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. For example: Your insurance company pays your doctor for your treatment following an auto accident that someone else caused.
A statutory subrogee may assert its subrogation rights through correspondence with the claimant and the third party or their legal representatives. A statutory subrogee may institute and pursue legal proceedings against a third party either by itself or in conjunction with a claimant.
Insurance companies don't have forever to make a subrogation claim. While the statutory limitations period can vary depending on the type of subrogation claim made—and in which jurisdiction it is made—the standard statute of limitations ranges from one to six years.
You have no legal obligations to respond to a subrogation letter. You can put the letter in the garbage and ignore additional notices, but it's not in your best interest. Immediately dealing with a subrogation letter allows you to resolve a claim sooner than later.
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.
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.
Ways to Fight a Subrogation Claim for Property Damage Showing you are not at fault for the damage. Challenging the amount of the claim. Subrogation waiver. Technical violations of subrogation claims. Negotiate the claim.