People maintain insurance policies to protect them when something goes wrong. They may feel that once they’ve paid their premiums over time, it will be handled quickly and taken care of once they file a claim. Unfortunately, many insurance companies look for reasons to deny claims that, on the surface, look completely legitimate and without reason to deny. Bringing in an experienced injury lawyer to work with the insurance company can help navigate the denial process and work for better outcomes.

Reasons for Denials of Claims

There are several reasons insurance companies use when denying claims.

  • The claim was filed late. In Kansas, the statute of limitations for filing personal injury claims is two years from when the injury occurred. Filing after two years is likely to result in a court dismissing the case.
  • The insurance company blames you for the accident. What your claim says happened may be entirely different from what the other party says happened. The other party’s insurer will be motivated to find their client not liable for the accident. Liability is key to personal injury cases.
  • The vehicle’s speed was not traveling fast enough to cause the alleged injuries. In this case, the insurer accuses the victim of falsely claiming injury due to a vehicle accident, saying the vehicle was traveling too slowly to cause that level of harm.
  • The person accused of causing the accident was not covered under the insurance policy. This denial can come up when someone other than the vehicle’s owner or family member
  • The injured person waited too long to seek medical help. Someone who doesn’t seek medical help right away can be viewed by insurers as suspicious, even if symptoms didn’t appear right away. It’s always a good idea to have a doctor check out someone who’s recently been in an accident.

When to Bring in an Attorney

The best time to bring in an attorney is immediately after the injury. But if that’s not possible, contacting an attorney as soon as someone realizes there’s an injury or when the insurer issues the first denial is still the right time to ask for help.

Let Us Advise You

Personal injuries can be frustrating and complex to handle through an insurance company. If you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury, call us at 816-866-7711 to learn what legal assistance we can provide.