Most likely you have a legitimate claim your Insurance Company declined. Otherwise you probably wouldn’t be here. You are left confused. There obviously was a storm and my house is damaged. How could they deny me?
Insurance companies are for profit entities. More than a million property owners file claims with their carrier every year after a storm damages their home or building. If the insurance industry paid out every single claim they would go out of business.
Their Strategy: Delay, Deny, Defend
So they are strategic. They deny enough legitimate claims in order for them to be profitable. This is in the hopes that most of their customers will give up and accept a denial.
The spotlight was put on their business strategy in the book Delay, Deny, Defend by Jay M. Feinman. It’s a 3 part strategy that has grown the profits of insurance companies to new heights. It was first used by Allstate which is notorious for paying out very few claims in full.
One of their strategies is to pay out very small claims. Claims that are so tiny, they are smaller than the deductible so that they don’t have to pay anything. It makes them look good without having to pay you anything.
Their Arguments
We can prove there is a storm. But their main argument when it is obvious is that your policy doesn’t cover this damage. They can argue that the damage wasn’t from the recent storm but from wear and tear over the years. Wear and tear is a common exclusion in home owners polices.
If they do agree there was damage from the storm, they’ll say it is cosmetic and not structural damage in order to avoid paying you. They’ll argue it may look bad but that doesn’t mean it caused any underlying damage. But by the time the roof starts leaking a few years later, it’s already too late to refile.
Final Thoughts
Your insurance company will try and drag the process out by delaying payment as long as possible. Their hope is that eventually you give up. But we can take over everything for you so you don’t have to worry. We keep you updated on the progress and hopefully reach an agreement with your carrier.