How Long Does A Company Have To Settle A Claim?
The UNFAIR CLAIMS SETTLEMENT PRACTICES ACT gives a company 30 days to investigate a claim, with some exceptions. The insurer should provide the necessary claim forms and reasonable assistance on completing those forms to the insured within 10 working days of notification of the claim. Within 15 working days of receiving all the properly completed claim forms, the insurer should advise the insured of the acceptance or denial of the claim, but not necessarily the dollar amount of the settlement. The dollar amount of the settlement should come at the end of their investigation. If a person who has filed a claim has a question about that claim, the insurance company must respond to the person within 10 working days. (Note: homeowner’s investigations and settlements cannot generally be completed in 30 days.
