Proving Your Right to Coverage for Casualty Losses
Homeowners, drivers, businesses and professionals buy insurance to protect against risks of all kinds. Most risks fall under one of two categories: first-party claims (losses of your own) and third-party claims (losses for which you or your company might be liable to somebody else).
For dependable advice about the best ways to realize the benefit of your insurance coverage for a business or personal casualty loss in Southern California, contact the Orange County law firm of Callahan & Blaine in Santa Ana. We have earned a national reputation as aggressive, resourceful and effective trial lawyers on insurance issues of all kinds, including the problems resulting from an insurance company's refusal to honor its commitment on first-party loss claims.
Sound Advice for the Insured on Casualty Claims of All Kinds
Over the years, our attorneys have recovered millions in insurance benefits on behalf of clients who have suffered such losses as:
- Fire, flood or landslide damage to commercial or residential property
- Environmental contamination, including toxic mold
- Personal injury damages under a driver's uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage
- Hospital bills and medical expenses under a driver's personal injury protection (PIP) benefits
- Business interruption losses under commercial policies
- Death benefits or disability payments
First-party insurance claims can be simpler than third-party claims, if only because they don't typically involve disputed liability issues between the insured and a third party. Nevertheless, they can present difficult issues of their own.
An insurer might argue that its own coverage doesn't commence until another insurer's is exhausted, a point often raised in UM/UIM disputes. Or a medical insurer might delay payment or seek reimbursement under a liability insurer's coverage, which effectively reduces the benefit of the insurance available to you. If an insurer of any kind delays the investigation or settlement of a casualty loss, a claim for bad faith insurance practices might spur your insurer into positive action — or even add value to your original claims.
For more information about your options in the resolution of first-party loss claims in Southern California, contact a lawyer at Callahan & Blaine in Santa Ana.