In most places, the basic technique of determining if the liable individual is insured is to simply request a copy of his homes or renters insurance policy’s “declarations page.” The “declarations” are the exact details about a policy, such as the policy number, insured’s name, address, and coverage amounts.
This necessitates the victim (or the victim’s family) communicating with the dog owner, which in many circumstances is difficult. Some dog bite victims prefer to leave this inquiry to their attorney when the dog owner is a friend, neighbor, or family member. (The word “dog owner” is used in this section to refer to owners, harborers, keepers, custodians, and anybody else who could be held responsible for the bite.)
If the dog owner does not have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, inquire about any of the other insurance policies indicated in Who pays the damages?
If the insurance limit appears to be insufficient, find out if the dog owner has a “umbrella policy” or “excess coverage.” These are additional insurance policies. Some dog owners have them included in their automobile insurance, so ask them to double-check their coverage and even speak with their insurance agent or broker about it.
The exclusion or limitation for animal-inflicted injuries is a severe problem for dog owners. Insurance companies are getting away with offering policies that don’t cover dog bites or only cover a limited amount of money. If this dog owner does not have an umbrella or excess coverage to supplement his insurance, he may not have insurance at all. (Even if the underlying policy doesn’t cover dog bites, an umbrella policy may.)
These kinds of ambiguities cause people to be perplexed. Many dog owners are unaware that their homeowner’s insurance policy includes coverage for dog attacks (as does renters insurance and the other types mentioned above). Furthermore, some dog owners claim that they do not have insurance when they are unsure and even when they are aware that they have. This is done in the hopes that the sufferer will “lick his wounds” and vanish. Needless to say, if your injuries are substantial, you won’t be able to accept that.
In dog bite cases and other non-vehicular incidents, only a few states require a person to disclose their insurance. See, for example, Georgia State Code, Title 33, Chapter 3, Section 28 (GSC 33-3-28), which requires the dog owner or other liable person to reveal the identity of every insurer within 30 days, and the insurer(s) to provide a copy of the insured person’s declaration page or a statement giving complete information about all known insurance, including but not limited to excess and umbrella coverage. Florida Statute 627.4137 is also worth a look.
If you can’t receive specifics on the insurance policy, or if the dog owner denies having any, the only way to find out is to file a lawsuit against them. You’ll find out later because his lawyer will inform you via the “discovery” and “disclosure” processes that occur in lawsuits. The dog bite victim will need to hire an attorney for this. Should Parents Hire an Attorney for Their Injured Child? provides more information on the decision to hire an attorney. Does an Adult Need a Lawyer for a Dog Bite Claim? (if the victim is a child) or Does a Child Need a Lawyer for a Dog Bite Claim?
Keep in mind that consumer attorneys frequently provide free consultations. One of the many services provided by “trial attorneys” to the general public is this. They will also sign a contract stating that they would not be paid until the end of the case, when funds become available. In most states, they also agree to pay for all of the legal costs up front. So, if it appears that the dog owner may be uninsured but the injuries are serious, you may need to consult a lawyer just to find out if the dog owner is covered but the good news is that you won’t have to pay anything unless you win your case.
Is there a home insurance database?
There is no central policy database you can search if you have a home insurance policy or any other sort of insurance and don’t know the name of the firm that supplied it, however you can:
- Speak with your insurance broker or financial adviser to see if they can assist you in tracking down your policy.
- Look through your bank and credit card statements for proof of payments to an insurer.
If you have a home insurance policy, or any other sort of insurance, and you know the name of the firm from which you purchased the policy but can’t find the policy paperwork, follow these steps:
Are insurance claims public knowledge?
Home insurance claims are, in fact, public information. Under the F.A.C.T. Act, both parties’ right to obtain insurance information is safeguarded by law. If someone is interested in seeing the record, they can request a copy of the policy.
Do home insurance companies share information?
On a shared database known as CUE, insurance companies routinely communicate information about policies and claims histories (Claims and Underwriting Exchange). This means that any secret information could surface at any time.
So, even if it means your policy renewal will be a little more expensive, it’s much better to be honest about what happened because you’ll still be insured if something goes wrong.
How do I find my home insurance claim history?
You can find out what information the Motor Insurers’ Bureau has about you by filling out a Subject Access Request form on their website. You can also inquire about your claim history over the last several years from your current insurer (even if you have switched insurance providers during that time).
How do you get a CLUE report?
LexisNexis offers a free CLUE report for your home once a year, thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You can get a CLUE report by doing the following:
If you’re selling your house, having a CLUE report on hand to show potential buyers can be useful, especially if it’s blank since you haven’t filed any insurance claims in the past. Even if you aren’t planning to sell your house, you should get a CLUE report to check for any mistakes, as the information on the report can affect your insurance cost.
What is the clue report?
C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) is a claims history database developed by consumer reporting firm LexisNexis that allows insurance companies to access customer claims data while underwriting or rating a policy.
Insurance companies who contribute loss data to C.L.U.E. have the ability to withdraw data from the exchange. Furthermore, certain insurance agents have the authority to withdraw data on behalf of the company they represent.
Almost solely, C.L.U.E. reports are used to underwrite and grade new policies. Most insurers do not consult C.L.U.E. reports when renewing existing policies, owing to the fact that they already have loss history for these properties in their own database.
It contains policy information such as the policyholder’s name, date of birth, and policy number, as well as claim information such as the date of loss, kind of loss, and amounts paid, as well as a description of the property covered. The report provides the property address for homeowner’s policy and specific vehicle information for auto coverage.
In the database, only policy information, including loss history, is kept. C.L.U.E. reports do not include information from other sources, such as credit reports, criminal histories, civil lawsuits, or legal judgments.
Only insurance companies that have signed up for C.L.U.E. have access to the system and can input loss data. C.L.U.E. reports on consumers and their own properties are available. Some businesses choose not to participate in C.L.U.E. Nonparticipating companies’ losses will not appear on a C.L.U.E. report.
LexisNexis is permitted to issue a C.L.U.E. report for the following insurance-related purposes under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act:
- When a consumer reporting agency has cause to think that the information will be used in connection with the underwriting of a consumer’s insurance policy. This includes circumstances in which a customer requests an insurance quote or submits an application for coverage.
- When the insurance company or agent requests the C.L.U.E. report, the request is started by and at the request of the insurance company or agent.
C.L.U.E. records can only be viewed by the property owner, insurer, or lender, according to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. You can, however, ask the present owner of the property to order a C.L.U.E. report for you.
You can contact LexisNexis directly if you uncover an issue on your C.L.U.E. report, such as an invalid claim report or an improper loss payment. After that, LexisNexis will contact the insurance provider on your behalf, request clarification, and advise you of the outcomes within 30 days. If you believe an item in the C.L.U.E. report requires further explanation, you can send a personal statement, which LexisNexis will include in all subsequent C.L.U.E. reports.
Consumers are the only ones who can make notes on their C.L.U.E. reports. For example, if a dog bite claim occurs and the homeowner disposes of the dog, the consumer can note this on the property’s C.L.U.E report. The addition of notations to the database is not permitted by insurance companies.
It’s crucial to understand the difference between an investigation and a claim. An inquiry is a call made by a customer to a company representative or agent to review policy terms, such as the amount of coverage for a specific loss. Losses by kind are reported in C.L.U.E. reports. Even if the firm does not make a claim payment, consumers who contact their company or their agent to discuss an actual loss may be deemed registering a claim. Because the policy compels the organization to take specific actions within specified time frames in the event of a loss, this is the case. Consumers should specify whether they are submitting a claim or just looking for information. For example, a consumer may contact his or her agent to report an event such as a burst water pipe and determine the scope of coverage before deciding whether or not to proceed with the company’s claims process. A consumer describing this circumstance in general might be making an inquiry, but if they’re talking about a specific loss, they might be filing a claim. For a variety of reasons, the insurer may refuse to compensate the consumer for this loss: the amount of damage may be less than the deductible, the client may elect to pay for the damage, or there may be no coverage for such a loss under the policy’s terms. This information would be recorded by the company and might show on a C.L.U.E. report if the customer filed an actual claim and the insurer made no loss payment on the claim. Many insurers are working on ways to explain the difference between a claim and an inquiry to their policyholders.
Is it possible for an insurance provider to utilize the loss history of a previous owner of a home to determine my eligibility for home insurance?
If a corporation can demonstrate a link between the previous owner’s loss and the likelihood of a future loss to the house, they may be able to exploit the data. There are no restrictions that prohibit the use of the previous owner’s loss history in evaluating your coverage eligibility.
Is it possible for the insurance company to report unpaid claims to the C.L.U.E database?
If such assertions were reported to the corporation as a claim (rather than an inquiry about probable coverage) and were later denied, reporting the claim to C.L.U.E. would not be considered illegal under existing legislation. C.L.U.E. has asked insurers not to record inquiries regarding potential coverage.
Contact the Connecticut Insurance Department for assistance with all of your insurance questions:
How do you get a LexisNexis CLUE report?
Call LexisNexis Services at 1-866-312-8076 to acquire your C.L.U.E report. The personal reports portion of the LexisNexis website also explains how to acquire a paper copy of the report or, better yet, see it online. The report is provided by LexisNexis, and it is the only company that makes it public.
- Insurance companies send information on property loss claims, as well as inquiries regarding coverage, into a central database on a monthly basis.
- An information vendor, not another insurance company, maintains the database.
- When you make a loss claim on your vehicle insurance policy, for example, the insurance provider enters your information into a national database.
- If you shop around for insurance and then apply for house or car insurance with a different firm, the new company can access the central database and learn about your previous claims.
- The consumer report informs your new insurer of any claims you made under your former insurer’s policy. Even if a claim was never lodged or paid, C.L.U.E. reports include information regarding enquiries you made.
When you or your insurance company asks for a C.L.U.E report, it will include all losses documented within the last seven years. The date of the loss, the type of loss, and the amount paid are provided, as well as other information such as your insurance company’s name, policy number, and claim number.
What information can insurance companies access?
The types of information collected by life insurance companies are usually determined by the amount of coverage you want, the policy type, and the underwriting procedure they utilize. Your age and health may also play a role.
The most information is received from sources such as those listed below for fully underwritten policies. Many of these same sources are used in accelerated underwriting, with the exception of the medical exam. In addition, the simplified issue underwriting procedure may rely on limited third-party data.
Information From You
Prepare your coffee. According to the Society of Actuaries, a life insurance application might have up to 60 questions. You’ll be quizzed on your age, personal medical history and mental health, family medical history, and whether or not you use tobacco. There will also be inquiries into your driving record, harmful hobbies, and any prospective trip plans to dangerous regions.
To verify your identification, insurance providers will ask for personal information such as your Social Security number and birth date. They may also want to know your annual wage because it may limit the amount of insurance you may acquire based on it.
It’s critical to be truthful while answering questions. Keep in mind that insurers will double-check a lot of the information you provide with other sources. Incorrect responses may void your insurance policy in the future.
Electronic Health Records
Life insurance businesses have benefited from the availability of electronic health records. They can get rid of the outdated procedure of requesting an Attending Physician Statement (APS) on an applicant through phone or fax by accessing digital medical records. Firms that help insurers obtain medical records are known as records-request companies.
Your life insurance application will include a HIPAA-compliant consent form for you to sign if an insurer requests your medical records.
Since 2014, health-care providers have been obligated by federal law to keep electronic health records. Life insurers can use electronic health information to speed up the application process and, in some situations, eliminate the need for a medical exam.
Previous Life Insurance Applications
Individual health and life insurance applications are gathered by MIB Group. If you’ve ever applied for insurance with one of MIB’s member businesses, it’s likely that they have a record of you. Insurers can check to see whether your previous responses contradict what you’ve indicated on a new application. You can acquire a free copy of your MIB file.
MIB does not have information about your workplace’s group life or health insurance.
From Pharmaceutical Databases
Life insurance firms will find out if you’re taking medication for high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, or anything else. They check your prescription drug history using third-party companies like Milliman Intelliscript.
From a Life Insurance Medical Exam
A medical exam, also known as a paramedical exam, is usually required for a fully underwritten life insurance policy to identify if you have any medical issues that could affect the amount you pay.
Carriers like ExamOne and APPS are used by insurance companies to send a nurse or paramedical professional to your home or business. They’ll probably measure your height, weight, and blood pressure, as well as take blood and urine samples (which can detect nicotine and drug use, among other things).
Depending on your age or health, some insurers may require an EKG and/or cognitive assessment.
From Your Motor Vehicle Report
You’re submitting a life insurance application, not a car insurance application. So, why would an insurance company want to look into your driving history? You may be a higher risk as a policyholder if you have received speeding tickets or other offences such as DUIs.
From Your Credit
For life insurance firms, your credit may also appear to be an odd source of information. According to the Society of Actuaries, they may examine your credit. Credit scores can help determine your “mortality,” or life expectancy. LexisNexis, an analytics firm, sells its Risk Classifier score to life insurance, for example. Your credit, driving history, and other public records-based criteria are all factored into your score.
From Public Records
Insurers can look up your personal information in public records, find out what property you own, see whether you have a criminal past, and look for other information that might indicate you’re a riskier applicant.
From Financial Statements
Insurance companies may need more information to verify your financial condition if you apply for life insurance beyond a particular sum. Ameritas, for example, will demand to see tax returns or income statements, as well as a list of assets certified by an accountant, for applicants who seek a life insurance policy worth more than $5 million.
From Your Social Media Accounts
Anything you share on social media has the potential to backfire. Even when applying for life insurance, this is true. According to a poll conducted by Lewis & Ellis Actuaries and Consultants, most insurance firms scan social media sites as part of their underwriting process. The majority of people use Google, although some also use LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
What reports do insurance companies use?
C.L.U.E. data is compiled in the same way that credit reporting companies collect information about your credit usage and history from your creditors. Insurance claims data is sent to the C.L.U.E. database on a daily and weekly basis by insurers. According to a LexisNexis spokeswoman, not all insurers use the service, but the majority do.
You permit insurers to search your records at consumer reporting agencies when you apply for auto or homeowners insurance. This includes reporting firms and services like LexisNexis, which will generate your C.L.U.E. report.
C.L.U.E. reports are used by insurance firms to determine how much you’ll pay for insurance. The reports are supposed to reflect your insurance loss history accurately.
If your C.L.U.E. report discloses claims, expect higher premiums and limited coverage, according to Stephanie Dunstan, regional vice president of Arch Insurance Group. “In reality, some insurance companies may deny coverage to the consumer” because of previous claims, she says.