Wisconsin Insurance Legal Questions

I am sorry to hear about your accident.  You do not "need" an attorney to negotiate with the insurance company or even to file a lawsuit. However, you may decide you want an attorney, depending on how comfortable you are handling this matter and depending on how difficult the insurance company is.   To find a reputable lawyer in your area you can look on this website, you can search on www.martindalehubbel.com, you can ask friends and family in your area, and you can consult the phonebook. First of all, you will only be covered with uninsured motorist coverage if YOU have uninsured motorist coverage.   If you do not and the other person is uninsured, then there is no uninsured motorist coverage available to you.  It is important to note that uninsured motorist coverage is to protect YOU when you are involved in accidens with other motorists who have no insurance or less insurance than you.  It is, in my opinion, the most important type of auto insurance.   If you are unsure of whether you have uninsured motorist coverage, you should consult your auto policy and/or your insurance company.  Regarding your medical coverage, it is likely just limited to reimbursement for medical expenses.  You will likely need to collect your medical bills and submit them to the insurance company for reimbursement.  However, I do recommend that you find out exactly what all coverage you have (contact your insurance company) and then read, from front to back, your auto insurance policy.  It should explain exactly what is or may be covered.   Best of luck! NOTE:  This response is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice.  No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this response. ... Read More

First of all this answer in no way forms an attorney client relationship.  Assuming you have again been terminated from work, you should be able to use Cobra, which is a bridge insurance plan created by the Government, to keep terminated employees from loosing their insurance between jobs. Regards, Michael G. Sribnick, M.D., J.D., LLC www.michaelsribnicklaw.com... Read More

You will need to look at your particular policy.   Was the cottage a separate insured premises from your primary residence?  If it has its own separate policy, you need to read the policy and see what it says.  Most homeowner policies state that if it is uninhabitable and there is damage due to flooding relating to pipes bursting because of weather conditions and/or improper heating, then they are excluded and won't pay.  It will all depend on what your policy says.  Did the insurance company know that it was a vacation home or second residence? If so, sometimes the policies are different so maybe this exclusion is not there.  It all depends on what your policy says and what their reasons for denial are (or will be).  Read the policy and see what they say if they deny the claim.  If they pay the claim and you have coverage for additional living expenses/loss of use, then you should be able to also get proceeds for that coverage.  If you need help with interpreting your policy, I recommend you contact a local plaintiff's attorney in your area. If you do not have a complete copy of your insurance policy, contact your insurance company and request a full certified copy of it, to include all endorsements.   Best of luck! NOTE:  This response is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice.  No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed as a result of this response. ... Read More

Most likely not, although you probably should. You should read your insurance policy and the letter that came with the check to see if there are any restrictions associated with accepting the money.  Best of luck! NOTE:  This response is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice.  No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this response. ... Read More

Sorry to hear about the damage to your garage.  It is fairly normal for insurance companies to request these types of documents.  Often times they request cell phone records also (mainly if there is a fire investigation).   Insurance companies in general are just difficult to deal with.  While it is a pain, I'd consider providing them with the documents they request so they can conclude the investigation and hopefully pay your claim.  If they continue to delay the claim and request more documents that seem irrelevant, it may be time to seek assistance from a local lawyer in your state.  Best of luck! NOTE:  This response is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice.  No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this response. ... Read More