Practice · Insurance
When the carrier you paid becomes the opposing party
A denied claim is not the end of the process. Texas gives policyholders statutory remedies that go beyond the value of the policy itself.
What these cases involve
First-party coverage disputes
A first-party claim is one you bring against your own insurer under your own policy. Property damage, storm and hail, fire, business interruption, and uninsured or underinsured motorist claims all fall here, and all of them put you in an adversarial posture with a company you have been paying premiums to for years.
Denial and underpayment
A claim closed on a policy exclusion, an adjuster estimate far below the actual cost of repair, or depreciation withheld and never released.
Unreasonable delay
Texas sets deadlines for acknowledging, investigating and paying claims. Missing them can carry statutory penalties independent of the underlying claim.
Bad faith and unfair practices
Misrepresenting policy terms, failing to conduct a reasonable investigation, or refusing to pay when liability is reasonably clear.
UM/UIM litigation
Recovering under your own policy after an uninsured driver often requires establishing the other driver's liability and damages first, in a suit against your own carrier.
Why the remedies matter
The claim can be worth more than the policy
Texas provides statutory remedies for insurers that handle claims improperly, including additional damages and attorney's fees in appropriate cases. That structure exists precisely because the economics would otherwise favor delay: an insurer that pays late but pays the same amount has lost nothing.
These cases are also deadline-sensitive in a way that catches people out. Policies contain their own suit limitation provisions, notice requirements and appraisal clauses, and missing one can bar an otherwise strong claim. Read the denial letter carefully and get the full policy, not the declarations page.
Request the complete policy and claim file
The declarations page is not the policy. You need the full form and every endorsement.
Document independently
Your own contractor estimate or expert assessment is what an adjuster's number gets measured against.
Put the dispute in writing
Statutory deadlines and penalties are frequently tied to written notice. Phone calls leave no record.
Next step
Bring me the denial letter
If a claim has been denied, delayed or paid short, I will tell you honestly whether there is a case worth pursuing.