Insurance Coverage
Fighting for Policyholders’ Rights
Duke Holzman’s Insurance Practice Group is dedicated to protecting your rights when a disaster has interrupted your life and your insurance carrier has not fulfilled their end of the bargain. Our goal is to get you back on your feet and past the calamity.
Insurance can be a complicated series of twists, turns, confusing terminology, and not knowing who to trust or who is on your side—all while trying to recover from a disaster. Duke Holzman is dedicated to getting your life and/or business back.
Decades of Experience Holding Insurance Companies Accountable
Since 1970, we have represented policyholders wronged and abandoned by the insurance companies they relied on. The unfortunate truth is that individual homeowners, business owners, and investors alike often are either not paid the full amount of insurance to which they are entitled or are outright denied their insurance benefits. We take the fight to the insurance companies to rectify that wrong.
Regardless of whether our representation involves fighting for a higher, correct payment for the loss you have suffered or challenging an insurance company’s decision to deny your claim altogether, we will fight to get you the protection you paid for and the full amount of the insurance you deserve.
When Insurance Companies Don’t Deliver
You dutifully paid your premiums and kept insurance coverage to protect you in the worst-case scenarios. Now, you have suffered a fire, burst pipe, wind damage, or another loss—your home, business, or investment property is damaged or destroyed. You contact your insurance company for the protection and help you have been promised. The unexpected response:
- A lowball, undervalued offer to settle your loss
- Claim denial, leaving you without the coverage you paid for
Sometimes, everything with your insurance company seems to be proceeding positively, and an “Independent Adjuster” contacts you to inspect and evaluate your loss, gather information, and hear your story. Make no mistake: this person is retained by and works for the insurance company, and their objective is not to maximize your recovery. If the insurance company sends someone out to meet you, simply ask them:
“Who do you work for?”
The reality is that insurance companies and their Independent Adjusters are in business to further their own interests—not yours.
Understanding Insurance Company Tactics
Other times, the insurance company’s hostile stance is easier to recognize. You may be:
- Asked to provide a recorded statement
- Required to produce excessive documentation, much of it irrelevant
- Told to attend an Examination Under Oath
- Requested to submit a Sworn Statement in Proof of Loss
Or, you may be confronted with confusing terminology such as:
- Actual Cash Value (ACV)
- Replacement Cost (RC or RCV)
- Undisputed Payment
- Depreciation
These terms are often used when an insurance company attempts to limit your payment or justify a denial of coverage.
Deciphering Your Insurance Policy
Why is your claim being denied? Why is your payment being limited? What about:
- Time limitations?
- Construction constraints?
- Nuanced policy language that prevents full recovery except in very specific situations?
Most policyholders need help interpreting these complexities, and for good reason. Insurance policies are dense, confusing documents that can be difficult to understand.
When faced with these challenges, we are here to help you deal with your insurance company.
Our Insurance Coverage Services
With 50 years of experience, we will take your fight to the insurance company to collect everything you are entitled to receive.
Our services include:
- Litigation against insurance companies – including claims for denial of coverage, breach of policy, and bad faith
- Communicating with your insurer on your behalf
- Representation at Examinations Under Oath
- Advocacy in Appraisals, mediations, and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures
Let Us Help You Navigate the Insurance World
When disaster strikes and your insurance company fails to deliver, you don’t have to face the battle alone. Contact our Insurance Litigation Team to consult on your insurance loss.