Insurance and ERISA Legal Issues Around Puget Sound
Let's say the insurance company denies your claim. They don't dispute you had a covered loss, but they say you missed a deadline buried in your insurance policy requiring you to notify them of the claim within a certain time. Can they do that? The answer, often, is no. But the devil's in the details. Virtually …
Continue reading When is it “too late” to make an insurance claim?
Washington State's Insurance Fair Conduct Act (a/k/a "IFCA") provides important legal protections for insurance policyholders. IFCA was passed by the legislature and then ratified by the voters in 2007. IFCA was enacted based on lengthy testimony in legislative hearings from industry experts and consumer advocates about how insurers abused their policyholders despite existing laws. IFCA …
Continue reading Know Your Rights Under Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act
People frustrated dealing with their insurance company often wonder what they've been buying when they paid premiums for all those years. Insurance premiums buy you a whole host of benefits beyond just the possibility the insurer might someday pay you for a covered loss. Insurance premiums buy you the promise of peace of mind and …
Continue reading Getting What You Pay For With Your Insurance Premiums
Washington insurance law includes a principle that if an insurance policy is ambiguous, i.e., if it can reasonably be read in multiple ways, the court will adopt the reading that is most favorable to the policyholder. This rule exists because insurance companies are sophisticated enough to draft their insurance policies the way they want, and …
We've previously blogged about the importance of meeting deadlines in your claim for benefits under an ERISA-governed insurance policy. Most ERISA plans have strict deadlines for submitting a claim, appealing the insurance company's denial of your claim, and filing a lawsuit. The deadlines are strict and ERISA is draconian about deadlines - missing them by …
