Insurance Claims and Disputes

Legal experience on both sides

With 20 years of experience defending insurance companies from consumers, I know their strategies and tactics with intimate familiarity. Here are some important things to know before we get started on your case with a personal consultation.

Fourteen percent of drivers in the United States are uninsured. Fortunately, Florida is a no-fault state. However—

• The mandated minimum insurance requirements are low
• Many Florida drivers ignore the requirements and drive without insurance

Florida drivers must obtain auto insurance with at least $10,000 coverage for personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 coverage for property damage. The law tries to see to it that 80 percent of your medical expenses and 60 percent of your lost wages can be paid promptly.  To protect yourself against those who have no auto insurance, you may obtain uninsured motorist (UM) coverage.  UM coverage provides compensation for bodily injury caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver or vehicle owner. UM does not cover property damage.

Obtaining fair and adequate compensation from an insurance company for your injuries and property damage may be challenging. Insurance companies and their lawyers are very clever at finding ways to avoid paying claims. I was one of them. Let me share my experience and knowledge with you when you face an insurance company in a dispute over the compensation you deserve for—

First party claims

Another important insurance concept is the first party claim. It is the claim you make against your own insurance company. First party claims include health insurance, medical coverage, disability insurance, property insurance, business interruption insurance, and a myriad of other insurance types.

Third party claims

A third party claim is the claim you make against someone else's insurance company. This company could be the one who insures the other driver in an auto accident or the owner of a business where you get injured.

Anytime an insurance company is dealing with a claim with their own policyholder, they have a duty to treat the policyholder reasonably and in good faith. Their failure to treat one of their own policyholders reasonably and in good faith could give rise to a claim for damages above and beyond the contract benefits.

If you were injured by another individual or corporation, and his insurance company does not fairly try to resolve your claim within the policy limits, you may be able to make what is called a “bad faith” claim after we prove the value of your claim. Again, this is a complicated subject requiring knowledge and experience in this area.

Whenever you have doubt about anything some insurance company is doing, trust my firm to identify and remedy whatever problem you may have with decades of legal experience and personal attention.

The best settlement is no accident

I offer 38 years of experience in Central Florida, mostly in Daytona Beach and Volusia and Flagler Counties. I know the judges, the courts, the attorneys and the insurance companies here. During my first 15 years of practice, I defended insurance companies. I learned their tactics from the inside.

Put my experience and expertise to work for you by contacting me, Robert W. Elton, for a free consultation.

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