Explore Insurance Services For Various Issues

Property Insurance
For most people, their biggest asset is their home and their personal property. The same is true for many businesses that own buildings or equipment. Damage to your home or business can be financially and emotionally devastating. For an insurance company, though, it's just routine business and something they see every day.

Depending on the terms of your policy, the insurance company is obligated to pay for the restoration or replacement of your building and personal or business property if it is damaged by a covered loss. Issues arise when the insurance company decides that it is not a covered loss. That is when you will receive a denial letter informing you that the insurance company has determined that the damage, or a portion of it, is not covered, and they are not going to pay for the damages. Do insurance companies wrongfully deny claims? Of course, they do. That's one of the reasons why insurance companies are regulated by the Insurance Commissioner and why they have so many lawyers working for them. If you believe that your claim has been wrongfully denied, you need to take action by seeking legal advice. The statute of limitations and deadlines in the policy can hurt or destroy your rights to receive the proper compensation.

Other issues arise when the insurance company says that the damages are covered, but the amount they are paying does not cover the repair or replacement of the property. Disagreements over the type of repair, appearance, or quality of materials are quite typical. Do insurance companies underpay claims? Of course, they do. Insurance companies try to do everything as cheaply as possible because it affects their bottom line. If they are replacing an item with one that is inferior to what was damaged, that is savings for the insurance company. The same is true if they can get away with a cheaper or inferior repair to your home or building. It may only be a few hundred dollars on your claim, but they have thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of claims every year. You are entitled to receive all of the benefits that your insurance policy is supposed to provide. If you believe that your claim has been underpaid, you need to take action by seeking legal advice. The statute of limitations and deadlines in the policy can hurt or destroy your rights to receive the proper compensation.

You may also have additional coverage under your policy that you don't realize. Many homeowner's policies include coverage for additional living expenses caused by the damage to your home. Likewise, a business or commercial policy may include business interruption coverage that will pay for the lost income caused by the damage to your business. Another coverage you may not be aware of is commonly referred to as code upgrade coverage. This provides coverage to bring your home or building into compliance with the laws or ordinances when the repairs are made. Typical examples of that will be upgrades to the electrical system in older homes or earthquake-related requirements.

Another example of coverage that you may not be aware of is liability coverage. If you are sued by someone, there may be coverage under the liability portion of your policy. Even if the claims in the lawsuit are not covered in the policy, the insurance company may still have to provide a defense (lawyers) to defend you. That can be significant savings to you just in legal fees.

Law Offices of Neal Bonrud PLLC
Law Offices of Neal Bonrud PLLC

Auto/Boat/RV Insurance

The same issues exist in insurance policies covering cars, boats, motorcycles, RVs, planes, Etc. Insurance is supposed to put you back in the same position you were in before the damage happened. Insurance companies are always looking to save money, so substandard repairs or wrongful denials of coverage happen. What about the damage to the vehicle that you don't see, like weakened metal or damaged parts that have been repaired? Washington is one of the few states where you are entitled to compensation for the diminished value of your car after an accident. The Washington courts have recognized that you are entitled to the full compensation that your insurance policy is supposed to provide according to the policy's terms.

Do insurance companies wrongfully deny or underpay claims on cars, boats, motorcycles, or RVs? Of course, they do. If you believe that your claim on personal property, including a car, boat, or RV, has been wrongfully denied or underpaid, you need to take action by seeking legal advice. The statute of limitations and deadlines in the policy can hurt or destroy your rights to receive the proper compensation in these cases too.

In my most recent auto insurance case, the insurance company refused to pay for repairs that were caused by accident. It claimed that the repairs were due to the age of the part. The expert from the car manufacturer disagreed, and they paid my client.

Sample of Recently Settled Insurance Cases from the Law Offices of Neal Bonrud

Evernook Valley Milk, LLC et al. v. Country Mutual Insurance Company et al.; US Dist. Ct., WD Wash. 19-cv-01580-JCC (Commercial Property Theft Claim)

Nathaniel D. Cumming et al. v. United Services Automobile Association; WA Court of Appeals No. 52913-1

Nathaniel D. Cumming et al v. United Services Automobile Association; Thurston County Sup. Ct. No. 18-2-01338-34 (Homeowners Vandalism Claim)

Robert Barnes v. Safeco Insurance Co.; Kitsap County Sup. Ct. No. 19-2-00792-5 (Homeowners Wind Damage Claim)

Marian Bell v. Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Co.; Kitsap County Sup. Ct. No. 20-2-01526-18 (Homeowners Wind Damage Claim)

Everett Center LLC v. Travelers Casualty Insurance Co.; US Dist. Ct., WD Wash. No. 14-cv-00510-TSZ (Commercial Property Water Damage Claim)

Edgar Frias v. Outdoorsy, Inc.; American Arbitration Association Case No. 01-20-0015-1698 (Recreational Vehicle Fire Claim)

Lynnwood Center, LLC v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.; Snohomish County Sup. Ct. No. 15-2-06188-5 (Commercial Property Wind Damage Claim)

Bryan V. McDermott et al v. Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Co.; King County Sup. Ct. No. 19-2-24360-1 (Vehicle Total Loss Claim)

Wayne Drummond v. USAA Casualty Insurance Co.; US Dist. Ct., WD Wash. No. 19-cv-06084-RBL (Homeowners Ice Dam Claim)

Alevtina Medvedeva v. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co.; Kitsap County Sup. Ct. No. 21-2-00068-18 (Homeowners Wind Damage Claim)

Cody R. Michaud v. Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Co.; Spokane County Sup. Ct. No. 18-2-04806-5 (Vehicle Total Loss Claim)

Peter Mort v. Allstate Indemnity Co.; US Dist. Ct., WD Wash. No. 18-cv-00568-RSL (Landlord Rental Property Fire Damage Claim)

The Northwest Railway Museum v. Indian Harbor Insurance Co. et al; US Dist. Ct., WD Wash. No. 17-cv-01060-JLR (Commercial Liability Coverage Claim)

Marina Ovchiyan v. Northland Insurance Co.; King County Sup. Ct. No. 17-2-24697-2 (Automobile Physical Damage-Commercial Motor Carrier Policy)

Michael Paulsell et al v. Ameriprise Insurance Co.; King County Sup. Ct. No. 18-2-13258-4 (Homeowners Electrical Damage Claim)

Burton Peterson v. Farmers Insurance Co. of Washington; Whatcom County Sup. Ct. 19-2-00493-37 (Homeowners Building Collapse Claim)

Justin T. Skogen v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.; Pierce County Sup. Ct. No. 19-2-05566-4 (Homeowners Water Damage Claim)

William Wright et al v. Foremost Insurance Co.; Kitsap County Sup. Ct. No. 20-2-00564-18 (Manufactured Home Ice Dam Claim)