Keep a claim moving and track unanswered requests

By Jacob Alford

What should I do when the adjuster does not respond?

When a claim stops moving, Jacob Alford’s firm at InjuredTexan.com evaluates whether filing suit would move it forward. Repeated calls are not the only option. A lawyer can explain what a lawsuit would accomplish in your case and whether the evidence, coverage and timing support that step.

Send a short written follow-up that identifies the claim, the unanswered issue, what you already supplied and the decision or next step you need. State any real urgency, such as storage charges or an expiring rental, and attach the relevant notice. Ask who is covering the file if the adjuster is unavailable.

If the issue remains unresolved, ask for a supervisor or the company’s complaint contact. Keep the chronology concise and factual. Repeated calls without a record can leave you doing the same work again when someone new opens the file.

Do not let the insurance conversation replace a lawsuit deadline, government notice deadline or response to court papers. Those require separate attention; see the claim-deadline FAQ.

How do I find out what is still needed?

Ask for an itemized list of outstanding documents, the issue each item addresses and whether anything already submitted is considered incomplete. If the company is awaiting its own insured, a vendor or another party, ask what it can do next and when it will reassess the file.

For each submission, retain the file name, date, recipient and confirmation. If a portal shows “uploaded,” save that confirmation; do not assume it proves that a particular adjuster reviewed the attachment. Ask for acknowledgment of important records.

Do legal claim-handling deadlines apply to this insurer and claim?

They may, but first identify the claim and insurer. Texas’s prompt-payment statute addresses qualifying first-party claims, not every demand against another driver’s liability carrier. PIP has a separate rule requiring periodic payment as covered claims arise, no later than 30 days after the insurer receives satisfactory proof, subject to §§1952.156–.157. Check that rule as well as the general claim timeline. Insurance Code PIP payment provisions. Other coverage-specific rules and exceptions can matter.

For an ordinary qualifying first-party claim, the general statutory sequence includes acknowledgment, beginning an investigation and an initial information request within 15 days after notice; written acceptance or rejection within 15 business days after receipt of the required final proof; and payment within five business days after acceptance or a required claimant act. A timely explanation can allow additional decision time. Surplus-lines insurers and certain other circumstances have different rules. Insurance Code §§542.051–.059.

These are not a promise that every injury claim must settle within a fixed number of days from the crash. Identify when notice and necessary proof were actually received, what remains disputed and which legal provision applies. UM/UIM entitlement can require additional analysis under uninsured- and underinsured-driver guidance. If you believe a deadline was missed, request a written explanation and obtain review of the actual chronology rather than relying on a generic countdown.

How should I document calls and promised next steps?

Keep one dated log with the caller, role, claim number, documents discussed, commitments and next date. Follow a consequential call with a brief accurate confirmation: what you understand was agreed, what you will supply and what the insurer said it would do. Invite correction of any misunderstanding.

Keep legal deadlines distinct from requested follow-up dates and an adjuster’s estimate. “I expect an answer Friday” does not create an extension of a court deadline.

What if the adjuster changes or says something was never received?

Resend the relevant material through a verified method with the original submission date and confirmation. Do not rewrite history or backdate the new transmission. Ask the new adjuster to confirm the outstanding issues, what remains needed and the next action.

A one-page chronology and indexed attachment list can make the handoff easier. Keep copies of both submissions. If repeated lost-document claims are preventing a decision, include that record in a supervisor request or complaint.

Attorney reviewed by Jacob Alford · November 11, 2026