What Is Subrogation in Insurance? (2024)

"Subrogation," or "subro" for short, refers to the right your insurance company holds under your policy — after they've paid a covered claim — to request reimbursem*nt from the at-fault party. This reimbursem*nt often comes from the at-fault party's insurance company. If your insurance company's subrogation claim is approved, the resulting proceeds may help cover the cost of your deductible. Bear in mind that you need to have adequate coverage on your policy and use it (including paying your deductible) before your insurance company may get involved in seeking reimbursem*nt.

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When does subrogation occur?

Subrogation may apply when you're involved in an accident for which it's determined another party is at least partially at fault. As an example, you're waiting at a stoplight, and your car is rear-ended. You file a claim under your collision coverage and receive a check from your insurer that covers the cost of repairs, minus your deductible. Your insurer may then act on your behalf to seek compensation from the at-fault driver's insurance that equals the amount they paid to you to cover your claim; this is the process of subrogation. If your insurer is successful, they may use the funds received from the other insurance company to reimburse you for all or a portion of your deductible.

Important note: Insurers aren't obligated to pursue subrogation, but some states require insurers to inform their customers when they decide not to. Customers in those states may then attempt to recover their deductible on their own.

How long does subrogation take?

The subrogation process can take weeks, months, or sometimes years to complete, depending on the circ*mstances of the accident, the complexity of the claim, and the state where it occurred.

Pro tip:

Subrogation can also apply to property and health insurance claims.

What Is Subrogation in Insurance? (2024)

FAQs

What Is Subrogation in Insurance? ›

"Subrogation," or "subro" for short, refers to the right your insurance company holds under your policy — after they've paid a covered claim — to request reimbursem*nt from the at-fault party. This reimbursem*nt often comes from the at-fault party's insurance company.

What is an example of a subrogation? ›

For example:

Your insurance company pays your doctor for your treatment following an auto accident that someone else caused. Legally, your company can seek reimbursem*nt from the at-fault person or their insurance company.

Is subrogation a good thing? ›

It benefits the insured in that the at-fault party must make a payment during subrogation to the insurer, which helps keep the policyholder's insurance rates low. In the case of an accident, it is still important to stay in communication with the insurance company.

Why would an insurance company choose to subrogate? ›

Subrogation allows insurance carriers to recoup costs from the party causing the loss. This process can influence the amount you receive from your insurance claim. This is especially true in personal injury and auto accident scenarios. Speak to a personal injury attorney about the subrogation process.

How do you deal with insurance subrogation? ›

Subrogation claims rely on fault, and insurance companies can only file claims against those they can prove are liable for property damage. If you can demonstrate that you are not liable for the property damage, the insurance company will have no grounds for their claim, and you will not have to pay it.

What happens if I ignore a subrogation letter? ›

What happens if you don't pay a subrogation claim? If you choose to not pay a subrogation, the insurer will continue to mail requests for reimbursem*nt. Again, they may file a lawsuit against you.

How often is subrogation successful? ›

When factoring comparative negligence and improper referrals, the recovery rate should be somewhere in the range of 85-90%.

What are the disadvantages of subrogation? ›

Cons of Subrogation Claims

This can reduce the amount of damages recovered and potentially increase the financial burden on the insurance company or policyholder. Time: Subrogation claims can be time-consuming, particularly if they involve litigation.

Why did I get a subrogation letter? ›

If you've been in an accident and filed a claim with your insurance company, you may have received a subrogation letter. This document allows the insurance company to pursue a claim against a third party that caused damage to their insured, after the insurance company has paid out a claim to the insured.

Is subrogation the same as recovery? ›

When another party is primarily at fault for your damages, State Farm may try to recover the amount of the claim paid for your loss. This is called subrogation. State Farm will try, to the extent that you're not liable for the accident, to recover all or a portion of the deductible you paid.

How to negotiate a subrogation claim? ›

Use the evidence you have gathered to support your position, articulate the liability of the responsible party, and the extent of the damages. Seek legal representation if the subrogation claim is complex or the insurance company is unwilling to negotiate in good faith.

Does subrogation affect credit? ›

Subrogation does not affect credit scores or credit reports directly. Subrogation is a process where an insurance company seeks to recover funds from an at-fault third party after making a claim payment to a policyholder for damages resulting from a car accident. The process is generally separate from credit scoring.

What is the defense to subrogation? ›

defenses to defeat an insurer's subrogation rights, including asserting that the statute of limitations has run or that a valid waiver of subrogation exists or other limitations of liability. Additionally, defense counsel may contest the amount and measure of recoverable damages.

What is a subrogation settlement? ›

Subrogation has been described as: the right of an insurance company to recover money from the person who caused the accident for the damages it paid to you as the insured party. the insurance company's right to be put in the position of you to pursue recovery from the person responsible for the accident.

What is a subrogation in simple terms? ›

What is Subrogation? Subrogation refers to the practice of substituting one party for another in a legal setting. Essentially, subrogation provides a legal right to a third party to collect a debt or damages on behalf of another party.

What is the burden of proof for subrogation? ›

Whether a claim is large or small – the burden is the same. The subrogated carrier has the burden of proving: (1) that the defendant was negligent (or that a product was defective); (2) that this negligence proximately caused the damages which the carrier paid for; and (3) the amount and nature of those damages.

What is subrogation in simple terms? ›

Subrogation refers to the practice of substituting one party for another in a legal setting. Essentially, subrogation provides a legal right to a third party to collect a debt or damages on behalf of another party.

What are the types of subrogation? ›

Subrogation is the substitute of one person in the shoes of another person to assume their legal rights, claims, and obligations. See Court Opinions. There are generally two forms of subrogation: contractual subrogation and equitable subrogation under common law.

What are the conditions for subrogation? ›

Payment must be made by the subrogee to protect his own interest; The subrogee must not have acted as a volunteer; The debt paid must be one for which the subrogee was not primarily liable; The entire debt must have been paid; and.

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