No one starts a business in the marine industry with hopes that they will have to file a marine insurance claim. However, it is very clear that the open water tends to do whatever it pleases. Sometimes, that can have a negative affect on your business. It is impossible to be 100 percent sure about how the conditions at sea will affect your cargo and vessel. Therefore, it is important that you do as much as you can in advance to avoid a marine insurance claim denial or delayed payment.
Make sure your insurance is up-to-date. When you make expensive improvements to your ship and do not tell the insurance company, you may be surprised when it denies your marine insurance claim or refuses to pay the full amount that the ship is worth. You were not paying them extra to insure the improvements, so they will not pay you extra to repair or replace them.
Properly maintain your vessel. Just because you have insurance does not mean you can completely avoid routine maintenance and just file a claim when things break. Insurance adjusters know when you have been reckless versus when something legitimate has happened. Keep your ship in good working order and avoid trouble with your insurance company when it is time to file a claim.
Hire a marine insurance litigation attorney. If an insurance-worthy incident occurs and the insurance company is not holding up their end of the bargain, it could be extremely helpful to speak with a marine insurance lawyer. At The Voss Law Firm, our attorneys investigate, fully manage and promptly litigate complex marine insurance claims.
Was your marine insurance claim denied? Contact The Voss Law Firm today for a free consultation at 888-614-7730. Our law firm collects nothing unless we recover on our client's behalf!
