PITTSBURGH INSURANCE ATTORNEY

You likely trust your insurance company to take appropriate action when you file a claim. After all, you pay them for coverage every month, so why wouldn’t they honor you in your time of need?

Sadly, insurance companies aren’t always willing to help their clients, even when it’s obvious that they have a valid claim. Some insurers use unscrupulous tactics to reduce the amount they pay you or attempt to avoid paying you at all.

Insurance companies know that the likelihood of you taking legal action against them is minimal. They’re willing to gamble that you’ll accept their excuses and pay for your losses on your own.

Too many people do precisely that. They don’t understand their rights regarding insurance claims and assume that what the insurance provider tells them is accurate.

Hiring an insurance claim lawyer allows you to push back against the insurance company and ensure that they pay you what you’re due.

An insurance claim lawyer will investigate the circumstances of your losses and try to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf. They’ll review all the evidence and your policy to determine what the insurance company owes you. 

Insurance claim lawyers are familiar with the ways insurance companies seek to avoid making large payouts. They’ll scrutinize everything the insurance company does to determine whether they’ve unfairly denied your claim or reduced your payout.

Consumers may file insurance claims in Pittsburgh for numerous reasons. They might be in a car accident, sustain damage to their home due to bad weather, or simply need expensive medical care that the insurance company doesn’t want to pay for.

If you’re having difficulty with your insurance provider, you can benefit from getting legal assistance. Insurance claim lawyers in Pittsburgh can:

• Examine the circumstances of your case
• Review your claim to determine who’s at fault for your losses
• Prepare evidence supporting your claim
• Inspect your policy to understand what your provider must cover
• Speak with representatives from the insurance company on your behalf
• Negotiate a settlement with the insurance company
• Take the insurance company to court if they’re unwilling to give you the money you deserve
• Handle all the procedural aspects of your case

Without a lawyer, you’re left facing off against a large, powerful insurance company that will likely try to deny your claim. If your losses are significant, you may be forced to come up with vast sums of money at once if your insurer refuses to pay out.

If you have a high-value claim, seeking the advice of an attorney can protect you from giving information that may prompt the insurance provider to deny you your funds.

For instance, if your home is struck by lightning and you need a new roof and electrical repairs, the costs can climb to thousands of dollars. An insurance company may try to deny your claim, arguing that the damage to your house isn’t reimbursable. An attorney can fight on your behalf to obtain a payout, allowing you to get the necessary repairs without dipping into your savings or taking out a loan.

Morgan and Morgan is the nation’s largest personal injury firm. We regularly work with all types of insurance providers, negotiating settlements and taking them to trial when they’re unwilling to budge from their unfair practices.

We’ve won thousands of settlements and verdicts against insurers for many cases, including workers’ compensation, automobile accidents, homeowner’s claims, and medical claims. Some of our top wins include:

• $500K in a case versus Allstate
• $209K for a property claim against Citizens Property Insurance Co.
• $145K in another case against Citizens Property Insurance Co.
• $111K in an insurance claim case against State Farm
• $90K in a verdict against Security National Insurance Company

We want the best for our clients, and it doesn’t sit well with us when insurance companies use unfair tactics to avoid paying their customers for valid claims. We’ll work to ensure the best outcome for you so you can move forward with your life.

Every insurance agency owes its clients a fiduciary duty, meaning they must act in their financial interests in the event of accidents or emergencies. Part of this duty is that they must take clients’ claims seriously and thoroughly investigate the circumstances to arrive at a decision.

Unfortunately, many insurance companies don’t act in their client’s best interests. Instead, they seek to minimize their financial exposure and protect their own interests. An insurance provider that’s only interested in serving itself isn’t fair to consumers.

When insurance companies breach their fiduciary duty to their clients, they break the law. Insurance claim lawyers in Pittsburgh can stand in your corner and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.

Insurance claim lawyers in Pittsburgh see all types of insurance disputes. Some companies go to great lengths to avoid paying their clients for their losses. Examples of common insurance disputes include:

Acting in Bad Faith 

Some insurance companies just refuse to be there when you need them the most. They may avoid your phone calls, refuse to respond to emails, and completely disregard your claim.

If your insurer isn’t acting in good faith, you’ll need the assistance of a lawyer. Their refusal to act reasonably isn’t just frustrating and irresponsible — it’s illegal.

Contract Disputes

Contract disputes occur when you file a claim, only to have the insurance provider deny it based on some technicality. For example, they might claim that you didn’t take appropriate precautions to protect your house from deterioration or that you knew of the potential for harm and failed to act accordingly.

If you’re stuck in a contract dispute with an insurance provider, you’ll likely need legal assistance. A skilled attorney will be able to defend you against an insurer that resorts to loopholes to deny your claim.

Altering Coverage

If you’ve filed claims in the past or have a sudden life change, your insurance company could attempt to take advantage of your situation. They might change your coverage, arguing that your situation warrants a different policy.

Changing coverage is common if a client files several claims that negatively impact the insurance company. For instance, if you purchase medical insurance and later develop a severe disease requiring extensive treatment, your insurer may try to prove that your condition was pre-existing and that your policy doesn’t cover your ongoing care.

If an insurance provider alters your coverage unfairly, you don’t have to accept their changes. Insurance claim lawyers in Pittsburgh can help protect you and give you means of fighting back.

Insurance providers often use several excuses to avoid paying their customers for legitimate claims. Some of the most common include:

Assigning Blame to the Policy Owner

Trying to paint you as the responsible party for your losses is a common tactic in insurance disputes. Depending on the type of claim, insurance parties may use comparative fault as a reason for denying you compensation. For instance, they might say that a car accident could have been avoided if you’d taken specific actions.

Claiming an Act of God

Sometimes, insurance companies use the so-called Act of God defense to get out of paying compensation. If you’re filing a homeowner’s policy, for example, they may argue that the damage to your home was an unforeseeable act of nature they shouldn’t be expected to cover.

Act of God defenses are particularly frustrating because all accidents are essentially unforeseeable—that’s why you pay for insurance!

Arguing No Established Cause

If you’re seeking compensation from another party’s insurance company, they may argue that you’ve failed to show that their client caused your losses. No established cause defenses are ubiquitous in personal injury cases, but an experienced attorney can help you cut through the legal red tape and get compensation.

In certain instances, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit to receive compensation for your losses. A good attorney can review the unique details of your situation and help you determine the appropriate steps to take.

They’ll ordinarily start by attempting to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf. If the insurance provider is unwilling to reach an agreement, they won’t hesitate to take your case to court.

You have two years to file a lawsuit against an insurance company for a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania. However, it’s wise to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

It can take time for your attorney to gather evidence and develop an effective case strategy. The sooner you file your lawsuit, the quicker you’ll obtain the money you need.

The majority of cases against insurance providers resolve through settlement. However, every case is different, and some do end up going to trial. Your attorney will be able to advise you of the likelihood of receiving a settlement or pursuing your claim in court.

The type and amount of compensation you can stand to receive will depend on the circumstances of your case. That said, you should be eligible to receive some form of damages for the losses you’ve suffered.

For instance, if you’re filing a lawsuit to collect a claim to repair your house, you’re very likely to be awarded the money you need for the restoration, as well as your resulting legal expenses.

Unlike unethical insurance providers, Morgan and Morgan are ready, willing, and able to assist you in your time of need.

Our insurance claim lawyers in Pittsburgh can help you secure funds to offset losses coverable under your insurance policy. Fill out our convenient online form to schedule your free case review today.