We represent Anderson-area clients in insurance disputes ranging from liability issues to the wrongful denial of benefits. Some claims are denied outright. Others drag on for months with requests for more paperwork, or end with an offer far below what the policy promises. Either way, the adjusters and lawyers on the other side work for the insurance company, not for you.
Every case starts with the policy itself. We read the coverage, the exclusions and the deadlines, compare them with the facts and the reasons the insurer gave, and tell you plainly whether the denial holds up. If it does not, we push back through the appeal process, through negotiation or through a lawsuit.
Insurance disputes we handle
- Long-term disability denials and terminations
- Life insurance claims denied or delayed
- Business interruption and commercial property losses
- Homeowner claims for fire, storm and water damage
- Property claims paid below the real cost of repair
- Insurers who refuse to settle injury claims
- Bad faith claim handling
- Coverage disputes over policy language and exclusions
Bad faith claims in South Carolina
South Carolina law requires insurers to deal with their own policyholders in good faith. An insurer that unreasonably refuses to pay a covered claim, or fails to investigate it properly, may be responsible for more than the policy benefits. Depending on the facts, that can include other losses the denial caused and, where the conduct was reckless, punitive damages.
An insurer can also be held responsible when it unreasonably refuses to settle a claim against its own insured within policy limits, and the insured is later hit with a larger judgment. Proving bad faith takes evidence: the claim file, the adjuster's notes and the timeline of what was asked and answered. We work to gather that record early.
Disability and life insurance claims
Long-term disability claims usually turn on medical proof. The insurer will have its own reviewers read your records, often without ever examining you. We work with your treating doctors and, when needed, independent medical experts to show clearly what you can and cannot do.
Disability and life coverage provided through an employer is often governed by a federal law called ERISA. These plans have their own appeal process, and in many cases you must complete that internal appeal before you can file suit. A court may later look only at the record built during the appeal, so what goes into it matters a great deal.
Watch the deadlines in your policy
Insurance policies set their own deadlines for giving notice of a loss, filing a proof of loss and appealing a denial. Some are much shorter than people expect. Missing one can hand the insurer a reason to deny a claim it would otherwise have to pay. If you have received a denial letter, keep it, keep the envelope it came in and call us before the time runs.
