When you pay premiums to an insurance company, you expect coverage when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, many policyholders in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and across Louisiana are blindsided by denial letters when they need help most. A denied insurance claim can mean unpaid medical bills after a car accident, repairs left undone after storm damage, or a family struggling without life insurance benefits. While some denials are legitimate, far too many are unjustified — and often issued because insurers hope people won’t fight back.

At Brandt & Sherman, our Lafayette insurance claim denial attorneys know these tactics well. For more than 50 years, we’ve helped Louisiana families challenge wrongful denials, navigate appeals, and take insurers to court when necessary. You don’t have to face an insurance company’s resources alone — and with us, you’ll never pay a fee unless we win your case.

Why Insurance Companies Deny Claims

While insurers may cite technical reasons, the truth is that many denials are designed to protect profits rather than policyholders. Insurance companies make money by collecting premiums, not by paying benefits. That financial incentive drives many of the denials we see. Sometimes a claim is denied because the insurer believes the damage is excluded under the policy, alleges paperwork was late, or argues your injuries were pre-existing.

But too often, denials are vague or based on technicalities that don’t hold up under scrutiny. For example:

• A car accident victim may be told their injuries “don’t meet policy standards,” despite clear medical records.
• A homeowner might be told storm flooding was really just “wear and tear.”
• Health insurers often argue ER visits, surgeries, or rehab aren’t “medically necessary.”
• Disability and life insurance providers sometimes point to minor application errors or late payments.

Some denials are simply wrong, others cross the line into bad faith insurance practices. Either way, policyholders are left without the coverage they counted on — and that’s where our attorneys step in.

Insurance Denials vs. Bad Faith

Not every denial rises to the level of bad faith. A denial may be wrongful without being malicious — for example, when an insurer misinterprets policy language or fails to review evidence properly. Bad faith, on the other hand, involves intentional or dishonest conduct, such as stalling payments without cause or knowingly misrepresenting coverage. Our Lafayette denied insurance claim lawyers handle both wrongful denials and bad faith claims.

Common Types of Denied Claims We Handle

Our attorneys regularly help clients challenge a wide range of denied insurance claims in Louisiana. Some of the most common include:

• Car insurance denials — including uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, medical payments coverage, or repair costs after a crash. (Often tied to disputes that also appear in car accident claims).
• Health insurance denials — ER visits, surgeries, rehab, or therapy treatments rejected as “not medically necessary.”
• Homeowners and property insurance denials — storm, fire, or water damage dismissed under exclusions or labeled “maintenance issues.”
• Life and disability insurance denials — benefits withheld for alleged misstatements, late premium payments, or pre-existing conditions.

Each type of policy comes with its own legal and procedural challenges, but the outcome for families is the same: mounting bills and uncertainty at the exact moment they expected protection. Our Lafayette insurance claim denial attorneys know how to challenge these tactics, present evidence the insurer ignored, and push for the coverage you paid for.

Signs Your Denial May Be Wrongful

Not every denial amounts to bad faith, but many are still unlawful or unjustified. Warning signs include letters that provide no clear explanation, shifting reasons for denial at different stages, and refusals to consider legitimate documentation like medical records or repair estimates. Insurers sometimes rely on obscure fine print that doesn’t actually apply to your claim.

If you’ve received a denial that feels vague, contradictory, or dismissive of strong evidence, it’s worth having an attorney review it. A wrongful denial may be overturned through appeal or, if necessary, litigation.

Checklist: What to Save if You’ve Been Denied

• The denial letter itself
• Any emails or letters from the insurer
• Notes from calls with adjusters or representatives
• Medical bills, repair estimates, or receipts
• Police reports or other supporting document

Keeping these materials organized can make all the difference in an appeal or lawsuit.

Appealing vs. Filing a Lawsuit

Most insurers require you to go through an internal appeal process before filing suit. These deadlines are short, sometimes only 30 or 60 days, so acting quickly is essential. A strong appeal backed by medical records, police reports, or repair documentation can sometimes reverse a denial without litigation.

Health insurance appeals, for example, often hinge on showing treatment is medically necessary. Property claims may require engineering or weather reports. Auto accident denials may need crash reports, black box data, or witness statements.

If the insurer still refuses to pay, filing a lawsuit may be the only option. Lawsuits force insurers to justify their denials under Louisiana law. In general:

• Appeals work best when the denial stems from missing documentation or a misunderstanding of your records.
• Lawsuits are necessary when insurers dig in, act unreasonably, or when a denial violates Louisiana bad faith statutes.

Our Lafayette denied insurance claim lawyers can guide you through both processes — starting with appeals but fully prepared to escalate to court when needed.

How Denials Affect Policyholders

The consequences of a denial reach far beyond the claim itself. Car accident victims may be left with unpaid ER visits, physical therapy, and months of lost income. Families whose homes were damaged by storms may face foreclosure because insurers refused to cover necessary repairs. A denied disability claim can mean going without income when you can’t work, and a denied life insurance claim can leave grieving families without the financial security they relied on.

This financial and emotional toll is often exactly what insurers count on — hoping that policyholders will give up rather than fight. Our role is to step in, level the playing field, and make sure you get the coverage you paid for.

What Compensation May Be Available

If your insurance claim was wrongfully denied, you may be entitled to more than just the original payout. Louisiana law allows policyholders to recover:

• The full value of the claim that was denied
• Attorney’s fees and litigation costs
• Penalty damages if the denial violated state bad faith statutes (sometimes adding thousands on top of your claim)
• Additional compensation for financial losses, emotional distress, and, in life insurance cases, wrongful death damages such as funeral costs and loss of support
• Interest penalties on delayed payments, which Louisiana law may require insurers to pay when they unreasonably withhold benefits

Our team carefully reviews your policy and the law to pursue the maximum recovery available, ensuring you don’t leave money on the table.

How We Build Your Case

Challenging a denial requires more than just sending an angry letter. At Brandt & Sherman, we start by reviewing the policy and the denial letter line by line. We collect medical records, police reports, and other supporting evidence, and when necessary, consult with experts to counter the insurer’s reasoning. If internal appeals fail, we’re ready to subpoena company records and take the case to court.

Because insurers know our history of trying cases in Louisiana courts, we are often able to resolve disputes faster and on more favorable terms. That reputation gives our clients leverage in negotiations — and ensures insurers take your claim seriously.

Why Choose Brandt & Sherman

For more than five decades, families across Lafayette have trusted us to take on insurance companies. We know the tactics insurers use to delay or dismiss claims, and we know how to fight back. From car accident claims to denied health or property coverage, we bring both legal knowledge and trial-tested experience to every case. Our clients trust us because we move quickly, keep them informed, and never charge fees unless we recover compensation.

A denial letter doesn’t have to be the final word. Call Brandt & Sherman today for a free consultation with a Lafayette denied insurance claim lawyer. We’ll review your policy, explain your options, and fight to get you the coverage you were promised. With us, you’ll never pay fees unless we win.