It’s not easy to identify insurance company bad behavior during the property claim process. The sense of unfair treatment takes a while to settle in. Of course, no claim process runs flawlessly, especially when you are rebuilding after a major disaster. It’s reasonable to expect a few inconveniences and delays; but how do you know for certain that your insurance company has moved beyond minor glitches to treating you unfairly? Here are 5 clear signs.

1- Still Asking Too Many Questions

It's unfair when a reasonable amount of time has passed and the insurance adjuster keeps asking for information without providing any answers. A seasoned insurance adjuster shouldn't have to do this, not even on a large claim. He should know exactly what he is looking for from day one:

• What Happened?
• Is there coverage?
• Can you prove your damages?
• How much does the company owe?

The adjuster who keeps asking questions long after he should have paid your claim could be too inexperienced to make a decision. He might not have the authority to settle your insurance claim. Or he might simply be behind in his work, and making you suffer the consequences.

2- The "Read Your Policy" Diversion

When a company or independent adjuster is responsible for insurance claim settlement delays, he isn’t likely to admit that he is the problem. In fact, if you dare to question some adjuster's claim handling practices, they might pitch out the “read your policy” diversion, though they won't tell you what to look for. This delay tactic is misleading and unfair, but it might accomplish several things.

• It makes delays seem somehow justifiable.
• You get distracted studying your policy and looking for problems you might have missed.
• You go on the defensive wondering what you’ve done wrong.
• You stop asking status questions.
• You hire a public adjuster and never have to deal with your carrier again.

3- Plenty of Promises but no Payments

It’s unfair when you’re waiting patiently for an insurance claim settlement payment that never comes. It's unfair when an adjuster says he’s concluded the claim investigation and will get back to you soon; still you get nothing. There’s usually a reason for it: adjuster indecisiveness, unresolved coverage issues, a misplaced file. Whatever the reason, you should not have to contend with bad faith insurance.

4- Not Enough Money

When you finally get your insurance claim settlement offer, it might not be enough to cover your damage. It's unfair, but property adjusters know that if they refuse to pay you now, they can always pay you later. Insurance adjusters also know that if they pay it and don’t owe it, they can’t take it back. That’s not a formal insurance company philosophy, but it’s one of the reasons why some adjusters feel no remorse when they underpay your claim.

5- Nothing!

Insurance companies must follow state guidelines for contact, follow up, and settlement. They get into trouble when they don’t, but these things happen anyway because managers only review files at predetermined intervals. What happens in the meantime is under the control of an overworked or overwhelmed adjuster.

There might also be a complicated coverage issue the insurance company can't discuss before formally reserving their rights. Whatever the reason for a company adjuster's decision to go incommunicado during the claim process, it’s unfair to you.

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