- January 17, 2024
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admin
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How to sue insurance company without lawyer? It is feasible to sue an insurance company without a lawyer. However, the chance of successfully winning the claim is not higher. The reason is that most insurance companies retain a powerful in-house legal team. This team of lawyers can drag out or even compel you to drop the claim.
What Is a Bad Faith Insurance Claim?
Before discussing how to sue insurance companies without lawyer, let’s learn about bad-faith insurance claims. You can sue a bad faith insurance claim against an insurance company without a lawyer. So, what exactly is this claim?
A bad faith claim is possible when you file a claim against an insurance company in a civil court. But, your claim is denied wrongfully by the company. You can pursue a financial award based on the bad faith of the related insurance company because it unfairly denies benefits you owe under a policy.
According to Attorney Brian White, you can consider two main factors, such as fault and damages, to decide whether you need the help of a lawyer to handle your claim. If you choose to proceed without one, you have to make sure that the related parties at fault must be clear.
Therefore, there would be no slightest excuse for the insurer to push back the claim or shift the blame on you. Moreover, an insurance company will be less likely to force back your claim in some specific cases.
In particular, when the company deals with a small claim that results in minimal damages rather than a larger and more expensive claim.
How to Sue Insurance Companies Without Lawyer?
There are several things you need to do to prepare and handle your bad faith claim or other claims if you decide not to hire a lawyer. Below is the detail:
1. Bad Faith Claim
What you need to do first when filing for a bad faith claim against an insurance company is to issue a letter claiming bad faith. Even though putting a lawyer’s name in the letter is a reliable means to help yourself get a favorable result, you can still do it without one.
You must include all the required evidence and documentation to support your claim. Inside the letter, you need to explain about:
- The way the insurance company acted in bad faith;
- The extent of your damages;
- The reason behind the claim.
Furthermore, the related insurance company will be more likely to take your letter seriously if you carefully take your time to draft and write a comprehensive and detailed letter. Also, dealing with lawsuits regarding bad faith accusations is not in the company’s best interests.
Therefore, a well-made letter implicating an insurance company of bad faith might be all it takes to insinuate a more reasonable settlement offer. Despite that, it could be arduous for you to succeed in your bad faith claim without the help of a lawyer when proceeding to the court.
Moreover, submitting different documents and other requirements to the court may be complicated for an average person especially for people who never receive any legal training because of the court system’s strict deadlines. You might even fail to meet the deadline or forget a piece of crucial evidence.
So, if you choose to proceed without a lawyer, take your time to thoroughly research your legal rights and the elements in your insurance policy. This process is to determine whether pursuing your claim against the related insurance company is feasible or not.
2. Other Claim
If you want to file for other claims besides the bad faith claim, this is how to sue insurance companies without lawyer.
a. File a Report to Police
You need to immediately file a police report concerning the aftermath of your case, especially when it involves severe injuries or property damages. Besides, you can file an online police report if you suffer only minor injuries and minimal damages.
After filing the report, law enforcement will come to the scene to check and document the outcomes. This police report can serve as a solid foundation for your case because it is legal and indisputable evidence of what has happened. You might struggle to provide vital documents to the courts if this report doesn’t exist.
b. Collecting Evidence and Interviewing Witnesses
You must collect all the necessary evidence, including photos, video documentation, and any sustained injury or damage you have experienced due to the case. In addition, you have to prepare the medical records about the injuries. You may also need to ask your doctors to provide an affidavit.
To prepare for an affidavit, you can draft the text before asking your doctor to get the approval on time. Make sure that your doctor has the chance to read your prepared affidavit text and sign it.
Look for witnesses or experts willing to testify about how the case or the accident adversely affects your life. Record their interviews and testimony, if there are any. When your lawsuit proceeds to the court, these people may have to be available to help strengthen your claim.
c. Representing Yourself in Meetings and Court
If you decide to proceed with the case without a lawyer, you must be able to represent yourself in court and any negotiations or meetings with the company. Most of the time, you may face well-paid and highly experienced lawyers hired by the related insurance company.
When your case goes to court, you will fight against them and attend the negotiation meetings with these lawyers.
The Reason People Sue Insurance Companies
Now, you already know how to sue insurance companies without lawyer. Let’s also find out the causes of why people want to sue these insurance companies. These several causes are:
- Denied your compensation claim.
- Refuse to process your claim within a reasonable time.
- Avoided to play your claim.
- Set up the barriers to avoid paying your claim.
- Offered an inadequate settlement amount to resolve the claim.
Have You Understood How to Sue Insurance Companies Without Lawyer?
After knowing how to sue insurance companies without lawyer, you must consider whether or not hiring one is more beneficial for you. Legal battles can be exhausting and take a long time to settle. Therefore, make the best choice so you won’t regret it later.
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