Practice area 05
Before you file, before you sign anything, before you accept a number — find out what your own policy actually says. That reading costs you nothing.
Commercial policies run to a hundred pages or more, and the endorsements at the back routinely rewrite the promises at the front. Almost nobody reads the whole thing. We do, and we do it before you are committed to a position you cannot retreat from.
Knowing which coverages respond shapes how the claim is presented. A first notice framed around the wrong section is hard to unwind.
The insurer has told you it may deny. That letter is a roadmap to its intended defence — and it is worth reading against the policy before you respond.
It is sworn. An understated figure signed early follows the file for years. Get the number built first.
The cheapest time to fix a gap is before the loss. Reviewing exclusions and sub-limits against your actual operations is a small piece of work with a large payoff.
The declarations page, the complete policy including endorsements, and any letters or estimates the insurer has issued. If you only have the declarations page, send that — the rest is obtainable.
For businesses that need something to give a board, a lender, a landlord or a broker, we prepare a formal written coverage opinion: the question presented, the relevant policy language quoted in full, the applicable Colorado authority, and a reasoned conclusion with its uncertainties stated honestly. That is a billed piece of work rather than part of the free review, and we will tell you upfront whether it is worth commissioning.
Questions
Yes. We read the policy and tell you what we think. If there is nothing there, we say so and that is the end of it. We take on files we believe in, on contingency, which means our incentive is to be accurate rather than encouraging.
Send it. The declarations tell us the forms and endorsement numbers, and we can request the complete certified policy from the insurer. You are entitled to it and they must provide it.
For a straightforward commercial property policy, a few business days. Complex programmes with multiple layers, or claims already in litigation, take longer. If you are against a deadline, tell us in your first message and we will prioritise accordingly.
Yes, and it is the most useful time to do it. Reviewing exclusions and sub-limits against your actual operations at renewal is far cheaper than discovering a gap after a loss.
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No fee unless we recover
Send us the policy and the letter your insurer sent. We will read both and tell you honestly what we see — at no cost and with no obligation.
Send us the basics. A coverage lawyer — not an assistant — reads every submission.