This form for use in litigation against an insurance company for bad faith breach of contract. Adapt this model form to fit your needs and specific law. Not recommended for use by non-attorney.
This form for use in litigation against an insurance company for bad faith breach of contract. Adapt this model form to fit your needs and specific law. Not recommended for use by non-attorney.
When you file a claim, your insurer can try to recover costs from the person responsible for your injury or property damage. This is known as subrogation.
What is Subrogation? Subrogation refers to the practice of substituting one party for another in a legal setting. Essentially, subrogation provides a legal right to a third party to collect a debt or damages on behalf of another party.
The right of subrogation belongs to the insurance company, not the insured. The insured only waives or releases (the insurance company's) potential claims. An insurer's right to recover is entirely dependent on the insured's right to recover.
Additionally, insurers can receive salvage recovery for totaled vehicles that they take possession of, regardless of fault. On the other hand, subrogation value can either be the amount to repair a damaged vehicle or, for a total loss, the remaining loss after salvage recovery, if any.
Yes, you do need to respond to subrogation letters and if you don't, your insurance will likely drop you. Basically, your insurance company is trying to see if someone else was responsible for your injury, for example, maybe you were injured in a car accident, a work injury, or something of the like.
When factoring comparative negligence and improper referrals, the recovery rate should be somewhere in the range of 85-90%. This requires adjusters properly identifying subrogation, assessing comparative negligence and pursuing only what they are entitled to.
Subrogation allows your insurer to recoup costs (medical payments, repairs, etc.), including your deductible, from the at-fault driver's insurance company, if the accident wasn't your fault. A successful subrogation means a refund for you and your insurer.
You will want to immediately notify your own insurer to determine how they can assist you. A subrogation claim is not going to go away on its own. If you ignore the letter, the insurer will file a lawsuit against you, the party being held responsible, and the insurer will win, almost every time.