Denied car insurance claim in Missouri? Learn why claims get rejected and how to appeal. Get legal help from a St. Louis car accident lawyer today.
Dealing with a car insurance claim denial can be frustrating and financially stressful. If you’ve recently been in a car accident in Missouri and your insurance company has denied your claim, you can still challenge their decision. Understanding the reasons for denial and the steps you can take to appeal can help you secure the compensation you deserve.
Insurance companies may deny claims for several reasons, including:
Policy Exclusions – Your policy may not cover Certain accidents or damages.
Lapsed or Expired Policy – If your policy was not active at the time of the accident, your claim will be denied.
Disputed Liability – The insurer may argue that you were at fault or that another party should be responsible for the damages.
Insufficient Evidence – Lack of documentation, police reports, or witness statements can lead to claim denials.
Delayed Reporting – Failing to report the accident within the required timeframe may result in denial.
Missouri Comparative Fault Laws – If you are found partially at fault, your compensation could be reduced or denied.
Steps to Take if Your Car Insurance Claim is Denied
1. Review the Denial Letter Carefully
The first step is to review the insurance company’s denial letter thoroughly. It should include specific reasons why your claim was rejected. Understanding the basis for the denial is crucial in determining your next steps. Consulting a car accident lawyer at this stage can help you assess whether the insurer is acting in bad faith.
2. Gather Supporting Evidence
If your claim was denied due to insufficient evidence or disputed liability, gather additional documentation, including:
Photos and videos of the accident scene
Police reports
Witness statements
Medical records (if applicable)
Repair estimates or bills
Dashcam footage (if available)
Correspondence with the insurance company
An attorney can help you compile and present this evidence to strengthen your case and increase your chances of success.
3. Contact Your Insurance Adjuster
Reach out to your insurance adjuster for further clarification on the denial. Sometimes, misunderstandings or errors can be resolved through direct communication. However, insurers often look for ways to minimize payouts, so having a lawyer handle this communication can prevent you from being misled or pressured into accepting a lower settlement.
4. File an Appeal with Your Insurance Company
You can formally appeal the decision if you believe the denial was unjust. Submit a written appeal with supporting documents, including:
A detailed explanation of why you believe your claim should be approved
Any new evidence that supports your case
References to your insurance policy terms that justify your claim
Statements from accident reconstruction experts (if necessary)
An experienced car accident lawyer can craft a strong appeal that maximizes your chances of overturning the denial.
Communicate with the insurance company on your behalf
Pursue legal action if necessary
Determine if the insurance company is acting in bad faith
Involving a lawyer early increases your chances of a fair settlement without unnecessary delays or reduced payouts.
6. File a Complaint with the Missouri Department of Insurance
If you believe your insurer acted in bad faith, you can file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance. The department investigates consumer complaints and may intervene if the insurer is found to have acted unfairly. However, a car accident attorney can help you take more direct and effective legal action to secure fair compensation.
7. Consider Legal Action
If all else fails, you may need to take legal action against the insurance company. A Missouri personal injury lawyer can guide you through the legal process and help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Legal representation ensures you are not pressured into settling for less than your claim is worth.
Preventing Future Insurance Claim Denials
To reduce the chances of a claim denial in the future:
Always review and understand your insurance policy
Report accidents to your insurer promptly
Keep thorough records of any accident-related expenses
Follow all policy requirements for filing claims
Consider uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to protect yourself
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue my insurance company for denying my claim?
Yes, if your insurer acts in bad faith, you can file a lawsuit. This could include unreasonable delays, lack of investigation, or wrongful denial of a valid claim.
How long do I have to appeal a denied claim in Missouri?
Most insurance companies provide 30 to 60 days to appeal a denied claim. Check your policy for specific deadlines.
What if the at-fault driver’s insurance denies my claim?
If the other driver’s insurance denies liability, you can file a claim with your own insurer under your collision or uninsured motorist coverage. Additionally, you may take legal action against the at-fault driver.
What does ‘bad faith insurance’ mean?
Bad faith insurance refers to an insurer’s failure to honor its contractual obligations. This can include refusal to investigate, unfair settlement offers, or unnecessary claim delays.
Get Legal Help for Your Denied Claim
If your car insurance claim has been denied, you don’t have to navigate the appeals process alone. The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. has over 25 years of experience helping accident victims in St. Louis and throughout Missouri. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us fight for your rights.
This legal professional has shown exceptional competence and dedication in their field. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking legal representation that is committed to unwavering advocacy and support throughout the entirety of their case.
I would describe this lawyer as highly educated, sharp, and top of his game. Explains the car accident process and treatment options well. The lawyer said if they don’t pay you, we will have the jury take it from the insurance company. Great lawyer. Dynamic person.
Interviewed all the TV car accident lawyers and decided to call this law firm that had great reviews. So happy I did. What a difference!
Response from the owner:TV car accident lawyers are just mass production. This is not a good fit for litigated cases. Paralegals instead of lawyers. Monthly quotas for settlements. Car accident victims end up in a cattle call with the lawyers on TV.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
Response from the owner:Our lawyers train and track the best approaches on cases. Whether litigation in cases or the practicalities of certain treatment, the growth of our lawyers over time is paramount. Always staying ahead of and setting practice trends. Thank you.
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
Response from the owner:This is a sad reality for car accident lawyers. The #1 passenger in an auto accident is a relative. Helping a family make it through this and putting the family back together is one of the most rewarding things I do as an automobile accident attorney.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
Response from the owner:Thank you. When accident are severe and you lose the ability to work or to continue a business, having an accounting and tax background is key. Valuing large losses are second nature for us.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
Response from the owner:Our attorney have deposed nearly all the trauma surgeons at every Level 1 Trauma Center in Saint Louis. These doctors save lives after a car accident. Whether controlling bleeding or reestablishing blood flow or bone structures, they are life savers.
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner:Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner:Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
Major car accident injury in St Louis area for a family member. Four different lawyers we know said the same thing - call Chris Hoffmann. On another level.
Response from the owner:This is such a great compliment. Most of our cases come from prior client or lawyers that also do car accidents cases but the particular case is too large or too difficult. Being a lawyer and an accountant, we specialize in cases with total lost of income, earning capacity and/or often the inability to continue a family business. Evaluations such as these are second nature for our lawyers. Thanks.
Best in St Louis for auto accident cases. Nobody else is even close.
Response from the owner:So kind of you to leave this review. Whether our lawyers are going after big insurance or their lawyers, skill and experience are essential and win the day for our auto accident clients. Thanks!
This attorney is very smart, very experienced, returns phone calls and knows the answers when asked. One call and I knew this was a great law firm for auto accidents.
Response from the owner:Our law firm appreciates this. This is a comment we get from so many people who call…”none of the lawyers we called told me all the things that you did.” Whether we take a car accident case or not, helping people is a good thing.
5 Star Lawyer for sure! Best you will find in Saint Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the 5 Star Rating. Reviews like this are great. Injury victims quickly figure out the TV advertisers are not good. We work hard at being the best we can be and it reflects in our representation of car accident victims.
Watch this lawyer in action. Was way better than all the others. Get this lawyer for an automobile accident for sure.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the recommendation. Besides doing cases, our attorneys train for this. Hard work, case knowledge and technique is key to success in car accident litigation.
Very pleased with The Hoffmann Law Firm. Lawyers are attentive, friendly and go the distance to force the settlement you want. The TV lawyers recommend low offers. This law firm gets the maximum.
Response from the owner:We get calls from car accident victims that had to fire the TV lawyers that they hired. They give the same two reasons: 1) they never spoke to a lawyer at the Big TV law firms, only a paralegal, and 2) the paralegal recommended they accept a low offer.
At our law firm, you only talk to the lawyer and if an offer is low we tell you to sue. Thanks!
Several lawyers said to call this lawyer because he is the best. You will appreciate this law firm. Helped with the injury and property claims. Attentive and knowledgeable. Great reputation in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Lexi. Our #1 source of cases is other lawyers referring us cases that are too big for them to handle.
Would use this accident law firm. Best in Saint Louis. Highly rated and it shows. After one phone call, you just know this attorney is better. 5 Stars!!
Response from the owner:Thanks for recommending our lawyers in St Louis. There is a major difference in lawyers as you well know.
Car accident lawyers on tv are not good . Get this attorney ! He is a pro !!
Response from the owner:Thanks Nathan. TV lawyers market for car accidents, use paralegals instead of lawyers and give their employees settlement quotas hence forcing cheap settlements. At our law firm, you get a lawyer who keeps pushing forward for more.
Quality lawyer. Best law firm for a car accident. Advice was way better than other lawyers I called in St. Louis. Helped with property and injury.
Response from the owner:Thanks. The TV lawyer advertisers are just car accident settlement mills. As soon as people call a real attorney, they always tell us how much better and more helpful we were. Appreciate this.
This lawyer is big time. Smooth. The other lawyers on the other side were not nearly as good as this attorney. I recommend friends in St Louis to him for accident injuries and they all say the same thing…”that lawyer is great.”
Response from the owner:Very nice of you to say. Our lawyers work hard on auto accident cases.
Family used this car accident attorney after a crash. Located in St Louis. This lawyer answers the phone and will walk you through the process. Knows his stuff!
Response from the owner:Taking calls, going over the car accident injury and property process is important. Clients that call always say we are the only lawyers that explained everything. Much appreciated.
Tried the lawyers on TV. They were not good. Hired this car accident lawyer instead because he had great reviews. The reviews are correct. This attorney is as good as they get. He does big injury cases that need to be litigated.
Response from the owner:Car accident lawyers on TV do not litigate cases. It is mass production. They have quotas. Local attorneys are best on auto accidents.
Used this attorney for an auto accident. Highly recommend this lawyer in St. Louis. Communicates well.
Response from the owner:Communicating with clients is essential. Taking the client though the car accident claims process is important otherwise major mistakes can occur. It is an effort that we make. Thanks!
Fantastic law firm, I would recommend! Received free consultation related to an auto accident when my parked car was damaged by a baseball. Very supportive advice, these guys are good!
I was in a car accident in St.Louis and hired Chris as my lawyer. He was amazing!!! He helped me every step of the way and was able to get me a great settlement!!! Highly, highly, highly recommend him!
Response from the owner:Each step is important in a car accident. Thanks for recommending us for car accidents injury claims.
If you have an auto accident and need an attorney in St Louis, I recommend Mr Hoffmann.
Response from the owner:Appreciate this James and you did great as well. Car accident claims always start with a good client.
Why Choose Us vs TV Lawyers?
Direct Attorney Access
Maximum Settlement Focus
Trial-Ready Cases
Paralegal Handling
Quick Settlement Push
Settlement-Only Focus
Free Consultation with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t talk to an insurance claims adjuster before speaking with The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can help you avoid making statements that may affect the outcome of your case. The consultation is free; you don’t pay unless we get you money!
