Insurance Claims in Hawaii
What Are Insurance Claims?
Filing an insurance claim in Hawaii can be a stressful process. Every policy is different, and insurance companies may not pay you what you deserve. In many cases, hiring an insurance claim lawyer is necessary. This page breaks down the nuances of different types of insurance claims.
What Is a Property Insurance Claim?
A homeowner’s insurance policy is an agreement to protect the home from damage under specific occurrences. When you as a policyholder suffer a loss, you should find a dedicated Hawaii property insurance lawyer. Your legal advocate works on your claim to ensure that you receive the benefits necessary to repair or rebuild your Hawaii property.
If the insurer denies coverage or delays, policyholders should consult a property insurance attorney about a bad faith claim. If your claim goes to court and you win, you can often recover your court costs, attorney fees, and coverage benefits. There is also the possibility of recovering more money depending on the state laws under which you file your claim.
What Types Of Damage Claims Apply to Property Insurance?
Specific geographic regions impact the design of insurance policies. For example, Florida property insurance policies have more provisions for hurricanes versus earthquakes.
The general concerns in Hawaii for property damage often involve heavy storms, tropical storms, and hurricanes. According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest rain typically happens between October and April. In fact, in December 2021, Hawaii News Now reported on a family business that was devastated after more than 20 inches of rain hit Kula.
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for insurance companies to make low offers for this type of destruction. At that point, protecting your best interests and financial security may necessitate legal action.
How to File a Property Insurance Claim in Hawaii
After you suffer a loss, you must contact your insurer as soon as possible. Taking this step begins the insurance claim process and gets things moving along. You need to notify your insurance company in writing or over the phone. From there, your insurer appoints a claim representative.
What to Expect Afterwards
As reported by WalletHub, insurance carriers need to recognize your claim within 15 days. Assuming that they approve, the final payment should arrive in 30 days. While the previous sentences represent a general expectation, many cases do not follow this timeline.
The First Insurance Company of Hawaii identifies several steps for any insurance claim. After starting the process with your carrier, what follows generally includes:
- Understand the relevant coverage in your policy
- Notify the mortgage holder
- Complete some temporary repairs
- Collect bids from contractors
- Determine the scope of work for the project
What Is an Auto Insurance Claim?
Auto insurance claims involve requesting compensation from an auto insurer after an accident. Car accidents are incredibly stressful, especially if there are uncooperative responsible parties. However, your insurer’s job is to work on your behalf to secure compensation for repairs, injuries and other expenses.
What Do You Do After a Car Accident?
Companies like the First Insurance Company of Hawaii emphasize keeping a cool head after a car accident. Then, in the immediate aftermath, you should pull over and check for injuries. The safety of your passengers and other parties involved in the incident always comes first.
If there appears to be more than $3,000 worth of damage, the state expects you to call the police. If you’re unsure, contact them anyway to be on the safe side.
Regardless of fault, the best result in regards to claims is not to admit anything and collect information. Ask witnesses for their contact details and take plenty of pictures. After leaving the scene, contact your insurance carrier right away and get the process started in earnest.
Auto Claims Adjuster
Your auto insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to your claim report. Your adjuster acts as your representation in any mediation between you and all other involved parties. This insurance representative bears responsibility for investigating the claim and seeing that you receive compensation for any repairs or injuries.
Whether there are repair claims, personal injury claims, or you are dealing with someone who does not have insurance, your auto insurance adjuster should see you through the process. Your claims adjuster may recommend a garage to handle your vehicle repairs. They may also make arrangements for a rental vehicle if required. The most important thing to note is that your auto claim adjuster is your primary point of contact regarding the status of your claim in Hawaii.
Health Insurance Claims
Hawaii policyholders file health insurance claims when they seek reimbursement for medical services or treatments. When you obtain a medical service from a provider, your health insurance carrier should be notified directly. If there are any discrepancies in your claim, consider hiring a health insurance claim specialist attorney.
How Do You File a Health Claim in Hawaii?
There are two ways to file a health insurance claim on your behalf. The first is the medical facility notifies your insurer for you. You may be able to walk out of the facility without spending anything, but that depends on your policy. The other way is to file a health insurance claim yourself. Taking this route can occur when a health provider you use is not in your provider network. The facility may still file the claim on your behalf, but you may need to file it yourself.
If everything goes according to plan, you should pay your deductible and move on with life. However, denials for prescribed treatments are unfortunately common. According to Hawaii News Now, HMSA faces a class-action lawsuit for this reason. They covered a story about a pregnant woman who joined the tort after paying out of pocket for life-saving drugs. If you or a loved one have a similar problem, hiring legal counsel may be necessary to get prescribed treatments or medications.
Work with an Experienced Local Insurance Lawyer in Hawaii
If your health insurance provider refuses to honor a claim, seek out a qualified Hawaii insurance claim attorney’s help. An insurance claim attorney can help if you have been improperly denied coverage or sent a bill for a service you never received. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Hawaii state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
