Home Insurance Claim Denied in Oklahoma?

You’ve been diligent in paying your homeowners insurance premiums, all the while hoping you would never need the coverage you purchased. But now, an incident (a fire, hailstorm, tornado, broken water heater, damage from an earthquake) has occurred, and when you submitted a claim to your carrier, it was denied. Despite your best efforts to negotiate with the insurance company, they won’t budge – now it’s time to hold them accountable for what you’re owed.

At Doug Terry Law, our Oklahoma home insurance denial lawyers are dedicated to protecting your rights.

We serve homeowners throughout the state of Oklahoma and have an outstanding reputation for providing successful service. Call us today at 405-463-6362 for a no-cost case evaluation.

What Are an Oklahoma Home Insurance Company’s Obligations?

Know Your Rights

Homeowners insurance companies owe their policyholders a duty of good faith; they must treat them reasonably and fairly when investigating and determining whether to pay their claims. Coverage varies depending on the specific policy language, which can be difficult to read and understand.

In general, however, your insurance company must reimburse you for covered property damage (to the home itself, your personal property, and your items) as outlined in your specific policy. And, if you have liability coverage, they must also protect and defend you against third parties who may try to bring a lawsuit against you for incidents that occurred on your property.

If your claim has been denied, you may need the support of a skilled home insurance denial lawyer who can hold the insurer accountable and clarify your legal options.

Types of Damage Your Home Insurance Policy Might Include

Understanding Your Policy Language

Homeowners’ insurance protects against a host of home and personal property damage. It is crucial to review your policy paperwork to determine what is included and the amount of your deductible. In general, home insurance policies include protection against things such as:

  • Damage from natural disasters (high winds, hail, tornadoes, etc.)
  • Damage from vandalism or losses from a theft/home invasion
  • Damage from a burst pipe or other plumbing leak inside the home
  • Damage and losses from a house fire.

If you have experienced damage from an event like those listed above, and your claim has been denied, consult a qualified denied home insurance attorney to evaluate your rights and identify your next steps.

Tactics Insurance Companies Use to Deny Home Insurance Claims

When you experience a disaster on your property, you want nothing more than to have your insurance company promptly settle your claim so you can make repairs and get back to normal as quickly as possible. As you wait, your quality of life may suffer considerably.

Unfortunately, insurance companies often operate in bad faith when it comes to approving and paying claims. Too often, they take advantage of their policyholders when they are at their most vulnerable, after an event causing serious damage to their home. Below are several tactics often used to delay, diminish, or deny valid claims.

Undervaluing Your Homeowners Claim

One of the most common tactics employed by insurance companies is undervaluing claims. Carriers may attempt to pay less than the fair value of your claim to protect their profits. If you’ve received a lowball offer or if the insurer refuses to pay altogether, you may have grounds to pursue legal action.

When a company deliberately minimizes compensation, it may be a violation of its duty of good faith. A knowledgeable home insurance claim denial lawyer can review the claim, policy, and supporting evidence to help secure what you’re owed.

Misrepresentation of Policy Terms

In many situations, insurance adjusters may misrepresent or misinterpret the policy language. Whether done intentionally or due to a lack of understanding, these miscommunications can lead to wrongful denials.

If you’re receiving conflicting information or feel you’ve been misled, it’s crucial to speak with a seasoned home insurance lawyer. They can evaluate your policy, explain your rights, and challenge the insurance company’s position with experience and authority.

Using Biased Experts

It’s not unusual for these organizations to rely on preferred experts—engineers, contractors, or consultants—to investigate and quantify damages. Unfortunately, these professionals often have close ties to those for whom they work and may skew findings to favor the insurance company, undervaluing or outright denying the damage to your property.

An experienced Oklahoma home insurance denial lawyer knows how to scrutinize these reports, challenge unfair conclusions, and engage neutral experts when needed.

How Home Insurance Claim Denial Lawyers Can Help

Policyholders Can Appeal Denied Claims

Homeowners’ insurance is important and necessary. Most individuals have a mortgage on their homes and are required to carry homeowners’ insurance. The duty of good faith and fair dealing applies to all homeowners’ claims, including those for damage to the house itself, as well as personal property (like furniture, clothes, and personal belongings).

If you’ve recently had a home insurance claim denied or have otherwise been treated unfairly by your insurance company, our Oklahoma City home insurance denial lawyer, Doug Terry, is here to help. With his previous experience working for an insurance company and his years representing individuals in Oklahoma who are victims of bad faith, he is ready to go to work for you.

Contact Doug Terry Law Today

Denied homeowners’ claims are emotionally and financially frustrating. Find peace of mind by working with a seasoned, skilled home insurance lawyer who understands that insurance companys often leverage bad faith pratices in order to otherwise reasonable deny claims.

If you’ve been let down by your home insurance company, you may be overwhelmed. Fortunately for you, attorney Doug Terry has more than two decades of experience helping people like you address their insurance companies and their unscrupulous actions with excellent results.

With a proven track record, Doug Terry is an aggressive advocate for people who have been wronged by the insurance companies that are supposed to protect them. His reputation for quality service and success is outstanding. To learn more about what we can do, or to schedule your free, no-obligation case consultation, contact us at 405-463-6362.

Attorney Doug Terry

Lawyer Doug TerryAfter 25 years practicing in a larger firm, Doug chose to open his own practice in Oklahoma City. He brings his wealth of knowledge and his skills as a litigator to bear for his clients in matters of insurance bad faith, personal injury cases and class actions. Doug has the distinction of being awarded a Martindale-Hubbell “AV Preeminent” rating from his peers in the legal community. He has also been selected as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer. [ Attorney Bio ]

Types of Damage Your Home Insurance Policy Might Include

Check your policy language to find out what it includes.

There are many different types of damage to your home and personal property that you may be protected against as part of your home insurance policy. Of course, you’ll need to check your policy paperwork to find out exactly what’s included in your policy and what your deductible is. Sometimes the help of an experienced insurance lawyer is needed to understand the policy language. In general, though, a home insurance policy includes protection against things such as:

  • Damage from natural disasters (high winds, hail, tornadoes, etc.)
  • Damage from vandalism or losses from a theft/home invasion
  • Damage from a burst pipe or other plumbing leak inside the home
  • Damage and losses from a house fire.

CONTACT DOUG FOR HELP SEE WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tactics Insurance Companies Use to Deny Home Insurance Claims

Insurance companies have clear strategies they use to avoid paying home insurance claims fully and promptly.

When you experience a disaster on your property, you want nothing more than to have your insurance company promptly settle your claim so you can get your home back to “normal” as quickly as possible. In the meantime, your way of life and even your quality of life may suffer.

Unfortunately, home insurance companies don’t always play fair when it comes to approving and paying out claims. Too often, insurance companies seek to take advantage of their policyholders when they are their most vulnerable – after an event causing serious damage to their home.

1

Undervaluation of Your Homeowners Claim

One of the most common tactics employed by a homeowners insurance company is undervaluing your claim. Insurance companies may attempt to pay less than the fair value of your claim, in an effort to add to the company’s bottom line. There are multiple ways homeowners insurance companies attempt to underpay. If you’ve received a claim payment or an offer to settle your claim from the insurance company, only to find that your payout doesn’t cover the total costs of repairs or replacement of your property (minus your deductible)—or if your insurance company is refusing to pay altogether—you may have a case. Ask Doug about the types of damages available to you as compensation.

2

Misrepresentation or Misinterpretation of Policy Terms

It is all too common for an insurance company’s adjuster to give the policyholder inaccurate or misleading information about what is actually covered under the insurance policy. Sometimes the adjuster doesn’t understand the coverage. Other times, the adjuster is attempting to mislead the policyholder by mischaracterizing what the insurance policy language (which is very often impossible for a normal person to understand) really covers. If you have a question about what is covered and what isn’t, the best thing to do is ask lots of questions, get the adjuster to put their position in writing, and talk to an experienced Insurance claim denial lawyer in Oklahoma. This professional can provide valuable insight and guidance when dealing with homeowners insurance claim denials.

3

Using Biased “Experts”

Oftentimes, an insurance company will call in an “expert” to examine the damage to the policyholders’ home. These can include engineers, fire experts, building contractors, etc. Many times, the “experts” the insurance company gets involved in your claim have cozy financial relationships with the insurance company. Insurance companies often involve the same “experts” in dozens if not hundreds or thousands of claims all across the country. These “experts” have an incentive to keep the insurance company happy by keeping claim payments low, so they can continue to make money being hired by insurance companies. Policyholders often pay the price for this biased arrangement.

Talk to our home insurance claim denial attorney to learn about your options.

For a free consultation with Doug Terry, call (405) 463-6362.

How Home Insurance Claim Denial Lawyers Can Help

If you had a claim denied by your insurer, you have options.

A home insurance policy is one of those things you have to have. In fact, most of us have a mortgage on our house and are required to carry homeowners insurance. The duty of good faith and fair dealing applies to homeowners claims – including those for damage to the house itself, your personal property (like furniture, clothes, personal belongings). Too often, homeowners insurance companies yet hope you never need to use.

However, if your home has suffered from damage that should be covered under your home insurance policy, such as roof damage from hail or even water damage from a burst pipe, you’ll be glad you have this type of insurance. Glad, that is, unless your homeowners insurance company denies your claim or fails to pay it fully.

Unfortunately, issues with home insurance claims happen more often than you might think, with home insurance companies looking harder for reasons to deny claims than for reasons to pay them, all to avoid paying policyholders’ valid claims to add to their company profits.

If you’ve recently had a home insurance claim denied or have otherwise been treated unfairly by your insurance company, our Oklahoma City bad faith insurance lawyer, Doug Terry, is here to help. With his expertise as a homeowners insurance claim denial attorney since 1993, he is ready to put his experience to work for you.

Schedule your free consultation about your home insurance claim denial today by calling (405) 463-6362. There are no fees unless we win your case.

How Our Home Insurance Claim Denial Lawyer Can Help

Find peace of mind by working with a seasoned, skilled homeowners insurance claim denial attorney who understands the practices of insurers that deny claims.

If you’ve been let down by your home insurance company, you may be feeling the sting both emotionally and financially. Fortunately for you, attorney Doug Terry has more than two decades of experience in helping people just like you take on their unscrupulous insurance companies, with excellent results.

With a proven track record, Doug Terry is an aggressive advocate for people who have been wronged by the insurance companies that are supposed to protect them.

Find out more about our practice or schedule your free, no-obligation case consultation today. Give the offices of Doug Terry a call at (405) 463-6362.

See All