Jay Trucks & Associates, P. C.

Traverse City Insurance Claims Attorney

FREE CASE CONSULTATION

No Fees Unless We Win

The purpose behind insurance policies is to provide you with compensation when something unexpected happens, based on the terms of your coverage. However, many policyholders get a nasty shock when payment for a claim they have good reason to believe should be covered gets unreasonably delayed or outright denied.

At Jay Trucks and Associates, we have advocated for Michigan residents for over 30 years, and we have recovered millions in damages on behalf of these clients including a $500,000 policy limits recovery for a family business owner that was injured in an automobile accident and a $300,000 recovery against State Farm where the policy limit was $100,0000. Our Traverse City insurance dispute lawyers are very familiar with the methods that insurance providers may use to devalue, or completely avoid paying, a valid claim.


I was extremely happy with the way Jay Trucks & Associates handled my case… If I need a lawyer again, I would definitely call Jay Trucks & Associates.
– M.T

We may be able to help, so if you have experienced an insurance delay or denial that you believe is in bad faith or against the terms of your policy, we recommend that you contact our firm for legal help. We offer a free initial legal consultations at no obligation to you. If we find your claim is valid, you pay nothing up front or at all unless we achieve a successful recovery for you.


Free Consultation. Ph: (989) 499-1574.


Do I Have a Valid Insurance Case?

We may be able to help, but to properly assess the merit of your claim, we need to first understand more about your situation. During your free online or in-person claim review, the following information may help us to determine what compensation your insurance company may owe you:

  • When did you file your claim with the insurance company?
  • Did your insurer fully investigate your claim?
  • Have you experienced unreasonable delays from your insurance provider?
  • If your claim has been delayed, what reason did your insurance provider give?
  • Did you receive a settlement offer, but it was much lower than your claim’s value?
  • If your claim was denied, did your insurance company give you a reason?

Insurance companies do not always fairly resolve a valid claim. If you think your claim was not handled according to the terms of your policy, we strongly recommend contacting our experienced insurance dispute lawyers to learn what legal options may be available to you.


Complete our online Case Evaluation Form today: (989) 499-1574.


Common Insurance Claims and Disputes

Our knowledgeable Traverse City insurance claims lawyers are prepared to help you with a variety of insurance issues. We handle disputes for these and other types of insurance policies:

Auto Insurance

All drivers who own or operate a vehicle in Michigan must purchase at least the minimum liability coverage required under state law to provide for damages that may include:

  • Property damages
  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Household services assistance

Health Insurance

Health insurance provides important protection if you fall ill and need surgery or other forms of medical care. However, insurers often dispute claims and make it harder to get compensated for valid claims by claiming the doctor was out-of-network or the treatment was experimental.

Disability Insurance

This provides benefits for extended sick leave for covered medical events. If you suffer a partial or full disability, this policy is also intended to provide a portion of your income while you are unable to work.

Additional coverage may be provided for costs not covered by your health provider, such as physical or rehabilitation therapy. You may also be able to get compensated if you need to make modifications to your home to assist with managing your disability.

Life Insurance

After the unexpected loss of a loved one, these policies provide help to families for things like funeral and burial expenses, as well as other living expenses.

Homeowner or Rental Insurance Claims

Disasters, such as a falling tree, house fire or flooding can damage not just the exterior of your home, but also your interior belongings, such as your clothing, furniture, jewelry and electronics. In certain circumstances, an incident involving a personal injury may also be covered.

Insurance companies may cause unnecessary delays or try to avoid paying out on these claims by claiming it was an uncovered event.

Long-Term Care Coverage

This provides coverage for the elderly who may need financial assistance if they are living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, or if they are suffering from a debilitating mental or physical disease, such as Alzheimer’s or arthritis and can no longer fully manage their own care.

Reasons for Insurance Claims Denials

Insurance companies may deny your claim for a valid reason, but if they do, they still must give you an explanation.

Valid reasons for claim denials could include:

  • You missed the claim deadline
  • Your monthly premium was not paid, resulting in a lapse of your policy
  • The loss you are claiming is not covered under your policy
  • Your injury is pre-existing
  • You are responsible for the damages
  • You did not seek medical care for your claim, or you waited too long to see your doctor
  • Your deductible is higher than the value of your reported loss

If your claim was denied, and you believe your claim was handled in bad faith, we encourage you to contact one of our Traverse City insurance dispute lawyers for legal help today. We are prepared to assess whether there may be grounds to overturn your insurance company’s decision and pursue compensation that may be available from your policy.

Are You a Victim of a Bad Faith Claim Practice?

Michigan does not have any laws that specifically define bad faith practices. However, generally speaking, bad faith is what happens when your insurance company fails to take reasonable steps to properly and fairly resolve your insurance claim.

Your insurance company may have handled your claim in bad faith by these and other means:

  • Purposely misinterpreting or misrepresenting policy terms
  • Unreasonably delaying your claim, without notifying you about its progress
  • Failing to promptly and thoroughly investigate your claim
  • Refusing to provide you with a reasonable settlement offer when there is clear liability

While the law limits attorneys’ ability to bring a bad faith claim in Michigan, there are federal and state laws that protect policyholders from these types of deceptive, unjust or unfair practices.

Steps for Protecting Claims Under Your Insurance Policy

It is important to remember that insurance companies will take necessary steps to protect and maintain their profit margin. That is why we recommend that you take the following steps to try to ensure you are getting the coverage you paid for:

  • When shopping for a policy, make sure you read the fine print to understand what is, and is not covered under your policy
  • Ask clarifying questions about any information you do not understand
  • Take notes of any information you were provided by the insurance company
  • After a covered loss, do not delay filing your claim
  • Seek medical treatment immediately if your claim involves an injury
  • Contact an attorney for legal help with communicating with your insurer

Contact Our Traverse City Insurance Dispute Lawyers Today

If you suffered a loss and believe your claim may have been handled unjustly, we are prepared to help.

At Jay Trucks and Associates, we have over 30 years of experience representing clients throughout Michigan. Our proven track record includes more than $500 million recovered on our clients’ behalf.

We charge zero upfront costs, and since your initial claim review is also free, there is no risk to you. If we find your case is valid, you pay us nothing unless we first achieve a recovery for you.


Jay Trucks and Associates. Ph: (989) 499-1574.