The short answer: start by identifying whether the claim is denied, delayed, or underpaid, then compare the carrier's written position with the policy and evidence. An applicable appraisal clause may assign certain valuation questions to a panel; coverage, causation, bad faith, and other liability questions require separate analysis. Deadlines and remedies vary by policy, state, and record.
Your state decides your weapons. Pick where the property sits:
Reg. 120-2-52-.03
Rule 0780-01-05-.08
O.C.G.A. § 33-4-6
§ 56-7-105
Not sure which fight you're in? Start with the case review. Tell us what happened, where the claim stands, and where the property sits. A licensed public adjuster will tell you whether the claim fits the work we handle. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Rather read first? Match what the carrier did to the fight you're in
| What the carrier did | What it is | The guide |
|---|---|---|
| Letter says the loss is not covered, cites (or refuses to cite) an exclusion | Outright denial | Denied in Georgia · Tennessee |
| Coverage admitted, but the number would not rebuild what you lost — or the check came depreciated and silent on whole items | Lowball or underpayment | Lowball settlement |
| Weeks of silence, no decision, "still under review" | Delay | Claim delayed |
These overlap — a "repair, not replace" roof decision is a partial denial and a lowball, and a carrier that lowballs then goes quiet is delaying too. Whichever guide you start with, every one of them ends at the same place: the free case review.
The three ways a claim goes wrong — and the counter to each
Denied. The carrier says the loss is not covered — wear and tear, an exclusion, late notice. A denial is an opening position, not a ruling. Georgia regulation flatly requires the denial to reference the specific policy provision, condition, or exclusion relied on, and Tennessee's claim-handling rules bar a denial without a stated basis, in writing on request. Pinning the carrier to exact policy language is the first move, because vague denials are built to discourage people who never ask.
Delayed. No adjuster, no decision, no check — just silence and "it's still in review." Both states put day counts on the process. Georgia: acknowledge in 15 days, decide within 15 days of your completed proof of loss with a hard 60-day outer cap absent documented missing information, pay undisputed amounts within 10 days. Tennessee: acknowledge in 30 days, decide within 60 days of proof of loss, tender undisputed payment within 30 days of accepting liability. Blown deadlines are documented rule violations — the raw material of a regulator complaint and, eventually, a bad-faith record.
Lowballed. If the policy contains an applicable appraisal clause and the dispute falls within the valuation questions assigned to the panel, either party may demand appraisal under that clause. McGowan v. Progressive (2006) and Merrimack v. Batts (2001) each distinguish valuation from broader liability questions under the law and records before them. The exact policy and claim record control.
Check the policy's suit deadline early. White v. State Farm (2012) enforced the one-year clause for the Georgia theft claim before it but did not decide tolling, waiver, or estoppel. Act 635 changes the minimum prospectively only for qualifying first-party property policies issued, delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after July 1, 2027; it does not erase an earlier policy deadline today. Tennessee likewise requires analysis of the policy and governing law. Do not assume negotiations extend a deadline; have counsel preserve the earliest plausible date.
The dispute library
The deep guides, statutes quoted and linked in full. Every one of them funnels back to the same free case review.
- Roof claim denied in Georgia — the flagship: the six moves, the policy deadline and future Act 635 floor, why your roofer can't fight it
- Claim denied in Georgia — the denial must cite the exact policy provision
- Claim denied in Tennessee — your counters under the claim-handling rules
- Underpaid in Tennessee — matching, labor depreciation, and the 25% penalty
- The lowball settlement — reading the estimate, countering it, forcing a fair number
- The delayed claim — the deadlines your insurer is already breaking
- State Farm in Georgia · Allstate in Georgia · USAA in Georgia — carrier playbooks: same law, different machine
Where a public adjuster fits in a dispute
Straight talk about lanes. A licensed public adjuster documents the loss, builds the competing estimate, negotiates with the carrier, invokes appraisal, and files regulator complaints — the work that resolves most disputes without a courtroom. Bad-faith lawsuits under O.C.G.A. § 33-4-6 or Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-105 are attorney work; we build the record those cases run on and refer litigation to policyholder counsel when a carrier will not move. The cost is capped by statute in both states, and our engagements are contingency inside the caps: no recovery, no fee.
Questions policyholders ask when a claim goes wrong
Is a low settlement offer the same thing as a denial?
A low offer may reflect an amount dispute, but the policy and claim record—not the label—control. If the policy contains an applicable appraisal clause and the dispute falls within the valuation questions assigned to the panel, either party may demand appraisal under that clause. Broader coverage and liability questions remain outside valuation.
How long does an insurance company have to settle a claim in Georgia?
Georgia's claim-handling regulation, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-2-52-.03, requires the insurer to acknowledge your claim within 15 days, affirm or deny liability within 15 days of your completed proof of loss (extendable only with written explanations, capped at 60 days absent documented missing information), and pay within 10 days once coverage is confirmed and the undisputed amount is determined.
How long does an insurance company have to settle a claim in Tennessee?
Tennessee's day counts live in a regulation: TDCI Rule 0780-01-05-.07 requires acknowledgment within 30 days, and Rule 0780-01-05-.08 requires the insurer to accept or deny within 60 days of your completed proof of loss and to tender payment of undisputed amounts within 30 days of affirming liability. Delay past those marks with no written explanation is a documented rule violation.
Do I need a lawyer to fight my insurance company, or a public adjuster?
It depends on the fight. Documenting the loss, rebutting the carrier's estimate, negotiating, invoking appraisal, and filing regulator complaints are exactly what a licensed public adjuster does — no lawsuit required. A bad-faith action under O.C.G.A. § 33-4-6 or Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-105 is litigation, which is attorney work; we build the documented record those cases run on and refer the lawsuit to policyholder counsel when it comes to that.
What does a public adjuster cost in Georgia and Tennessee?
Both states cap the fee by statute. Georgia caps public adjuster fees at 33 1/3 percent of the settlement (O.C.G.A. § 33-23-43.3). Tennessee uses tiers under Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-6-913: 15 percent of the settlement if hired before the carrier's offer, 25 percent of only the increase if hired after an offer, and nothing may be collected before the claim settles. Our engagements are contingency inside those caps — no recovery, no fee.
Can I file a complaint against my insurance company with the state?
Yes, in both states, and it costs nothing. Georgia complaints go to the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire; Tennessee complaints go to the Department of Commerce & Insurance. A complaint works best when it cites the specific deadline or rule the carrier blew — our guides on the Georgia and Tennessee complaint processes walk through exactly how to frame one.
Whatever move the carrier made, there is a counter. A free, confidential case review by a licensed public adjuster takes three taps — and if we take the case, you pay nothing unless we recover.
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