The insurance company stopped responding to me. What are my options now?
Emery Brett Ledger's Answer
Full Transcript
Below is an AI-generated transcript of the video answer.
When an insurance company goes quiet, a lot of people make the same mistake.
They assume silence means the claim is dead.
Usually it doesn't.
More often, it means the insurance company is delaying, evaluating
or hoping you get tired and go away.
If you feel like they have stopped responding in a timely way,
consumer regulators say you can escalate the issue to your state insurance department.
I'm attorney Emery Ledger.
I've practicing law for almost three decades.
So what are your options now?
First, document everything.
Save the emails, the text messages, the claim number, the adjuster's name
and a timeline of every call and every missed response.
If the claim is in California, the Department of Insurance
has a consumer services division specifically for complaints
involving insurance company conduct, including claim delays and denials.
Second, do not assume that waiting is harmless.
Insurance conversations do not stop the legal clock.
If your claim involves injury, delay can put pressure on treatment, evidence
and deadlines.
That is why silence from the insurance company is often the moment
to get more organized, not less.
Third, if reasonable follow up is getting you nowhere, escalate it.
In California, the Department of Insurance allows consumers
to file complaints online, and the department's consumer materials
make clear that complaints and disputes with insurance companies
should go through consumer services for the quickest response.
The NAIC also explains that when you file a complaint
with your state insurance department, the complaint is forwarded to the insurer
and the insurer must respond with its explanation.
And here's the practical truth.
Sometimes a quiet insurance company just needs a little pressure.
Sometimes that pressure is a formal complaint.
Sometimes it is a lawyer.
Sometimes it is a lawsuit.
So if the insurance company has stopped responding to you,
do not sit there hoping they suddenly become more honorable on their own.
Get your file organized, protect your deadlines and talk to a lawyer
if the delay is affecting your claim.
If you have questions, contact the ledger law firm at ledger law dot com.