a free case evaluation.