If you’re unhappy with your insurance company, then you may wish to file a complaint. Each state has strict rules governing how insurance companies operate. If your insurer has broken these rules, then your insurance company could face serious consequences.
There are multiple ways to file a complaint against an insurance company and resolve your dispute. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about filing a complaint against your insurance company.
Every year, thousands of policyholders across the United States file complaints against insurance companies.
Some of the reasons to file a complaint against an insurance company include:
If your insurer did any of the actions above, then your insurer could be violating many laws in your state. Insurers acting in bad faith could face consequences.
These situations may sound extreme, but they occur to policyholders in the United States every day. When you file a complaint against your insurance company, you’re holding your insurer accountable for its actions while helping to protect other policyholders.
Each state has an insurance commission to regulate insurance companies. This commission collects complaints, reviews incidents, and takes appropriate action against licensed insurers in the state.
There are many legitimate reasons to file a complaint against your insurer.
However, it’s important to take certain steps before filing a complaint. These steps can help resolve your insurance dispute while still keeping your insurer accountable.
Before contacting your state’s insurance commissioner for an insurance complaint, we recommend speaking with:
First, speak to people of authority at your insurance company. Ideally, you’ll communicate via email, making it easy to keep a detailed record of your attempts and any responses you have received – or have not received. Insurance companies may deny they’ve received communication or spoken with anyone about your concerns.
In many cases, there are people at your insurance company who can resolve your issue. Explain the issue clearly in an attempt to resolve it:
You and the insurance company adjuster may not get along well, for whatever reason, but in some cases your insurance company might assign a new adjuster to your claim. Maybe the adjuster was in a bad mood when inspecting your property. Maybe a different adjuster has a different opinion on your claim. Be sure to also read tips for dealing with an insurance adjuster here.
Second, consider scheduling a free consultation with a public adjuster. A public adjuster is a licensed insurance industry professional dedicated to representing your side of your claim – not your insurer’s side. The public adjuster can help you explore options, attempt to resolve the issue, maximize your payout, and help file a complaint – all while keeping your best interests in mind.
Third, if none of the options above are successful, take things to the next level by contacting your state’s insurance commissioner and department of insurance. Each state has an insurance commissioner responsible for managing complaints and taking appropriate action.
As a policyholder, you have a right to file a complaint to your state’s insurance commissioner.
Each state has its own insurance commissioner. The insurance commissioner is a public official who regulates the insurance industry in each state.
If there is a problem in the insurance industry, or if a policyholder has a complaint, then the commissioner can investigate the issue and take steps to resolve it.
The insurance commissioner’s ultimate goal is simple: to enforce the state’s insurance laws. Each state has its own set of laws governing the insurance industry. Some states have specific time limits governing how long insurers can take to respond to a claim. Many states require insurers to pay your claim in a “reasonable” length of time.
If your insurance company has violated insurance laws in your state, then your state’s insurance commissioner will want to hear about it.
State insurance commissioners receive thousands of complaints per year.
The most common types of insurance industry complaints include:
Your state’s insurance commissioner investigates your issue, then determines if the insurance company violated state insurance laws. If the insurance company is found to have violated state insurance laws, the insurance commissioner can influence the insurance company to pay a claim or take other actions to resolve a policyholder’s complaint.
Each state has its own Department of Insurance and its own process for filing an insurance complaint. Almost every state has a system in place for filing a complaint online.
If you are ready to file a complaint against your insurance company, select your state from the dropdown below.
If you have questions, need help, or are unsure about filing a complaint for an insurance claim, contact a Public Adjuster for help.
To file a complaint, you need certain things – like evidence of wrongdoing. You can’t accuse your insurer of wrongdoing if you don’t have any proof.
When filing a complaint, your state’s department of insurance will ask to see any documented evidence of wrongdoing.
Some of the evidence you could provide to justify your complaint include:
The more documentation you have, the more seriously your complaint will be taken. If there’s significant evidence your insurer did something wrong, then your state’s department of insurance will have no choice but to intervene.
After filling a complaint with your state’s insurance commissioner, a series of steps may occur:
Your insurance company is obligated to respond to the insurance commissioner’s request within a fixed length of time – typically 14 to 21 days. If you have accused your insurer of denying your claim without justification, for example, then your insurer may need to provide this justification to the commissioner.
The insurance commissioner considers all of this evidence, then takes action:
In many cases, a public adjuster can resolve your insurance claim issue more effectively than your state’s department of insurance.
Even if your state’s department of insurance assigns a person to resolve your claim, that person cannot represent you in your claim or provide legal counsel.
That’s why many policyholders choose to hire their own attorney or public adjuster – especially if it’s a high-value insurance claim with a lot of money at stake (public adjusters typically work on claims with disputed amounts over $10,000).
Public adjusters are licensed insurance professionals dedicated to maximizing the value of your insurance claim. They represent your best interests – not your insurer’s best interests – working on your behalf to secure the optimal outcome.
Your insurance company has its own adjuster. That adjuster is a salaried employee of the insurance company. Their goal is to resolve the claim quickly while minimizing their employer’s financial obligations.
Ultimately, hiring a public adjuster shows your insurance company you mean business. In many cases, simply hiring a public adjuster can help resolve your dispute: it shows your insurer you’re willing to fight back instead of simply accepting their low settlement offer.
If your insurer has treated you unfairly, then you have the right to file a complaint to your state’s department of insurance.
Insurers must abide by state insurance laws. If they fail to abide by these laws, they can face consequences. Filing a complaint with your state’s insurance commissioner helps to hold insurers accountable – and it can help achieve an optimal outcome for your dispute.
Check contact information below to file an insurance complaint in your state online.
Or, contact ClaimsMate for a no-cost consultation with a public adjuster. A public adjuster can help resolve tricky insurance problems to ensure an optimal outcome in your favor.
