Farron Cousins calls it a “sad reality.”
The host and principal of the progressive talk radio program Ring of Fire recently used those words to convey a bottom line regarding American insurance companies. We know that many readers of our insurance blogs at the Oklahoma City pro-policyholders’ law firm of Mansell Engel & Cole will agree with Cousins’ comment that, “Insurance companies don’t make money by paying out claims.”
Cousins made that remark to Scott Hardy, the president of the consumer advocacy group Top Class Actions. Cousins’ and Hardy’s discussion on a recent show spotlighted the routine denial by insurers of policyholders’ long-term disability claims.
In some cases, of course, that denial is well-placed. Select claims simply lack merit. Some are even frivolous.
That is hardly a blanket reality, though. In fact, the insurance universe is replete with instances where insurers balk at paying or just flatly refuse to contractually honor a commitment concerning a good-faith claim that is meritorious.
What is an insured – who is often an individual facing serious health challenges and in dire need of financial help – supposed to do in the face of an insurance company’s failure to perform?
Cousins and Hardy have some strong ideas concerning an appropriate response. And they coalesce around a policyholder’s proactive approach that relies heavily on securing proven legal assistance.
Hardy doesn’t mince words. He says that, “If I get any whiff of getting denied, then I ‘m calling an attorney.”
Cousins concurs, stressing that proven legal counsel with a demonstrated record of client advocacy in insurance matters intimately knows the system and process and can handle a claim “far more successfully than a person trying to do this on their own.”
We certainly endorse that view at our law firm, with our legal team commanding many decades of collective experience that we routinely bring to bear on behalf of diverse and valued clientele. If you have a question or concern regarding any matter relating to an insurance issue or problem, we stand ready to offer aggressive and knowledgeable help aimed at securing an optimal recovery.