In a perfect world, a personal injury victim would be able to file a claim, sit back and focus on their healing while the insurance company takes care of the compensation. However, this is never the case in the real world. The injury victim has a role to play, and providing sufficient proof of their injury is part of the process.
Sometimes, the insurance company may unjustifiably deny your claim. This is known as insurance bad faith. However, there are times when the insurance company may have legitimate reasons for denying your claim. Here are some of these reasons:
Missing important deadlines
Various important timelines come into play when dealing with personal injury claims. For instance, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Ohio is two years. Meaning, you have up to two years from the date of your injury to file the claim. Missing this important deadline can result in the insurance company dismissing your claim. Additionally, it is important that you acquaint yourself with the insurance company’s timelines for claims and information submissions. To be on the safe side, it is important that you submit your claim as soon as you possibly can.
Providing inaccurate information
When it comes to insurance claims, the adage “honesty is your best ally,” applies. Any false or inaccurate information in your claim can automatically result in a denial. But insurance companies do not limit themselves to the time of the injury. They will look into a number of things while investigating your case. And if they discovered that you lied about anything regarding your claim, then you might end up with a denial.
Missed medical appointments
Medical attention is an important component of any injury claim. The insurance company will be interested in finding out whether you sought treatment after the injury, the type of treatment you received and whether you followed through with the treatment plan. Failing to follow through with your doctor’s treatment plan can result in a denial.
There are literally tens of reasons a personal injury claim might be denied by the insurance company. While some reasons are relatively straightforward, others can be quite complex.
