This article has been written to give you some advice on what you can do if you’re car insurance company is giving you a hard time. You don’t have to sit back and suffer from their ignoring,stalling and disputing, you do have options to settle your dispute.

To begin with call your car insurance companies claims department. Don’t forget, you’re the customer and your car insurance rates pay their salary. If the individual you’re speaking to doesn’t seem to care about your problem, (always make a note of the name of the individual you spoke to and the date you called) then find and speak to their superior.

Make sure all your documents are ready to prove your point and explain why you’re not satisfied. Send it to the individual you speak to marked PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL or e-mail it to them if they give you their direct e-mail address.

If you’re still not getting anywhere with your car insurance company, find out if your car insurance company has a complaints department. Repeat the above steps a second time with the complaints department. Explain your problem to someone and if they don’t take any action follow up with a phone call to their superior and a letter or e-mail with supporting documents. Remember to include a list of who you spoke to on each date and the result of the phone call.

If you still haven’t resolved your problem, contact your local insurance department. They can be reached by phone, mail, or often online. Many insurance departments can provide you with on the phone assistance to help resolve your dispute without requiring you to complete a formal written complaint. If a written complaint is requested, you may be able to print one off their website, complete it at home and post it to them.

When you have filed your complaint your local insurance department will notify the car insurance company of the complaint. The car insurance company is required to respond to the insurance department within a fixed amount of time, usually between 10 to 30 days, depending on where you live.

When the Insurance Department has received a reply from your car insurance company they will look into what needs to be done and will notify you. This process can take as much as 30 days.

Your claim should normally be resolved by now. Insurers don’t want to have the Insurance Department decide against them due to their power to levy a variety of penalties, ranging from fines to revoking the license of the car insurance company.

If you have read this article and decide it’s all too complicated you could decide to hire a lawyer who specializes in Auto Insurance. Lawyer’s usually work for either an hourly rate or on a contingency fee basis. Whatever you decide to do, ensure that you get your lawyer’s fee structure in writing. You should also insist that you receive copies of all correspondence to make sure you remain up to date on the progress of your claim. Make sure your lawyer is aware that he or she needs your agreement before a settlement is finalized.