What Can I Do When My Insurance Company is Not Responding to My Claim?

If your insurance company is not responding to your claim, confirm that the claim was opened, put your request for an update in writing, keep a detailed communication log, and ask for a supervisor if the assigned adjuster remains unavailable. Your message should identify the claim, list any documents already submitted, ask whether anything else is needed, and request a written status update by a specific date.

If the silence continues, you may file a complaint with your state insurance department and speak with a policyholder attorney about deadlines and other options. Do not assume that silence is a formal denial, but do not let an unresponsive insurer cause you to miss a policy requirement or legal deadline.

What Should You Do When an Insurance Adjuster Does Not Respond?

Move the conversation into writing and create a clear record. Send a concise email or letter that includes your name, property address, policy number, claim number, date of loss, the dates of your unanswered communications, and the action you need from the insurer. Ask the adjuster to confirm receipt and explain the next step.

Continue taking reasonable steps to protect the property from additional damage when it is safe to do so. Photograph conditions before temporary work, keep damaged materials when practical, and save receipts. An insurer’s lack of communication generally does not suspend your duties after a loss.

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Why Is the Insurance Company Not Responding?

A slow response does not always mean the insurer intends to deny the claim. The assigned adjuster may be handling a large volume of catastrophe losses, waiting for an inspection or expert report, transferring the file, or requesting information that has not reached the policyholder. The insurer may also be investigating coverage, the cause of damage, or whether a policy condition was satisfied.

Those possibilities do not excuse indefinite silence. The most useful question is not merely why the insurer is delayed, but what specific action is holding up the claim. Ask whether the insurer needs a document, statement, inspection, estimate, inventory, signed authorization, or sworn proof of loss. Request that any missing item be identified in writing.

Seven Steps to Take When Your Insurer Will Not Respond

1. Confirm That the Claim Was Opened

Do not rely solely on a voicemail or online submission. Obtain the claim number, the date the insurer recorded the notice, the assigned adjuster’s name and contact information, and the address or portal for submitting documents. If you reported the loss through an agent, confirm that the notice reached the insurer’s claims department.

2. Review Your Policy and Outstanding Requests

Read the declarations, coverage forms, endorsements, and the section often called Duties After Loss. The policy may require prompt notice, reasonable emergency measures, an inventory, records, an inspection, a recorded statement, or a sworn proof of loss. Our guide to reading a homeowners insurance policy explains how these parts fit together.

Search your email, mail, claim portal, and text messages for requests you may have missed. If the insurer’s request is unclear, ask exactly what is required, where to send it, and when it is due. Keep proof of delivery for every response.

3. Send a Written Status Request

A written request is more useful than a string of unreturned calls because it creates a dated record. Be direct, factual, and specific. Avoid speculation and emotional accusations. Ask the insurer to acknowledge receipt, identify anything outstanding, and provide the next action and expected date.

Sample Insurance Claim Status Request

Subject: Written Status Request — Claim [claim number]

I am requesting a written update regarding the claim listed above for the loss dated [date]. I previously contacted your office on [dates] and submitted [documents] on [date]. Please confirm that those materials are in the claim file.

Please identify any information still needed from me, the current status of the investigation, the next step, and the expected date for the insurer’s coverage decision or payment. If the assigned adjuster is unavailable, please provide the name and contact information of the person who can address the claim. I would appreciate a response by [reasonable date].

4. Keep a Complete Claim Log

Record the date, time, phone number, name, title, and substance of every communication. Save emails as PDFs, download portal messages, keep certified-mail receipts, and take screenshots of upload confirmations. After an important phone call, send a short email confirming your understanding of what was discussed and any promised deadline.

Organize photographs, repair estimates, mitigation invoices, receipts, and damaged-property inventories by date. If conditions change, photograph them again. This record can help distinguish an insurer delay from a missing submission and may become important if the claim is later denied or underpaid.

5. Ask for a Supervisor or a New Adjuster

If the assigned adjuster does not respond after repeated written attempts, call the insurer’s main claims number and request a supervisor. Ask whether the adjuster is still assigned and whether the file can be reassigned. Confirm the escalation in writing and include the dates of unanswered requests.

Requesting a supervisor does not require an accusation of bad faith. The immediate goal is to identify someone with authority to move the claim forward and to obtain a reliable timeline.

6. File a Complaint With Your State Insurance Department

Every state has an insurance regulator that accepts consumer complaints. The department may request a response from the insurer, explain applicable claim-handling rules, and help identify communication problems. It generally cannot serve as your lawyer, decide every disputed fact, or guarantee that the insurer will pay.

Include the policy and claim numbers, a short timeline, copies of important communications, the insurer’s letters, relevant policy language, and the specific outcome you are requesting. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ state directory can help you find the proper department.

7. Speak With a Policyholder Attorney Before Deadlines Pass

Consider legal advice when the claim remains stalled, the insurer gives conflicting explanations, important repairs cannot proceed, a deadline is approaching, or the claim is denied or underpaid. An attorney can review the policy, correspondence, evidence, state-specific claim rules, and any pre-suit requirements.

Do not assume that filing a regulatory complaint pauses a policy deadline, lawsuit deadline, proof-of-loss deadline, or contractual limitation period. Those rules vary by state, type of insurance, and date of loss.

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Silence, Delay, or Denial: What Is the Difference?

The next step depends on what the insurer has actually communicated. A lack of response, a request for more information, and a formal coverage decision are not interchangeable.

Claim Status	What It Usually Means	What to Request
No acknowledgment	You do not yet know whether the insurer opened and assigned the claim.	Written confirmation of the claim number, notice date, and assigned representative.
Claim acknowledged but inactive	The file exists, but an inspection, document review, estimate, or decision appears stalled.	A list of outstanding items, the next action, the responsible person, and a target date.
Reservation or ongoing investigation	The insurer has not made a final coverage decision and may be investigating facts or policy issues.	The specific information still needed and a written explanation of the investigation’s status.
Partial payment	The insurer accepted some part of the claim but may dispute cause, scope, pricing, or coverage for the rest.	The estimate and written explanation for every unpaid or partially denied item.
Written denial	The insurer has made a coverage decision based on stated facts and policy language.	The complete denial letter, cited policy provisions, reports, estimates, and claim-file documents available to you.

If you receive a denial, compare the stated reasons with the policy and the actual evidence. See our guide on why insurance claims are denied. If the insurer accepts coverage but the payment is too low, review the steps for a potentially underpaid insurance claim.

How Long Does an Insurance Company Have to Respond?

There is no single nationwide deadline for every insurance communication or claim decision. The applicable timeframe depends on state law, the type of policy and claim, the communication sent, whether the insurer needs more information, and whether circumstances beyond its control apply. Your policy may also impose duties and deadlines on you.

State claim-handling rules commonly address acknowledgment, investigation, requests for information, and payment or denial. Use your state insurance department’s current materials for the jurisdiction governing the claim. A regulatory deadline is not a reason to wait until the last day to follow up; send a written request as soon as the communication becomes unreasonably delayed.

Florida Property Insurance Claim Response Deadlines

For many Florida residential property claims, current law provides the following general timeframes. Statutory exceptions and circumstances beyond the insurer’s control may affect them.

Claim-Handling Event	General Florida Timeframe	What the Policyholder Should Track
Acknowledgment of claim communication	Within 7 calendar days	The date sent, delivery confirmation, acknowledgment, and assigned representative.
Beginning necessary investigation after proof-of-loss statements	Within 7 days	The proof submitted, delivery date, and any request for clarification or additional information.
Physical inspection when one is required	Within 30 days after proof-of-loss statements	Scheduling messages, inspector identity, inspection date, photographs, and areas examined.
Copy of insurer’s detailed estimate	Within 7 days after the estimate is generated	The estimate’s issue date, scope, measurements, pricing, depreciation, and omissions.
Payment or denial of an initial, reopened, or supplemental claim	Within 60 days after notice of the claim	The notice date, any uncontested payment, and the written explanation for payment, partial denial, or denial.

Review the current language of Florida Statutes § 627.70131. Florida homeowners should also receive a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights within 14 days after the insurer receives the initial claim communication, subject to the statute’s terms.

If a Florida insurer remains unresponsive, the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Consumer Services accepts insurance concerns and operates the Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-693-5236.

Should You Keep Making Repairs While the Claim Is Delayed?

Protect people first and take reasonable emergency measures to prevent additional damage when it is safe. A roof opening may need a temporary tarp, standing water may need removal, and wet materials may require prompt mitigation. Waiting for a silent adjuster can allow damage to spread.

At the same time, avoid permanent demolition or repairs that destroy evidence before the insurer has a reasonable opportunity to inspect, unless safety or emergency conditions require immediate action. Photograph and video the condition before, during, and after mitigation. Keep samples of removed materials when practical, along with contracts, invoices, receipts, and proof of payment.

For catastrophe losses, our storm damage claim checklist explains how to document and report the damage. If the insurer requests formal testimony, prepare carefully using our guide to examinations under oath.

Does a Delayed Response Mean the Insurance Company Is Acting in Bad Faith?

Not necessarily. A delay can result from legitimate investigation, missing information, catastrophe conditions, or circumstances outside the insurer’s control. Whether conduct may support a bad-faith claim depends on the full claim history, the policy, the insurer’s reasons, applicable law, and compliance with any notice or pre-suit requirements.

Patterns that deserve closer review may include repeated failure to answer material questions, shifting explanations, requests for the same documents after confirmed delivery, long unexplained periods of inactivity, or missed statutory deadlines without a clear basis. Learn more about the distinction between ordinary delay and potential bad-faith insurance delay.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Claim requirements, response deadlines, and available remedies depend on the policy, the facts, the type of insurance, and the law applicable to the claim.