How to Dispute Insurance Liability Decisions

The purpose of carrying insurance is to protect yourself in the event of an accident, but when an accident does occur, you must protect your rights. If you do not agree with the liability decision made by the insurance company, it is important to appeal that decision at once. How you approach the appeal will have a direct effect on how successful you will be.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Insurance policy
• Accident photographs
• Police statements
• Witness statements

1. Step 1

   Contact any witnesses who saw the accident and ask those witnesses for a statement. Gather all of these witness statements for submission with your appeal.

2. Step 2

   Gather any police statements that were taken at the time of the accident and read them carefully. Sometimes a police statement will clearly indicate who was at fault in the accident, while in other cases the conclusion may be less clear. If the police statement clearly indicates that you were at fault, your appeal options will be severely limited, and you will be unlikely to prevail in any case.

3. Step 3

   Find any photographs that you took at the time of the accident. Anytime you are in an auto accident, you should be sure to take plenty of photographs, not only of the damage to the vehicles but of the surrounding area as well. Documenting things such as the width of the roadway and any obstructions will help the claims adjuster re-create the accident scene and decide who is at fault.

4. Step 4

   Contact your insurance company and ask about the appeal process. In some cases the appeal form may be available online, while in other cases the insurance company may need to send you the form. When you do receive the form, fill it out completely and be sure to provide all of the information that is requested. Include copies of all of your supporting information, including photographs, witness statements and police reports.

5. Step 5

   Follow up with the insurance company after a week to make sure that all of your information has been received. There will be a deadline for filing an appeal, so it is important to follow up and make sure that the appeal and supporting documentation has been received.