Ownership of an insurance policy means that
you have a contractual relationship. Paying a premium to an insurance
company creates an obligation on their part to provide coverage.
The terms of the coverage is defined by the policy and most companies
try to be clear about what you can expect for your premium dollars.
It's up to you to understand the critical points of your policy,
such as the following:
As is typical of most contracts, both parties are expected to
deal fairly with each other, under the contract terms. As far
as an insurance contract, you the policy owner (or insured) and
the insurer are partners in the insurance transaction. Partners
often learn to understand and work with each other quite well.
However, sometimes disagreements occur and you should be aware
of how you may look to your policy for help.
Two common areas of disagreement are over whether
coverage exists and how much should be paid for a covered loss.
Arbitration is a tool for addressing the former issue, while the
latter is frequently handled by appraisal.
A policy owner may be in a position where, after filing a claim,
it is rejected by the insurer. The insurer, in most cases, should
offer an explanation for declining coverage. (Of course, if no
explanation was given, the policy owner's first step should be
to request this information. ) The insured and insurer may discuss
their viewpoints and, failing to reach either an understanding
or a compromise, may choose arbitration. This process typically
requires each party to:
The appraisal process is often similar or even identical as both
parities usually:
Items that can have a big impact on either process are any local
or state laws, the actual provision wording found in the applicable
policy and certain rules regarding arbitration/appraisal procedure
that may vary by locale.
IMPORTANT: Depending upon the type of policy or the provider
of the policy, the terms being discussed here may either be called
by another term OR MAY NOT APPLY. Please read your policy carefully.
Of course, sometimes arbitration or appraisal fail to settle differences. In such instances, legal action may be the last resort. Note that many insurance contracts also have provisions on seeking legal action. Typically an insured is prohibited from filing a suit unless it's done within a certain time period and only after the insured has exhausted other avenues for resolving the conflict. While lawsuits between contract partners are sometimes inevitable, it's important that insurance consumers be aware of alternatives in resolving conflicts. It's even more important to take advantage of discussing your insurance coverage with a qualified insurance professional. Their expertise can be invaluable in dealing with complex insurance situations.
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