Subrogation is the right of an insurer to pursue the party that caused the loss to the insured in an attempt to recover funds paid in the claim. Two key goals in subrogation are attaining swift resolution of the claim and avoiding unnecessary activities before and during the lawsuit.It is only when the plaintiff's recovery exceeds the sum total of the plaintiff's damages that the right of subrogation arises. Damages - Measure of Damages to Property. Subrogation literally just means the right to be paid back. In another video, we talked about collateral sources. Subrogation is basically the practice of recovering money paid in settlements. The recovery process isn't limited to just insurance companies. Often, the injured party's attorney plays a role in the subrogation process. XYZ Insurance's next step to recover the many they paid out on behalf of Sally is to bring a claim against Betty and her auto insurance company.