Do You Need to Hire a Lawyer to Help with Your Insurance Claim?

Filing a home insurance claim is no easy task. There will be inspections, adjusters, paperwork, and plenty of obstacles on the way. Meanwhile, you’re relying on the funds from your insurance settlement to repair your home, replace any lost belongings, and avoid the financial setback of having to pay for it all on your own.

Under the wrong circumstances, the process can be intimidating, frustrating, and a lot to handle, especially if you and your family have gone through a traumatic loss like a fire. But do you need to hire a lawyer to help you out?

When to Hire an Insurance Lawyer

Whether or not you should think about hiring an insurance lawyer depends a great deal on the circumstances of your claim. If it’s a relatively small claim or straightforward, it’s likely not worth the time or effort. In cases where the insurance company will likely agree with you on the value of the claim, it’s often better to simply handle it yourself.

However, there are some circumstances where a lawyer can be indispensable:

• You have a major disagreement with the insurer at any point in the process.
• You have a significant claim, such as the total loss of your home or a claim worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• You have a complex claim, such as incidents where fault is hard to establish, or third-party liability is involved.

In these cases, hiring a lawyer can help you deal with the complexities of the case and improve the settlement you receive from the insurance company.

How Can an Insurance Lawyer Help?

When it comes to significant claims, the insurance company may have a strong motivation to save money. An insurance lawyer familiar with your type of claim can help push back and negotiate with the insurer without having to take things to the dispute resolution process or to court.

An insurance lawyer starts by dealing with the independent insurance adjuster on your behalf. An insurance adjuster works on behalf of the insurance company to evaluate your insurance claim and recommend how much the insurance company should pay out.

While sometimes an insurance adjuster can be independent from the insurance company itself, they’re hired by the insurance company and may be motivated to reduce their employer’s costs. However, because they too want to avoid a protracted and costly dispute, they’re often willing to negotiate if you know what to argue and when.

The average value of a fire insurance claim is substantial. If your home has been damaged or lost in a fire, an insurance lawyer can handle much of the stress and paperwork that comes with your claim. It can be a struggle to deal with both your emotional recovery and the stress of an insurance claim at the same time without someone to guide you through the process.

An insurance lawyer knows what they’re looking for when dealing with insurance adjusters and how to improve the value of your claim. They can be a worthwhile investment when your claim is significant.