Typically, when a homeowner files an insurance claim it is because the home has substantial damage that needs reparation fairly quickly to prevent additional and costly issues. Unfortunately, home insurance companies rarely, if ever, consider a homeowner’s needs, which is why many delay payments for quite some time. If you wonder just how long your Texas homeowners’ insurance company can avoid paying you, the answer may surprise you.
Insurance.com details the time limitations by which insurers must abide. Unfortunately, there exist no federal statutes that stipulate a payout timeframe, which leaves states to create their own rules. In many states, the law simply requires insurers to pay a claim in a “reasonable” amount of time. A reasonable amount of time can vary depending on a number of factors and therefore does not really help insureds. Other states give insurers between 10 and 30 days to at least acknowledge receipt of a claim and an additional 40 days to either accept or deny it.
Fortunately for you, Texas does provide strict time limitations. Texas insurers have up to 15 days to acknowledge receipt of your claim. It also has 15 days from the date it receives all the paperwork necessary to make a decision to either accept or deny your claim. Depending on the circumstances, the state may grant insurers an additional 45 days to make a decision. However, if your insurer hopes to take advantage of that leeway, it must notify you in writing about the delay.
Texas also specifies how long insurers have to make a payment once they approve a claim. After your insurer agrees to pay your claim, it has up to five days to issue a payment.
The content of this article is for educational purposes only. You should not use it as legal advice.
