In Joyful

To combat fraud, many insurance companies are getting tougher on claims submitted by consumers. But while some insurers delay payment to raise justifiable questions about claims, others drag their feet or deny payment for no apparent reason. Here are the most common excuses insurance companies give when limiting or denying auto, home and health insurance claims – and the best ways to fight back… AUTO INSURANCE *”Your car isn’t worth as much as you say it is.” Insurance companies base their car-value assumptions on industry data that is similar to the information found in Kelly Blue Book. Keep in mind that Kelly Blue Book provides only average values of vehicles and that individual cars can be worth significantly more or less, depending on their condition and included extras. Examples: Your car may have been garaged … have low mileage … or have expensive opti eyelasticity ons, such as a sunroof or a V8 engine. To support your claim for higher reimbursement: Check the classified ads in your local paper. If you find a half dozen cars that are similar to yours selling for more than the value listed in Kelly Blue Book, collect as much data as you can and send it to your insurer. Your insurer may relent. *”Your car can be repaired for a lot less.” Some insurers set out to reduce all claims payments by a set percentage, even when the amounts are legitimate. Of course, most insurers won’t say this openly. Instead, the company might say that the $3,500 estimate you received is too high and that your car can be repaired for only $2,500. Helpful: Don’t be intimidated. If you visit three repair shops, and the lowest bid was $3,500, insist that your insurer pay the claim in full. And don’t be pushed into using a cheap repair shop chosen by the insurer.